Tucked away in the forest, not too far from Asheville, North Carolina, is a wonderfully magical mountain getaway called the Mountain Light Sanctuary. It’s a peaceful, charming place with graceful flowers, spaces for meditation and walking, inviting paths and enchanted indoor and outdoor nooks and crannies.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to go there to rest, explore, and have a long-overdue visit with a lifelong friend. We slept on a porch that was open on three sides, to the soothing sound of rain hitting the tin roof. We made tea and explored the books in the quiet upstairs library. We ate our meals outdoors and watched bluebirds and goldfinches at the feeder. We made a point of sitting in every sitting-spot, walking in every walking-spot, and we even tried the swimming hole, although the water was 55 degrees. We caught up on life and news in the way that only friends who met in kindergarten can.

The weekend reminded me how easily we forget to slow down – in fact, I feel like in that short visit, I had only begun the gearing-down process. It also reminded me how easy it is to bring touches of magic into your own space. A bird feeder, a garden strewn with flower seeds, a simple arrangement of stones or a little waterfall – it doesn’t take much to bring inspiration to a place, but it only works if you take the time to enjoy it.