What's your secret place to escape the world for a bit like?

I live in the countryside so I just take the dog for a walk through the fields. If I really want to get away into nature there's a forest a few miles away that's almost completely silent.

There's an old abandoned car dealerships close by I go there, if I'm angry I can smash old rusty cars, if I'm sad I can cry in a small super insulated cell in the basement, probably used to paint small stuff, if I want to feel better I can climb the roof, the owner was living in the house over the shop before getting evicted for fraudulence business, now it's empty and really quiet, from the very top I can scout all the Mountains and lakes in my area, its one of the tallest building around, And the view is Heart warming, I might not have had anyone loving me for 23 years but this place pays for it, thers a busy road nearby and that always makes me realize that all those assholes I spent the day trying to comprehend and tollerate are indistinguishable from ants roaming the world on a timer like everyone else.

I'm in a country town in Australia, fortunately we have a good mountain bike trail network close by that I try to go to weekly. Karri and jarrah trees as well as some pine forests, loamy soil, a small river running through the middle of the network. It's a beautiful area.

Kayaking. There is way less people in water than in the ground. My city is a small metropolis, bustling with people, yet on the river I can still find space to think and wildlife to observe. i can find small patch ch of landing where no one ever goes to and set my folding chair for a snack and sketch some doodle.

There is a strip of grass beside the driveway to my complex's parking structure with one tree in it.

That tree and the surrounding grass has at LEAST five species of moss living on it, so I just slow down on my walk to the car and appreciate those diverse, weird little plants

Nice try ICE.

I save up for the Netherlands. There are enough places to just get a peace of mind, away from people, with a nice spliff and no one to bother me about it.

I've been three times within the span of a year, and will be going back in a few months.

There is a rose garden along my walk to the store that I enjoy a lot. Sometime soon I will volunteer to help prune them.

Well it's not terribly secret, but I just chill in my backyard with a book and my dogs, on my hammock.

I'm growing some grass in my room.

my bed

My backyard is nice. It's not big, it's not fancy, but there's green grass and trees against a blue sky and that's usually all it takes for me to remember the good stuff

Long walk through the park is quite nice - no cars, no pollution, just lots of birds chirping and strangers passing by

That's my secret, I'm always touching grass.

There are a couple of parks near me that are good for that.

Cambria, CA because I live in Los Angeles and our nature spots are overrun with Instagram squirrel brain types.

Bed. It's my not-secret secret-getaway.

Does there really have to be grass?

I'm not telling you my secret space. Then it wouldn't be a secret.

My workshop, where I can be creative or destructive or just tinkering about or hang out with my dog, enjoying my time. Unfortunately, I was just evicted, as the little building will be demolished and replaced by "gentrification"...

If I can't go out for a walk? My bookshelves, any public library, a (used) bookstore.

I used to have hidden spots in a nearby forest, places where I could sit for hours without being seen.

Now I'm older and live alone, so my needs tend to be the opposite, to get out and try to find as many people as possible.

I used to live in walking distance from a national forest.

Next to a lake in that forest was a little patch of moss and tree cover that you could only reach by crossing a natural bridge made of downed trees. Less of an island and more of a ball of roots with enough moss to be soft to sit on.

As far as I know, I was the only person alive who knew about the spot. I’d spend whole days there enjoying the quiet.

I have a big mesquite tree in my front yard that’s a great shady spot to sit and think.

Definitely not what looks like the hottest place on earth

I live right next to the black forest, so I'm privileged to have a lot of nice natural areas nearby. One of my favorite places is a secluded forest hut, which I can reach in about 45 minutes with my MTB. It has a nice view over the surrounding mountains with no other buildings or roads in sight. Once spent a few hours there waiting for thunderstorms to pass, which was a strangely calming experience.

It's no secret. I live there. We have a huge property in the mountains with no neighbors in sight and that borders a national forest. The nights are pitch black with a million stars. And if the weather sucks and I can't go out, then I have seven cats and three dogs that keep me entertained.

Go kart track to do a few laps and focus on the lap times for that session

Lakes. I live in Louisiana so it’s more “water” than freshwater lakes but during the pandemic, I’d just go out to a lake and cast a fishing pole with no bait and be outside with something to do. I wasn’t interested in catching anything. I just wanted to do something and sit by the water.

Ice hockey rink

Might sound corny, but books are my escape.

In a physical sense, my condo building has a rooftop deck with a beautiful view, and I spend a lot of time there.

My absolute favorite place, however, is the third-floor balcony of Union Station in Kansas City. I'm a little shocked no one's filmed a rom-com using that space.

The community center pool. It's nice to just float around for an hour in warm water.

Dangerous. Expansive. Beautiful. I'll struggle there for a while, then inevitably see "YOU DIED" before I try again...

For escaping the world: car. Solitude and a background task while my mind ticks away.

Home gym

I go to my local nature sanctuary. There's a tiny lake with a nicely shaded moss-covered rock but it gets just the right amount of sun for an hour, around 1pm in summer. Perfect for napping.

Best with a bit of wind for leaf ambience and sometimes the ducks are hanging out too. Very peaceful. :)