Flying... in more ways then one

I just had one of the most wonderful mini-vacations in... well, about a
month. It involved me flying out to the farthest west I've ever been
and spending almost 3 full days with the amazing guy I've been seeing.
Now this guy... he lives in a different time zone and I miss him a lot,
so the few times I get to see him are really the highlights ofbasically
everything right now. I count the days till I can see him again, then
lose all track of time when I'm with him. It's really never something I
thought I'd get to have, but I do have it... and I couldn't be happier.

Parting with him is always hard, but I discovered something on the flight home
that made the leaving a bit easier. The flight I took wasn't direct, so
not only did I have a lay-over in OHare on the way out there, but on the way back I had to go to Denver before heading back to Detroit.

Now, I have flown before... and those flights (to and from Europe, the flight out to my guy on Sat.) were all at night. I had a window seat heading out to Denver, and the things I saw were some of the most beautiful I have ever laid eyes on.

I love Earth Science, and the landscape out west is full of interesting geographical features. I saw miles and miles of fields that resembled patchwork quilts... rivers
so old they had huge flood plains and oxbow lakes that had once been
part of the river before it twisted so much it cut itself off... lakes
and trees and the morning mists slowly burning off of fields in the
sunlight. But above everything else, I sawmountains.

Coming into to Denver I hadn't really thought about them being there, mostly because mountains don't exist in Toledo. Hell, we're lucky if we get hills around here. The last time I actually saw mountains is when my mom graduated midwifery school and we all drove down for her graduation... I think I was 9 or 10... I can't quite remember.

Until lately I have done much traveling, which is odd considering that I wanted to take a solo road trip around the U.S. when I graduated high school so I cold take photos. I'd become almost annoyingly settled here in my little apartment, waiting on life to run it's course and I'd just go with it. I figured I'd travel later
since I never seemed to have the time or the companions to do so now. I know now that while I can still do that when I'm older, I have no reasons for not traveling now.

You see, I saw those mountains and a huge sense of longing washed over me. They were beautiful, just standing there in their gray and snow capped solitude. I miss that... the excitement of seeing something new and the longing I have when I see something so
wonder I feel as if I might cry. Yes, I know some of this may just seem
silly to people, but Itruly love the natural wonders this wold has to offer.

I'd love to get a rail pass and just ride around the U.S. Amtrak
has a station downtown here and rail passes aren't that expensive, plus
it'd keep me from driving for hours on end... I can't stand doing that
alone. I want to see themountains again. I want to see Yellowstone and Mt. Saint Helens. I want to see the Redwoods, visit the nations capital, and see every ocean I can. I want to go back to Europe and see the museums, the ruins, the countryside, and everything I missed the first time. I want it all.

It will be a while before I get it, I know that much at least. Right now I
do need to focus on school again and work, but I don't plan on waiting
till I retire to do all the things I want. I can't settle for a life
here, always sticking to my routine and not exploring. I don't want to
settle for anything less then I deserve, anything less then the love I
have now.

Yes, I am in love with him, and he with me. He treats me the way I always should have been but no one before did. I have no idea where this thing where us is headed, but I do know where I'd like it to go. The situation iscomplected, so I'll just be patient and think of my mountains till I can see him again. Maybe if I'm lucky we'll see them together...