mountains wanted

I'm turning 40 in T minus 38 days.

I had originally planned a trip to Italy to visit friends, but due to passport issues (as in my partner never got his act together to apply for his) and lack of funds (not working for a year will do that to you), I'm going to have to postpone that trip until Spring.

I did have a little money saved for my share of the Italy trip and it is enough to still go somewhere, just not overseas and not for two weeks.

So I was trying to figure out where I want to go. I think turning 40 is a pretty momentous occasion so I wanted to go someplace that is meaningful to me. Yesterday in the bathtub, the perfect destination came to me: the mountains. Specifically Colorado.

I have used the mountains metaphor for my relationship with my partner over the past 3.5 years and I even wrote two novels using that metaphor: Mountains Wanted and Mountains Climbed (Mountains Loved will be released next year). In the book, the main male character James (his counterpart) first professes his love for the main female character Sarah (my counterpart) in Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, which is one of my absolute most favorite and soul-affirming places on the planet.

After all I've been through, after all the mountains I've climbed in the past several years, it seems more than fitting than to journey there to celebrate my birthday.

We're not able to go until October (when he has vacation) but I think it will be a magical place to celebrate the beginning of my next decade. Plus I can do a little bit of research for Mountains Loved and write off some of the travel expenses.

I was heartbroken when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to go to Italy but this is more than a consolation. I just reviewed all my photos from the last time I was there in 2009 and I can't wait to go back. Kinda that whole closed door, open window thing, right?