What is an oasis? According to the American Heritage dictionary it is “a situation or place preserved from surrounding unpleasantness; a refuge: an oasis of serenity amid chaos.” Webster’s defines it as “something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.: The library was an oasis of calm in the hectic city.” All of this aside, we each have our own definition of what an oasis is.

When I was in Mexico City last week there was a delightful Starbucks across the street from my hotel. The coffee was good, the atmosphere relaxing, and the location divine. For me that was my oasis both before and after a long day of meetings. Not that Mexico City needs an oasis as it really has become one of my favorite places, but before hitting the road every day I found myself escaping to this refuge; a refuge from the hustle and bustle of a busy city.

Yesterday I decided I needed an oasis where I live. Now, let me start off by telling you that where I live is an oasis all its own; a scenic canyon overlooking a suburb of Los Angeles that has become my refuge from the world for the last eleven years. The most dangerous element in my neighborhood is the occasional rattlesnake or the frequent coyote snooping around, but I digress. I still needed a personal “refuge from chaos” that exists in my life for a variety of reasons, part of which is the fact that I work from home. So I created a couple of Zen gardens on my front porch where I sit with my computer and morning coffee. You would think the view and the coffee alone were enough, but add in the gardens complete with a smiling and a reclining Buddha and I have the most peaceful oasis from this crazy world!

- Morissa Pawl, vice president western region

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 10:37 am and is filed under Morissa's Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.