A Breath of Fresh Air

After eight trips to load up my mom's car with used grocery sacks and duffel bags stuffed with laundry, food, toys and books, I finally checked the family out of our cozy tiny hotel room after I dropped my adoring husband off at the airport. While the hotel was convenient in many ways, I was excited to go from this view (cue banjo music):

to this view (cue the choir):

View from my parent's house.
Is it even possible to bottle the scent of fresh mtn air?

At 8,200 feet, my parent's house perches on the south side of a mountain. What seemed like a pipe dream thirty years ago when my dad purchased this land, became a reality back in 2004 as the house came together piece by piece. They ditched the suburbs, ran for the hills and haven't looked back.

Happy as clams, larks or whatever you want to call them, life up in the mountains consists of hiking to the top at 8,400 feet, sightseeing the wildlife (or at least their carcasses), wood chopping, chipping, tossing and stacking, and the making sure the patio furniture doesn't blow off the mountain. So maybe the wind gusts can get up to 60-80mph but when all is calm, this is what you hear:_______________. Nothing. Pretty unbelievable I say.                                                                              

Elk delight for some lucky animal 

Nice kitties.

Earning my keep.

Hiking off turkey dinner.

These past three months I have redeveloped a closeness with my parents and I am afraid to leave that comfort zone. I can't believe how easy it was to fall in love all over again with my brother and sister-in-law and I cringe at the thought of saying goodbye. But I am also excited to resume the life in Bucharest I was hesitant to leave in the first place. Good thing Mark's gorgeous self will be the perfect welcome home gift for all three of us. Especially if he has managed to grow back his beard after a freak shaving incident while prepping for obligatory family picture time. Poor guy.

I love this man. Mostly for his
power of forgiveness.