aesthete.

[es-theet or, esp. British, ees-]

noun

1. a person who has or professes to have refined sensitivity toward the beauties of art or nature.
2. a person who affects great love of art, music, poetry, etc., and indifference to practical matters.

Are my sensitivities refined? I don’t know. But they are extreme sensitivities toward nature and the vast Idaho wilderness. On August 19^th, I’ll have lived in Ketchum for a year. The tears whilst hiking have decreased since Autumn, thank goodness. I was a messy aesthete. Now my reactions come through one-sided conversations with Pal.

“Can you believe this? That is stunning. We live here, sweet boy.”

Season changes keep the aesthetes emotional. The mountaintops are no longer covered in snow. Bikers line Highway 75. The rivers are flowing and kids are jumping in them. My mom and dad are coming out here in September and I get so excited just thinking about showing them my favorite spots and introducing them to their granddog in person. And I’ll get to resume bringing in orange leaves for the bartender who will retort, “What do you want me to do with this?”