Missing mountains

When Joe and I decided to move up to Idaho (almost) four years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. Since the beginning of our marriage, he had wanted to move to the mountains. I was dubious. I liked living by our families and all of our friends and as much as I liked to vacation in the mountains, I didn't mind leaving when our trip was over.
But the opportunity presented itself and we took it. I was so lonely at first. It was the first time I didn't know *anyone* except for Joe. And I had a 4,3 and 1 year old. But they got easier and I made some friends and honestly, I got used to solitude. It wasn't perfect, but it was a good life.
When we had the chance to move back here, at first it seemed like a no-brainer. I mean, I didn't ever ask for that life in the first place- I had been content here. After an initial feeling of relief that now life would go back to "normal", I realized I didn't really want to leave. Being there changed me.

Early in our marriage, when Joe wanted to move, I always thought that if we lived in the mountains that I would begin to take the beauty for granted. Lose some of the awe that a Kansas girl has when she sees the mountains approaching. But I lived there for two years and three months and I only fell more in love with it and only grew in awe of the beauty that was there.
There was just so much to discover. We drove by the road to Darby Canyon for about a year before we ever went down it. And it was so breathtaking. It was there all along, just waiting for us to see. Even places we went to often never got old- the landscape changed with the weather, with the season. Streams that were roaring in June were bubbling in August. Green buds in April were red and orange and yellow leaves in September.
There are many blessings here- friends, family, spring in Kansas, swimming on a hot July day, easy access to prenatal care. But I still feel homesick for the mountains. Often. When I lived there, it was easy to call up a sister or friend and it was like I was sitting in her living room, having a cup of coffee. But when we left there, I couldn't take the feeling I have sitting by a river after a hike, sunlight filtering through pine trees, back with me.
Having been back for 18 months, I feel like life is mostly "normal" now. But I also feel like I changed in a way that I can't take back and I will always be a mountain girl, no matter where I live. It's it my bones now. I can only hope that I get to be back there someday.