Saturday, January 24, 2004

Leaving tomorrow. Which is sweet-sour. I mean, I could so easily stay here. Always. I've lived here consistently for over a year now, and on-and-off for a year before that.

It really is easy to fall in love with this place. The wind almost never blows. It only rains for a day here and there. You can get good food. There are no malls. All the K-Marts, Wall-Marts, Burger Kings, and Taco Bells in the area are kept in this one valley, leaving the rest of the place filled with trees. And rivers. And foxes. And squirrels. And beavers. And deer. And moose. And horses. And cows. And bears. People don't lock their houses. Many not even their precious cars. And people are nice. I mean really nice. I have made friends in a lot of places, but it is here that I have found some of my very best friends. What more can you ask of a place?

But there is also a part of me that loves to travel. And doesn't like to stay in one place for too long. Last year, I made 8 intercontinental flights. The year before, 12. Of course, most of it is for work. But that is also something you choose. And then I have always had to fight the 'grass-is-greener-over-there' syndrome, although I think that in the last few years, I have been winning that tussle. Then again, it is also that I just can't get enough. I never have. The rule that you can't be in more than one place at a time has always struck me as being profoundly unfair. Cruel, even. You should be able to travel, eat, laugh, hug, dance, climb, drink, swim, read, fly, and listen to all that you want, all of the time, and all at the same time, if you want to. Liiiiiive!

Have to go. I have some packing to do. And a daughter to kiss. Catch you later.