The Time of Our Lives

It was, without any doubt whatsoever, the most wonderful time we've ever had together. I want to write a post about the beauty of our relationship, the depth of our connection, the intensity of our emotions, the ferocity with which we love each other. I'm feeling all these things within me, centred in my solar plexus, and I'd never be able to express them adequately, never manage to do them justice.

So, failing words right now to describe it all, I'll share some of the highlights of the trip:

• Catching my first sight of him at baggage carousel 14 in terminal 1 at San Francisco Airport


• Wrapping ourselves up in each other to the point we almost missed spotting his luggage


• Driving up to Napa in the rain, eating hula hoops off my fingertips


• Finding ourselves not in a hotel room but a huge suite at the hotel (upgrade)


• Loving the heck out of each other as soon as we got into bed


• Waking up several times during the night to repeat that


• Being wonderfully raw the next day


• Taking the train tour of the valley from Napa to St. Helena and back


• Having an amazing lunch on the train, accompanied by some lovely wine


• Spa treats that evening at the hotel (facial for me and massage for him)


• Being so 'noodled' by the spa experience we fell asleep in each other's arms


• Driving the next day through the valley again, this time stopping at several (many!) wineries for tastings and some purchases


• Sitting on a beautiful patio of an Italian restaurant sharing delicious food


• Driving the latter part of the afternoon and evening to the golf resort in Carmel


• Getting up late the next morning, just in time for a round of 18 holes (him) and first driving experience of a vehicle (golf cart, me)


• Packing up and driving a few miles down the road to the Tickle Pink Inn for the next two nights


• Arriving just in time for the wine and cheese reception on the deck as the sun started to set


• Opening the door to our room and looking straight out onto the Pacific Ocean, it was breathtaking


• Eating Chinese food together and seeing the excitement on the young waiter's face when I spoke to him in Cantonese (his family had relocated to Carmel 15 years ago)


• Laying spooned together at 5:34am, listening to the surf below and watching the night sky out of the balcony doors - and seeing our first shooting star, together


• Experiencing the beauty along 17-mile Drive and stopping at all vantage points to enjoy the view


• Stopping off at Monterey to watch the harbour seals cavorting and battling for a place on the floating jetties for sunbathing time


• Driving all over the place to find ice-cream and having to settle for chocolate frosties out of Wendy's


• Travelling the coast highway down to Big Sur and being just totally awed by the beauty of it all


• A long, leisurly drive back to San Francisco, taking the route through the Big Basins Redwood Park


• Our last night together, we ate ribs (him) and fajitas (me) at Chili's then settled in for one more sleep (a little sleep and a lot of the 'other')

Saying goodbye is always so hard, but we got through it. I almost stayed another day as they needed a couple of seats on my flight and it would have netted me US$400 plus an upgrade on the next day's flight. But he had already checked in so there was no way I was going to stay without him.

I know but one thing. I love that man with the entirety of my being and I know he loves me with the same amount of himself. And each day that dawns, is a day closer to us never having to say goodbye ever again.

We took loads of pics. I will try and get myself, and them, sorted out tomorrow to post a few for you.