The Return

This morning I woke up early and decided to take a bike ride down to visit the mighty Pacific Ocean.  Heading down the hill the sight of palm trees took my breath away.  I have missed those tall trees and had forgotten how lovely they look against a bright blue sky.  How could I have forgotten about palm trees?  How could I have forgotten the simple pleasure of riding a bike?  Riding through familiar neighborhoods, past places where I have lived and loved and laughed and cried was strange.  Returning is strange.  And it got even stranger as I made my way along the boardwalk.  A surfer coming out of the water-I recognized the guy (despite the fact that everyone looks the same in wetsuits).  As I pedaled closer I became even more certain that this was someone I knew.  I recognized his gait, the funny little half run he does in the sand, and I was flooded with memories.  How fitting that the first person I run into is someone I never really got to say goodbye to and someone who continues to drift in and out of my thoughts.  Our eyes met and we exchanged pleasantries and news of our families over the sea wall.  And then we moved on.  As people do.  As life does.