I was told countless times by individuals to take the drive down to Del Ray Beach and check out the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens because it would send Zen straight through my veins and fill me with peace (okay maybe not that far in, but wouldn’t it be awesome if I had friends who actually spoke like that.) But today I decided to take a drive down with my mother and her close friend for a daily adventure just the three of us and what I experienced was far beyond what I thought was possible.

First off they have a café off to the side of the exhibit before you walk in and the chef was so accommodating to my plant-based diet. It made me full of both happiness and filling food before our mile and a half walk around these gardens. As soon as you exit this café the view of the gardens as a whole is just so breathtaking that you really do need to rub your eyes clear to be able to take it all in. Rubbing my belly full of food next to a Buddha statue made me ready to clear my mind for an hour or so with the ones I love. We set off and within seconds, we found ourselves gawking at the next beautiful sight to see. Iguanas running around freely, Koi fish swimming around happily beside us, and birds fluttering in the trees that surrounded us entirely. Half way through I realized that my mind had been clear this entire time and the only focus I had was on the next step I was going to take. How simple my brain was thinking was much different from my usual anxiety filled day. Something about the bamboo trees guiding you through the different paths made me trust the gardens more than I have trusted another soul, and I know this all sounds dramatic, but the place is filled with so much symbolism that you can easily miss it if your head is stuffed into your phone or the thoughts of others. The drastic change from crashing waterfalls to bare rock gardens was fit for what each person would consider calming and benches spread graciously around the gardens made it that much easier to take it all in. I assumed the most gorgeous parts were over as we walked towards the beautiful architecture where we started at, but boy was I wrong, one right turn and we were guided into a stunning bonsai garden. Our jaws dropped farther as the years of these Bonsai trees were read aloud; 1970, 1950, 1920, 1910.

All three of our faces were smiling from the second we walked into the exhibit to the drive all the way home. My mother specifically was so blown away by the sights that she marked it as the best Mother’s Day to date. All in all, I would recommend anyone who needs a mental health day, romantic date, or hell even a quick Mother’s Day exertion to take the time to drive out to this beautiful garden because you will sure not regret a minute of it. Oh and here are a few pictures I could grab for you guys.