June 29 - July 1

The following is an account of the days of June 29 to July 1, 2010. It is of a visit to the hometown of Ani Antanesyan, the Love of my Life and the Universe.

I had trouble sleeping the night before I left on the plane, due to overthinking and anxiety over the trip that was to come very soon. I had not ridden in a plane in about 15 years, and of the last plane ride I do remember, I have only very foggy memories. So my Love and I talked on the phone a bit, that we may both be able to sleep better that night, but alas! it was to be that neither of us was able to sleep the best. But no matter!

I woke up at 4am and prepared myself, then was driven to the airport where my mother saw me off. Through the long line at check-in, past the security gate...and then on to Gate 25 at terminal B. The boarding party was called, I was about to enter the plane - and realized my bracelet was missing! I know that I had it on after the security checkpoint, as I remember putting it back on, but... somehow it had slipped from my wrist between then and my boarding gate. So I went back out and looked as far as I could before I had to return to my flight, and unfortunately, I could not find it... :(

The plane ride was exciting, though for some reason, as my Love pointed out to me later, I was not served peanuts. I touched down, got off the plane at Burbank, retrieved my luggage after stopping at the room of rest for a time, and called and waited for my pumpkin juice to arrive in the car. She and her mother arrived, and we drove therefrom first to a bakery called Paradise, then around to the home that was used in Gone With The Wind, then around to their home. We went up to her apartment, and I saw her dad for the third time, and her grandma for the first time. We had a bite to eat, then my Love and I watched her soap opera, followed by a bit of walking. First to the park across from her home, then to her elementary school, next to her high school, and finally back through the neighborhood to her abode for morning coffee. After the coffee, we went to the local YMCA to book me a room for the next 2 nights, which proved successful, though a tiny bit nerve-wracking, as the residents there didn't seem like the most proper of folk. And then we drove to get some fresh bread from the local popular fresh bread shop.

Afterward, we had lunch at her home, and then we went off to the Descanso Gardens for several hours. The Gardens were amazinggggggg! There were roses and green grasses and flowers of every kind and arches and plants and trees and it was all beautiful, breathtaking, and extraordinary, and best of all my cherry pie and I were there together, finally truly to ourselves for the first time since we reunited that day, the 29th of June. It was quite lovely indeed, and no further words can really express how the time in the gardens were; for it was rather of a magical nature.

From the Gardens we went back home, had dinner, and went walking toward Brand (Street? Avenue?), then down Brand to the Americana Mall, stopping along the way at Porto's Bakery (the best bakery I've ever seen in my life!) where we acquired potato balls, which turned out to be among the best things I've ever tasted in my life, and then to Border's where I saw where my hunny bunny worked at for a time at the small Seattle's Best cafe inside, and then to the three frogs shooting out water at the entrance to the Marketplace, which apparently was the main hang-out and meeting spot before the Americana was opened and famous. Finally to the Americana, through the Barnes & Noble, then back out, where her mother picked us up and we went back home. After that we walked a bit outside, talking of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings. And then my Love drove me to the YMCA, where I then slept for the night after talking a bit more when her on the phone when we were both in bed.

The next day I awoke and found out that the showers were open showers, and as I am uncomfortable with such devices, I took my Queen up on her offer of a shower at her home, so we went there and had breakfast, and then her parents and her and myself departed for the Santa Monica beach. At the beach we had a picnic of delicious food, then Ani and I walked along the beach for a time. The day was warm, we were happy, the beach was awesome, and as we walked we played and danced along the water's edge, together, in love, as we are. When we returned, her parents took their turn and walked for a while, so we stayed at the picnic and discussed our future bakery, while she braided my hair. After he parents returned, we all went to the nearby playground and played there for a bit, and then returned the items to the car and walked to the Third Street Promenade. That was fun, too! We then returned for the car to her parents, then we all drove to Hollywood for a bit of sightseeing. Upon returning home, we showered off the sweat and tiredness, and then my Love and I went to Griffith Observatory for a few hours. We ended up finding a great parking spot on the top, and also managed to watch the sunset! It was amazing, and we were together again, just us, happy as we could ever be, to be in each other's arms under the night sky. We walked around the observatory itself after the sun set, and then hiked a ways on the nearby hill, and yet again were happy just to be in each other's presence, in our arms, holding tight, loving. After the observatory, we drove around a bit, talked a lot with each other, then went home, and I went back to the YMCA for the night, and we talked on the phone again before we slept.

The next day, the first of July, she picked me up at 8am, and we went back to her home and I showered, and we had breakfast. Then we walked to a local store to search for a nice jazzve (as I didn't yet have one), but could not find one to my satisfaction. Then we drove to a local strip mall and searched for shoes, and we tried on a number of them, but did not purchase any. After that, we picked up her mother, we all drove to the farmer's market on Brand, bought some fruits and vegetables, then drove to her church! That was amazing; we lit candles and prayed, and the whole church itself was awesome. From there we went to a few more shops for a jazzve, and finally found one at Bingo's store. We then went back home for some coffee and a small break, then went to the Brand Gardens and visited the tea garden, the Doctor's house, the library and art gallery, the playground, then went back home again. I got my things, and we drove to the airport, stopping along the way for some bread. At the airport, we checked my baggage, then we walked around a bit together, just my Love and me, cherishing these last few moments that we had in each other's presence. It was amazing the few days we had together at her home, and it was extraordinary that we were physically together in the summer! Neither of us wanted me to leave, neither of us could imagine the rest of the summer without each other. We did not want to part AT ALL, and we held on to each other as long as we could before the last minute, when I had to go through the security and on to the plane, and back home to San Jose.

I wish I could be with her still now, there with her at her home, for the rest of the summer, not having to part save for the night-time sleep, but summer circumstances are not always what we wish for. This long time with 600 miles distance between us is a test, but a test we know will be passed, for distance is of no consequence to Love. I love you dearly, Ani, my Love.