I have been a few places in my life.  I’ve seen at least a small part of 38 states.  I’ve liked some (Mississippi is gorgeous) and hated others (Washignton DC comes to mind).  But there was only one I’ve fallen in love with.

There are days, like today, when I just pinch myself, because it’s so hard to believe that I am living in the place I fell in love with so many years ago.  I’m living here, working here, and I never have to leave here again unless I want to.

And I just don’t want to.

This morning I left about 5 a.m. and drove up into the mountains.  I had never driven the mountains in the dark, and it was a bit spooky.  But I was alone and I could take my time, which I did.  An hour later, I stopped at a pulloff on the top of a rise at about 8,000 feet and watched the sun come up to the east.  I got out of my car and stood and listened.  It was so quiet I could hear my ears ringing.  Usually there’s enough ambient noise that I don’t hear that.  After a while, as the sun got closer to rising, I heard birds.  Just a few, and they didn’t keep it up.  I almost felt bad for walking along the fine-grade gravel and sand in the parking area, it made so much noise.

And it was cold.  I didn’t bring a jacket and was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and wished I’d had a jacket.  Not that that made me get back in my car, because why would I do that?  I sat on the hood of my car (it was warm) and ate a cup of yogurt with fresh raspberries, and drank an almost-still-hot cup of Earl Grey Tea (with cream, of course).  I love my Aladin thermos cup – keeps drinks hot for over an hour!  I have not spent a more perfect morning in a very very long time.

And I live here.  “Awesome” is not a strong enough word for what I feel.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 at 9:01 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.