Last weekend, for the first time since 2019, I escaped the confines of the Earth’s surface and got on a plane. I flew from Portland, OR to Albuquerque, NM – into a totally different biological environment.

My former partner, Steve, is a Park Ranger at Bandelier National Monument. He escaped his weekly routine at the Park to accompany me to the museum in Santa Fe, a fabulous dinner, and the opera (Debussy’s Pelléas and Mélisande).

The next day, he invited me to his workplace for a tour of the cliff dwellings, a hike in the wilderness, and an encounter with a juvenile black bear in its natural habitat. (That last item was mostly a surprise.)

It was delightful to have a trusted companion to hang out with for four days. And returning to my solo life became a pleasant change as well.

“Even the smallest changes in our daily routine can create incredible ripple effects that expand our vision of what is possible.”
― Charles F. Glassman

Thank you , Dan of Departing in 5 Minutes, for hosting this week’s challenge.