I went to Arizona with Kurt, not knowing what to expect when it came to his family or even the area we were going. I'd never been that far west before, and certainly never seen desert before. It is just gorgeous out there. A much different kind of beauty from the lush greenness of the East, but there is beauty there. I fell in love with the saguaros, which are those cacti with arms that are probably the most represented kind of cactus when you see pictures of the desert. What tickled me a bit is if you hurt a saguaro by any means, you will go to jail longer than if you hurt a person. Saguaros take forever to grow, and they're rather sensitive, so they're protected by the government.
We got off the plane in Tucson, after having flown from Phoenix (which is a half hour flight -- you ascend to cruising altitude, and then you descend from it. That's the whole flight), which was our only stop from Baltimore. I held tight onto Kurt's hand, and when we got to baggage claim, his mother was waiting. She hugged me hello after hugging Kurt, and then left to go keep an eye on the car because they didn't want to park it. Kurt asked me what I thought of his mother, and I told him what first came to mind -- "She smells good!" :o) She seemed nice...
His father arrived then -- a big, boisterous man who goes out of his way to laugh and joke and put people at ease. He carried most of our baggage out to the car, and we spent the trip back to his parents' house laughing and talking. The only bit of discomfort for me came when they asked me what political party I affiliate myself with, since our political views differ. But it was all in fun.
So Kurt's family likes me. His mother was a bit reserved at first, but ended up really liking me. And his father liked me on the spot, as well as his grandmother. His brother approved of me, and also his aunt and uncle that normally find some fault with someone.
All of this makes me wonder about my family. Here I mean the folks I normally reside with, my father and my stepmother. Each day they remind me of some fault I have and how I should fix it, and if I have a problem with a friend or another family member it's usually assumed to be my fault. My flaws are put on display for all to see, but I can never argue with them and show them how they are flawed. Kurt's dad asked me one day how anyone could dislike a sweet girl like me. Granted, I was on my best behavior -- but I cannot be as bad as my family makes me out to be. I have good friends that love me that I made on my own, and they seem to think I'm a good person. My parents wonder why I have a self-esteem problem, but for every time they said something good about me to my face, they have said about five things negative. It's not easy growing up feeling good about yourself when your stepmother tells you at least once a week that you're crazy, just like your grandmother...
So Kurt's family approves of me, and his mother asked us one night when we went to dinner at a casino on a reservation why Kurt and I don't get married... Since Kurt's cousin is getting married in June, I have the feeling that once that wedding is over, they'll start harassing him to start making plans for his. :o)
But Kurt and I have plenty of time...