it was the perfect day. the weather was just crisp enough to warrant long pants and long sleeves, boots, and a hat (beanie for me, backwards ball cap for him). after having dreamed up a date-day in the mountains, we loaded up S’s truck en route to the quaint town of julian at just a hair before noon.
we arrived an hour or so later to find the town already abuzz with visitors. turns out we weren’t the only ones with a hankering for cooler temps and pie that day. seeing as it was his inaugural visit, S and i took a stroll down main street to get a lay of the land (and simultaneously stretch our legs from the drive) before circling back for pie. hand-in-hand, we walked up and down the maybe 1/2 mile stretch of restaurants, boutiques, and specialty food stores before filing in the queue at julian’s acclaimed pie company.
following a full assessment of the featured flavors, we settled on a slice of the dutch apple with crumb topping and a healthy helping of vanilla ice cream on the side. i also ordered a cup of coffee and when our number was finally called from the window, we took our treats outside to enjoy them amidst the cool mountain air. as expected, one bite and we we had died and gone to pie heaven. we gobbled up every last morsel before taking one last tour of the town, making sure to commemorate our first visit to the mountains as a couple (aww) with a rather adorable photo in front of some overgrown ivy adjacent to the pie shop (three cheers for the kind stranger who agreed to take the shot).
we were back at the truck and subsequently back at sea level within the hour -giving us plenty of time to enjoy the remaining football matches for the day. despite the brevity of our outing, we both agreed that the little getaway was just what we needed. in a season of moving, and weekend commitments, and just the general busyness of life in general, it was so important for us to carve out a little time for “us.”
it’s easy to become complacent in a relationship, once you settle in a rhythm of everyday life. but like anything, it’s important to establish a balance. in this case, between comfort and courting. i told S once that i wanted to date him forever. sure, in the sense that i hope very earnestly that we are together for a very long time, but also in the sentiment of keeping the spark alive once the initial butterflies inevitably settle (however with S, i don’t think the butterflies will ever go away, awww). he was quick to agree.
and while our jaunt to julian may not have resembled the traditional gestures society categorizes as quintessential “romance,” it was the perfect date day for us. a couple who enjoys cooler weather, cooler weather clothes (and accessories), road trips, and, of course, really really good pie.
