Can You Love a Place as Deeply as You Love a Person?

Aunt and Niece Hiking in the Sonoma County Hills of California (photograph by Thaileah DeRocher Schomer)

There’s something about the grand natural landscape of California that brings a lump to my throat.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago, on the first national Juneteenth holiday, when my niece invited me to hike around in the Sonoma County hillside above the ranch where she keeps her horse Moose.