Just spent a couple of days visiting my former ATF, now retired. We had a truly incredible visit- no sex (damn!!) but great conversation, a long walk at a beautiful park, listened to some amazing music and just held each other without any need to talk. Good stuff.

Both of us were actually surprised at how deeply we still connect even without the sex. I was a tad trepidacious about the visit, wondering if we would run out of things to say to each other and not have the 'spark' of sexual activity to fall back on but when it came time for me to leave, both of us thought that time came far too quickly.  What a lovely young woman- inside and out!

FWIW, I take my friendships very seriously and don't have much interest in casual friendships in which you find out about the weather, sports, or the latest Lindsay Lohan escapades. In addition to having fun, I challenge my friends- intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, sometimes physically- and I expect the same from them.  I'm very, very thankful that this lady has made space for me in her life.

For those who wonder about such things- the only costs incurred by me were for my gas and lodging.

And, Goldenbear, anyone who has a spouse has all sorts of 'emotional affairs'. No one can ever be all that anyone else needs for any length of time and we need a variety of relationships to fulfill our own needs so that we can be more 'whole' within the relationship with our SO. In my teaching career, I developed several very close friendships with students after they graduated, some of them with young, beautiful women. I have a very cool SO to not make a fuss about these friendships.