In Washington state, there’s a place called Cape Flattery. To get to it, one has to drive on roads that look like if they didn’t go anywhere, and then hike a little ways down the coast.

It’s the land of the Makah Nation, and it’s one of the places filled with old wisdom and wonder.

When I was walking down to the cliffs, I was surrounded by the quiet hum of the old trees. Then, one of them simply captivated me – it was a tree broken and bent under the weight of years, but filled with wisdom and strength. I couldn’t explain it otherwise.

I spent more time with my hand pressed against its scarred bark, listening, than I did down by the coast watching the ocean. It was a very strange moment in which time felt like if it had a whole new dimension.

The tree has been there long before I was born, and will be there long after I die, and something about it just made me feel very… there’s really not a word that could describe it.