Well, it's hard to say goodbye... -or- Six things I didn't expect to be so great about Idaho.

The other night I was at a it's-Nick's-last-weekend-living-in-Idaho party, and I made a speech. The speech was simple and to the point. "When I decided to stay in Idaho, I didn't expect to make lifetime friends, but here you all are."

So, without further ado, here are six things I didn't expect to be so great about living in Idaho.

1. My new friends. Lessie, Thomas, Stephanie, Jackie, everyone at Cabinpalooza, all the people at the UU, plus many others. Even in conservative Idaho Falls, I found a ton of people who accepted and supported me as a gay man.

2. Being close to my family and existing friends. I don't think I could have lived without Rachel, Catherine or my family during the last 6 months.

3. Living alone. I can't say enough about how great it is to live alone. I can't wait to have my own apartment again in Salt Lake.

4. Living with friends. When I was laid off from my job, Rachel and Abe let me live in their basement. There's not a lot better than late-night conversations after the kids had gone to bed. More than once, the conversation was accompanied by an Oreo and milk binge.

5. Boys. OK, now, don't be fooled. Idaho Falls does not have very many gay people. But there were enough. I have pretty much had at least one boy to chase at all times. It's been fun. Really fun.

6. My art show. Who would have thought that I would have had an art show AND sell two pieces? It was so fun to sell my first artwork. Also, since being laid off, I've had time for all kinds of creative endeavors.