Followers of my blog have heard me speak of my journeys to my little cabin in the woods (lcitw). My lcitw is a retreat located in a northern region of the dairy state. This is where I go to escape from the rigors of daily life. The journey to this escape takes multiple hours via automobile.

On one of our excursions I heard my husband announce that we had just crossed the, “Stress Line.” Being absorbed in my journaling I was not currently aware of our surroundings. Curious why he had said that I glanced up from my spiral notebook to take note of our location. Even after finding my bearings the meaning of his phrase did not ring a bell.

Out of curiosity I asked him to explain. With a smile on his face he shared his thoughts. “Stress Line” was the term people used to describe the geographical location, on our long journey, where the stress accompanied by daily routines is left behind. It is at that pinpoint on the map when relaxation begins to overtake/overcome tense muscles and clenched jaws and replaces them with smiles and a sense of relaxation.

His explanation was not at all what I had expected. Stress line for me conjures up images of earthquake fault lines or stress fractures. I had never thought of using those two words in that context. The usage made complete sense after he explained it.

Now every time I cross that line I think of those two words and remember that moment in my life with a smile and a chuckle.

Do you have a stress line? If so, where is it?