Across the Country and Back Again

Left early last Tuesday morning the 20th, headed back to Huntington Beach from Lincoln to gather up my belongings. Spent Thursday packing some of them in my car and putting the rest in storage, for retrieval at a later date.

Poor little Sookie had just this one
little perch on the trip back.

On Friday, travelled to the Mojave Desert with Connie. She was scouting out locations to bring one of her Biology classes from Cerritos College. We had a good time as usual. Visited the Coachella Nature Preserve which is right on the San Andreas Fault, and basically consists of an oasis and the ensuing wildlife and flora that exist at such a place.

Oasis at Coachella Valley

BFFs

We had a great time visiting, Connie spent more time scouting than I did. Glad I got a good walk in that morning in Coachella. I stayed in the car on the two Joshua Tree walks she went on, tired and sore from packing and moving things into storage the day before.

Joshua Tree

View of Salton Sea from Keys Point

Got in some good reading about how Joshua Tree National Park came to be. Turns out there was much concern in the 1930s about the desert cacti being trucked from the desert near Morongo Valley to posh homes in Los Angeles where cactus gardens were all the rage. A Pasadena society matron stepped in, started lobbying state officials and eventually President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Interior Secretary Harold Ickes, who were all in on her idea of a national monument.

Next day, we visited the Morongo Valley Preserve, and a great cactus nursery called the Cactus Mart, and of course I procured a cactus, thanks to Connie, that is now sitting on our dining room table.

That night said goodbye to a bevy of people at a small get-together thrown by my great friend Debbie Cook, whom among her multitude of accomplishments, is also a great cook, party-giver and hostess. Told my story of love to nearly everyone and explain why moving to Lincoln, Nebraska was not nearly as bad as mild-climate-loving Californians thought it was. What a rare chance to share my newfound life with those who've loved and supported me in my second home from home. I moved for love and I told the story at least 25 times!

Debbie Cook in her kitchen.

With the Sheldons.

So on Sunday, I got in the over-packed car and drove 21 out of 48 hours to get back to my Ryon. It seemed there wasn't time to get emotional about it. But then I saw the big gay York balloon. (That's what Ryon calls it.)

Big gay York balloon tower

When I saw that tower, the emotions of this big life change reared up from somewhere deep inside and I exclaimed out loud, "I'm home!" and burst into tears, and I remained teary-eyed as I drove the rest of the way home to Q Street, listening to silly love songs on local radio that just made me blubber more.

Made by Ryon's friend's daughter.

Funny how things work out. My return to Lincoln filled me with happiness, and I look forward to the joy and wonder of discovering a new place, a new life and doing it together with the man I love.