landed.

So, the title of this post makes it sound as if I flew somewhere, and, well, landed.

But I didn't.

I drove.

And now I'm in a small town.  So small that there are only two speed limits: 25 and 35.  Gotta love it!

And being here, I believe, has not really settled in.  Although I think a bit of it did tonight.  I went to a favorite place of mine here in this small town.  A park.  A simple park with trees, a lot of grass, a walkway around the entire park, some swings and benches.  There is even a certain bench that I consider mine, and well, I guess someone else's as well.

When I first attended college here I met someone.  They turned out to be a good friend.  We would go to this particular park and walk around and always ended up sitting at a certain bench, in the back corner where hardly anybody walked by.  It was nice.  It was quiet; it was a good place to talk.  Or to just sit and let all the stresses and worries of whatever had been going on that day or week or maybe even just moments ago with roommates or friends or a dreadful homework assignment...go.  To me it was almost like a safe place where you knew you could go and find comfort there.  A friend waiting.  Willing to listen.  Silence to let your thoughts slip away.

It became a special place to me.

And now that I've been gone for 2 years, it's become a favorite pastime, in a sense.  Or almost like a real-life reminiscent moment that I can relive by going there and thinking about all the memories I've had at that park with that friend, or at that bench.

And so tonight I returned.  Alone.

It was a bit strange to be there with nobody else to walk around with or to sit on that horribly uncomfortable green metal bench with.  To chat with about silly roommates or pointless things, or even the people walking by after they passed us.  It was different not seeing someone sitting besides me, shivering in the cold with hot chocolate in hand...and yet still wanting to stay, just as I did.  I think it was just that sense of calm that was felt there, you didn't want to leave.

So tonight was a bit of a parting of ways.  A remembering-of-old-times day.  And it was bittersweet.

But I'm okay with sitting at the bench alone in silence, having my thoughts and stresses drift away with the wind blowing around me.  Two years past and gone, but not forgotten...