i took a hike tonight with my girlfriend. we went out just when the sun was starting to hint it might not be around much longer, that sort of lingering sunset that hasn't quite begun just yet.

rural new England is fucking magical, i swear. but i've sort of forgotten that over the past year. i've been so caught up in the daily bullshit, the grind of this crazy world i live in, i just missed it all as the seasons came and left without me.

and, boy, how i've missed it.

there's just something relaxing about being out in the middle of nowhere. you find yourself. and i found myself tonight. i found so much more than i ever could have hoped. the thing i love most about hiking is the connection. with each step, you disappear further into the great unknown, however discovered, polluted it may be, it just feels new. with each step, i just felt so much more relaxed. my zen, i guess. and i wasn't alone. it meant that much more to feel her hand holding mine, to have her jump on my back and walk through the muddy, mucky parts because i wore boots and she foolishly wore nike trainers, embracing at sunset on top of a hill of trees and rocks and leaves and greens and, well, life. it was all connected. the sun came to rise just one more time over our heads, as if to say good night, the animals were talking to us in the distance in every direction, the air was a gentle breeze letting us know we're still alive and awake and not dreaming. it was all connected. i wasn't alone. the moment i looked up and out, surveying the scene, taking it all in and processing the experience, i realized how much i love. i love my family. i love my friends. i love my life. i love. won't you?