Peregrination (Part 19)

We had discussed the day over and over again while eating diner at a restaurant down the street from our hotel. Drinking our beloved alcoholic beverages, sharing laughs and enjoying each others company; the differences and individuality of us all. After our second final dinner in Russia, we slowly sauntered toward our hotel taking in the incredible view of the city. Warm, pearly lights beamed brightly like the stars in the sky. It was one of the coldest nights so far, but none of us seemed fazed by the air nipping at our necks. Leaves rustled as we stepped through the empty streets. The only sound was the peaceful noise of the city dying down. The water trickled down the fountain in front of our hotel and we made our way up the steps towards the elevator. Once we reached the 4th floor, we all went to our respective rooms to sleep. It was our final goodbye until tomorrow morning where we would all meet for brunch; considering it was almost 2am, we would let everyone sleep in.

I sat down on my bed thinking of all the events that led up to this moment. I felt so happy. There was no word to describe how I was feeling. Everything finally seemed like it was turning out okay. I have seen some magnificent places on this journey, and it has really been fulfilling. As much I have grown over the years, I feel like this trip made grow even more as a person. I have learned so much about myself because of Noah. I have learned to love every flaw you possess because they make you who you are. It's the little things in life that will make you truly happy. That smile you get from the guy you like making you feel special is a small gesture, but one that can leave you with a stupid smile across your face. The smile that you could never get rid of, no matter how hard you try. These things make me happy. The small things Noah does make me happy. Everything about him makes me feel good. This trip has been the best experience of my life, and nothing will ever make me forget it.

I woke up the next morning refreshed. I took a quick, hot shower, and got dressed. I blow dried my hair, and straightened it with a bit more effort today. I put a bit of eyeliner on, and examined myself in the mirror. My straight hair hung over my Ferrari leather jacket. I had a white t-shirt on underneath, and I wore dark skinny jeans. I tried a little bit harder today to look good. This was our last full day in Russia. Our flight was tomorrow around noon, but we probably wouldn't do much that morning. It was going to be quite a long day, and neither Ben, Sam, nor I knew what we were doing. I imagined it would very interesting considering Noah was in charge.

It was around 8:00am, and even though we said we were going to sleep in, I assumed everyone would be up early. I gently knocked on Noah's door, just in case my assumption was wrong. Luckily he still wasn't asleep. Noah greeted me with a smile, and let me into his room. It was nice to have him finally back to being male. I do have to say it was a bit creepy seeing him as a female, but it gave us all a hell of a laugh. As soon as I walked into his room, he grabbed my waist, and pulled me closer to him. Noah leaned in close, and kissed me. I still couldn't believe all of this was happening. I've dreamed about this for the longest time, and to have it actually happening was insane. My back was on the door, and it was rather scary to have someone knock on the door behind you. I laughed, and Noah gave me a quick kiss before answering it. I took a few steps back, and saw it was Sam. He gave an awkward hello, and asked if we were ready to head out. Our plan was to go out for breakfast, and then leave the rest up to Noah. This time we made sure we knew exactly where the restaurant was so we wouldn't get lost, what an experience.

We met up with Ben in his room, and then left the hotel. The restaurant was about half an hour away, but it Noah said it was close to our next destination. We ate a quick breakfast, knowing we didn't want to waste a minute of the day. Our first stop was to the Tretyakov Gallery and Sculpture Park. This one was definitely chosen for Sam considering he is the most artistic out of us all. It was a rather intriguing place to visit. It was a giant park, filled with sculptures; hence the name. There were many creative pieces of art, and I could tell Sam was loving it here. He's got quite the eye for art. Noah chose a very good place to go, Sam really enjoyed it here, and I honestly had a lot of fun wandering around there.

It took about an hour or so to get to our next destination. This one was something we all extremely enjoyed. Noah did his job well. I know this is where most of the money went. This was a huge event that only happened once a year, and damn, was it so worth the drive. We spent the whole afternoon at the Zhukovsky Air Base. The Russian air show was going on, and it was mind-blowing. There was a great variety of planes such as the MiG-29, Su-27, L-39, and MiG-25. Some of the stunts the pilots did were completely ridiculous. I saw a few other air shows when I was younger, but this one tops them all. I thanked Noah about ten times that day for choosing to come here. He knew this was something we would all enjoy, and something we would never forget. The show was incredible, and I couldn't have spent my afternoon any other way. It was our final afternoon, and absolutely one of our best.

We didn't leave until around 6:00pm. I would have stayed there forever. After the show we got to get up close and personal with all the fighter jets. We even got to meet a few of the pilots, and they seemed to have a lot of fun today. I told Noah that I wanted to take a flying lesson, and laughed at my compulsive nature again. He told me that he'd join me on the experience. Even with having a fear of heights, this was something I wanted to do. I was starting to break out of my shell even more. I've always been quite a reserved person with people I didn't know, but I was opening up to strangers. Noah promised me that he would make sure I did it no matter what, he could tell I was a bit scared of my impulsive idea, but he knew I really wanted to do it. Noah was helping me become the best version of myself; he was truly changing me for the better.