Annie and I walked the cities we visited as much as we could. There is nothing quite like walking various neighborhoods and observing the daily life that ebbs and flows. You can’t get that when in a car or a bus.

However, walking in nature is quite different. When I proposed to Annie that we take a walk into the forest for the first time, she was completely unprepared. She readied herself with a casual dress and some flip flops (and I hate flip flops). I convinced her to change into tights and since she had no hiking shoes, we had to go shopping.

Upon arrival at the trail head, she claimed to be ready, yet I could sense her reluctance to begin. I had no idea until that moment that she had never been on a trail or explored nature in any serious way.

We started out, and the quiet, save for the sound of the wind in the trees just overcame her. We walked for a long time, holding hands and just watching and listening in our own silence. As we progressed, her grip on my hand tightened more and more and I was pretty sure she was having a problem being somewhere where she had little control and where she depended on me to explore and find our way back.

Finding a nice log that was free of insects, we sat in the silence, and tried to absorb the energy of both the forest, as well as our comfort and connection with each other. I knew she was not able to completely relax when I noticed she was shaking and seemed to be trying to say something but was having an issue.

I said we can leave if this makes you uncomfortable, and she just turned to me with tears in her eyes and said she never thought she would ever meet a man who got her. When I asked what she meant, she said that all her life she refused to engage with men as she had been bullied constantly when growing up because of who she was.

That caught me off guard as she had never revealed that before. Annie had never opened that door until we met. This revelation was just another in a long line of reveals from her that proved to me that we had something special that neither of us anticipated.

After getting up off the log, we walked for the better part of the morning, just holding hands and feeling the electricity flowing between us. This happened to be the first of many, many walks we took in nature over the next year.

I miss her every day, especially when I think of walking out and about in nature holding her hand and having that living connection to someone I get.

Now, I am too old to find another like her, but it sure would be nice to have someone to hold hands with and walk through the forest, listening to the wind…