6 days, 2 road trips, one gathering and 1715.0 miles later, i'm back in Atlanta, a bit sad and missing you. We're both quiet on IM tonight, the side effect of the past four days in very close quarters, and we both need time to decompress. The snow is falling in big, wet, puffy flakes, the most snow i've seen since the blizzard of 1993. It makes me want to still be there with you or to have you here, but some time apart will do us both good.

i'm the only one in the fort tonight and it's eerily quiet and a balmy 55 degrees inside without the heat on. The fishtank filter gurgles over near my bed. i didn't really feel like listening to music, but i put on some Milt Jackson very quietly as i watched the steam dance on top of my cup of Earl Grey tea as it steeped.

The snow was just too beautiful to pass up, so i strapped on my boots and went out for a walk, camera slung over my shoulder. i tromped the 3 blocks up to the State Capitol building via the scenic route, leaving a wandering trail of size 14 footprints from my combat boots. As i stood in the four inches of accumulated snow and looked up at the statues, awash in the orangy glow of the sodium-vapor lights and blanketed with snow, i wondered if anyone else had thought to come out and see this rakish scene. The lack of other footprints and the Capitol Police driving by slowly and gawking at me let me know that i was the only one dumb enough to be out in the snow.

It's been a good beginning to the new year, something i hope will continue. The falling snow is still beckoning me. i'm going to go out and walk in it, barefoot, and think about the woman i'm in love with, life, the future, school, work, what makes me go on day to day and how it all fits together. It's starting to come together, things falling into place. It's amazing how some things just feel right, fit nicely and help the rest of my life start to come together into a cohesive whole. And it's all because of you. Thank you, for everything.