Oceans vs Mountains

How did we even get here? In an instant an entire year had gone by. Despite how quickly it went by, every second was utter bliss!

Our first year together couldn’t have gone easier. We spent copious amounts of time exploring our similarities and relishing in our shared loves and interests. From foods and drinks, to music, movies, and books, and even to games, shows, and pets, we seemed to be a match with almost everything! Beyond our shared interests, we delighted in exploring the unshared ones, too!

One of the things that I wanted to do was share with her the life I knew — in particular, the places I loved in California. You see, she ‘s not from around here and her move to California wasn’t a great experience. She hated it here. She hated the weather, the lack of color in the trees, the smells, the air smoggy skies, and so much more. All of them were reasonable and the things she disliked, I tended to agree with. However, I wanted to show her just how I was able to find beauty here and show her all the places I loved! I wanted to help her find things she loved here in hopes that might not have such a constantly terrible time.

My ideas were simple: show her my favorite places, show her why I loved them, and let her experience their incredible beauty firsthand. First stop: the gorgeous California coast!

Great first pick right? Gorgeous weather and the wonderfully salty air. The vastness of the ocean and the feeling of sand moving beneath our feet. Not to mention the sound of waves steadily crashing upon the shore. I was excited for us to get up early and (try to) beat the crowds that surrounded the cinnamon roll shops! All of the things that I loved. I knew it would win her over if she was just able to relax and be there with me.

I thought wrong. Nothing got through to her. She didn’t love any of it. If anything she was just as dissatisfied with the coast and she was with the valley. She didn’t like the smell, the crowds, and she was never really a fan of sand. The vastness of the ocean just made her feel uneasy and she ended up thinking that at any moment we were going to get hit by a tsunami. I was heartbroken. Apparently, the only things that she enjoyed, even if just a little, were the sunsets, the cool breeze, and being able to spend time with me.

So, even though the beach wasn’t exactly a winner for her and didn’t make her fall in love with California, it was a start. Not to fall flat on my face, we made our way to the second stop: the mountains!

This one would definitely be a winner. So, we made our way up. Unfortunately, we were off to a rocky start as I forgot to mention some of the roads were a little less welcoming than any of the ones she’d been on prior (sheer cliffs for hundreds of feet along for several miles along our journey). My mistake. I warned her against peering over the edge of the road, but my warnings were too little too late. On a stretch that too us from 2,000’ to 5,000’ fairly quickly, she looked out over the side of the cliffs only to realize she couldn’t tell where the drop stopped. Half amazed, half terrified, she gazed out over the valley below and across the horizon.

Thankfully, between the gorgeous views and the relatively short drive along the cliffside, she was comforted and distracted enough to refrain from requesting that I take us back home. Soon after (about an hour into the drive) she was hit hard by something that made her completely forget any fear she had thus far; the smell in the air, clean and smelling heavily of pine. It enveloped her and fill her with excitement. She sat up straight and started quickly looking about her, asking me sternly if I smelled what she was smelling or if I felt the lightness of the air. It continued for at least fifteen minutes and was absolutely precious. This was a major score for me! That is, until feeling lightheaded from the altitude. Fortunately, she was able to acclimate fairly quickly.

Once we reached our camp, we embarked on a hike. It took her up steep slopes, along a creek, atop a boulder at least 30 feet tall. She was able to see a bunch of cute little lizards and birds (even her first woodpecker). The excitement she had was like a child discovering her new favorite thing. I loved watching her explore and play around. But, night was soon to fall, so we headed back to camp for dinner. It was then that she realized just how far she was from the nearest city, the nearest town, even the nearest campsite. After nightfall, the cool crispness bit into us as we cuddled by the fire trying for warmth (my new favorite thing). As we sat listening to the fire crackle and chatting with the rest of our group, it became apparent to her just how powerful the silence was; it covered us quickly and was both relaxing and humbling for her. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience for her.

So, despite the fact that she didn’t love the ocean at this point in our relationship, she had fallen for the mountains and I couldn’t have been happier! My favorite part about it? She loved all the things that I loved about the mountains and I got to see genuine excitement in her as she explored and learned! She got to experience two vastly different aspects of my life that had both been relatively foreign to her. She was able to catch a glimpse at a life different from the one she had, so far.

Only time will tell what sort of life we’ll build from here on!