The view from here . . .

Why is it that we can always find the person of our dreams someplace other than where we are? What is it about long distance relationships, friendships, romances that make it so easy to fall in love? Is it because from a distance we don't see the flaws? And not just the flaws in the person, but the flaws in the whole concept.
We all know the old adage "Distance makes the heart grow fonder", but does it have a basis in fact and/or reality? Why should distance put 'rose colored glasses' on what we see when it comes to matters of the heart? What makes someone who's not within smooching range so much better or attractive than the guy next door?
This is not my 1st turn through this turnstile, in fact one of my more 'heart wrenching' relationships was with a guy in LA when I was living in San Francisco. We met online through some now defunct chat site. We flirted, chatted, confessed our deepest secrets, described childhood traumas/dramas, and what we thought we wanted from life and love. We went from sitting at the computer screen for 3 hours to an all night phone call that lasted for 14 hours. (Don't even ask what that cost... Just thank your lucky stars if you have 'free weekends' on your calling plan.) We spoke to each other and emailed each other every day for 3 weeks until we could schedule a date for our BIG MEETING! Cut to me flying down to LA and clearing LAX security looking around for my 'dream man'. There he was, standing off to the side, a shy grin on his face and a rose in his hand. I flew across baggage claim like I was much smaller than I was. Leaping over piles of luggage, dodging business travelers and reuniting families, covering the distance of a football field in what seemed the blink of an eye. I felt as graceful as gazelle but in reality I probably looked like the prima ballerina hippo dancing through the 'Dance of the Hours' segment of Walt Disney's 'Fantasia'. 4 glorious, blissful, sex filled days later there was a tearful goodbye scene at the gate in the departure lounge (this was pre-9/11). Oh man, I felt like Debra Winger! We made plans to meet in 3 weeks in New Orleans. Each day between our next encounter was like a bad French film, full of furtive phone calls, quick emails, all night chats, promises of undying affection, and my favorite thing . . . PRESENTS!
New Orleans, New Orleans . . . That jewel of the South, that city of joy and life. And after one week it became the place where I actually contemplated the murder of a fellow human being. They say you really never know someone unless you travel with them. There has never been a statement made that was ever more on the money than that! In LA, we were both kinda on home turf. I grew up there and he lived there, so it was safe. Put us in a whole new environment where we didn't have things to fall back on and we had to make PLANS . . . So NOT PRETTY! I learned that he was condescending to people he perceived and lower in station than he. I learned that unless he travels with his special pillow he will toss and turn and snore like a sawmill. I learned that he is cheap and hates to tip. Not only was the bloom off the rose, but we'd taken a bulldozer to the whole garden. I was never so happy to head to the airport in my life. I was so grateful we were on different flights in 2 different areas of the airport. Thank god for security because our goodbyes had to be quick and furtive!
What I was completely astounded by, was the fact that he was clueless about the entire thing. It took him another 3 weeks to even notice the extreme drop off in our relationship. When it finally hit him, after me saying on more than one occasion that it wasn't working and I felt we should walk away while we were still friends, he had the nerve to ask what was my problem!
Not only does distance lend enchantment, but I think it makes you blind!

But taking all this into consideration . . . Why is the guy 300 miles or more away so cute?