Keeping the Romance Alive

When we got back from camping we were able to relax for a few days, go to church together, and just hang out around our house and in Watertown. It was very enjoyable, but the best part of Joe's whole visit was our romantic excursion that I had successfully planned AND been able to keep a surprise for Joe. This is a feat, because although I am typically good at keeping secrets, Joe just doesn't count. Especially when I am excited about something, I have the worst time keeping my mouth shut because I am so used to sharing everything with him. But the joy of our trip far outweighed the pain of keeping it a surprise.

We left Madeline with a friend from church and headed off to Saratoga Springs, NY. Saratoga is just south of the Adirondack state park, and it is about 3 1/2 hours from Watertown. Neither of us had been there before, and I basically chose it because it was close to the big surprise I had planned and there was a Marriott there so we could get a good deal on a room (thanks Patrik). Turns out, Saratoga is really famous for horse races, and it is a pretty upscale little city. It was absolutely commonplace to see luxury cars of all types (Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, even a Viper) just parked on the side of the road. We totally fell in love with it there. The main strip was lined with all kinds of little local shops and fabulous restaurants. When we go somewhere new, we really try to experience the local stuff, rather than big chains, so it was ideal. We saw very few chain restaurants at all (one Wendy's, a Coldstone, and a Ben & Jerrys), and there were a few big department type stores but that was it. It was such a great place to walk around. It was about as city as I get. There was great nightlife, with people walking on the streets and music and a fun atmosphere, but not everyone was drunk and there weren't really any scary people to avoid or people begging for money. We ate at several different restaurants, and they were all delicious. Our favorite was Eugenio's Cafe Gelato, which I discovered online with rave reviews. It is a little cafe that serves authentic Italian gelato (which is the Italian form of ice cream but better) made fresh, and all kinds of fresh homemade Italian desserts. The owner is from Italy and uses family recipes for many of the desserts. It was soooo good! We had to go there both nights for dessert. Our hotel room was really nice, with a kitchen and sitting area as well as the bed and bath, and the service was outstanding.

Our second day there we had to get up really early for the big surprise. Joe was totally confused because we literally got up at about 4:00 am, so he figured we were driving really far to get to the place. As we were walking out the door I finally caved and told him that we were going for a hot air balloon ride! It was a sunrise balloon ride, which is why we had to get up so early. Joe is not the type of guy who gets very outwardly excited about things. Even if he is happy and excited, sometimes it is hard to tell. Over the years I have developed the ability to discern between his slight changes in facial expressions and tone of voice, but anyone would have been able to tell how excited he was about the trip. It was so rewarding for me to see that look on his face when he realized I wasn't kidding. The whole experience was a blast, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

We met the balloon pilot and crew and went to a small park where we were going to be taking off. It was fun to see how the whole process is performed, and it made me realize I am happy to just pay someone to do all the hard work so I can just enjoy the ride. We watched them set up, and blow up the balloon, and then add the heat so that the balloon would rise off the ground. Then we got in, and away we went. Maybe the first minute or so was a little scary, since I am a bit afraid of heights, but it wasn't too bad and it quickly passed. After that, it was almost surreal. We went as high as 4000+ ft above the ground, and it was so fascinating to look around and see the view, which is not really unlike a view from and airplane after you take off, but to realize that we are just out in the open air floating around. The view was spectacular from all the different heights. When we were so far up the cars looked like they were little hot wheels or something, but the interesting thing was how much we could still hear. Even from up so high we could hear dogs barking or motorcycles on the road. I guess because we were traveling with the wind and it was so calm that the sound just traveled well.

The first bit was over more city, but we were looking out at mountain ranges and rivers, so it was beautiful, and then we traveled into the country over farmlands and open spaces. It was so absolutely peaceful, I really didn't want it to end. It wasn't windy at all, because we were traveling with the wind, and over the farmlands it was very quiet. We saw several deer, and the pilot took us just to the height of the treetops, where we were able to reach over and pluck some leaves. The whole trip was so serene. After about 90 minutes we landed in a field and Joe and I got to snack on fruit, doughnuts, and sparkling grape juice while they packed up the balloon. It was so much fun, we would love to do it again.


The last day we just explored Saratoga a little more. They have a bunch of horse statues, all decorated, similar to the cows in Portland and the pigs in Washington. We got a map of all the horses and were being very touristy, going around taking pictures with all of them. It was kind of like a scavenger hunt, so we got pretty into finding them all. In the end, we decided it was too much and didn't end up getting all of them. But we get some good ones.

Overall, our time together literally could not have been more perfect. I am still amazed that our relationship only grows stronger as time passes. I am so blessed to be married to Jocephus, he is my perfect companion, and it thrills me to know that we will be together for eternity.