an exotic man

Photo by: MaryFaith

I have almost been derailed from my epic Wales adventure. Love will do that to you.

I received my visa in early June, only three working days after I submitted all my documents. It was a shock to get it so early. The same time this was happening, I was beginning to have feelings for a coworker to whom I had been giving rides home. Also, at the same time, this man went on vacation for two weeks and upon his return our employer moved offices -- thus there was no longer a need for rides home.

So, for the last few weeks I have been on quite the emotional rollercoaster.

I've never fallen in love this way before -- so easily -- and so unexpectedly. Ironically, one of the things I found fascinating about him was his ease with travel -- and how much of it he has done.

I'm not certain of his feelings, but we have restarted the rides home and the conversations. Part of me believes he has been having the same confusion. Part of me thinks I can imagine anything I want.

It is a different kind of light that shines when you feel this way. It makes the idea of moving to the other side of the world seem very ridiculous and staying very simple.

I don't have to give my two month's notice to my workplace until the first week in July (in order to get a year's leave of absence.) I need to give my notice for my apartment July 1st or sooner. I have been mulling not going at all, mulling delaying the move until the spring. Much of this confusion was only muddled more because this handsome Somali-Canadian and I had temporarily lost our channel of communication.

But things are sorting out, getting clearer. His long-range plan is to move to Brazil, one of the many countries he has visited. He is an accomplished, self-taught, exquisite travel photographer.

I can come back in a year if I fall on my face in Wales and my job (or something similar to it) will be here. This connection has even shone a clearer light on this city of Toronto.

Webster's New World Dictionary defines 'exotic' as 1. foreign; 2. strangely beautiful, enticing -- derived from the Greek exo -- outside. A good word, as is 'enticing.'

Exhilarating, exquisite, exemplary, exotic.

A man in flipflops can be very sexy.