Gay Travels in the USA

WEDNESDAY:

Just after retiring to bed last night, about 11:30 p.m.; I was suddenly woken up by a lot of lights from outside and a man on a loudspeaker announcing they were the police with a search warrant. I wondered what was going on at first, but then it hit me. The story goes like this. Jamie and Leslie for some time have suspected that the house opposite is a drug house. So finally a week or so ago they informed the police. The past two days here, the police have set up a surveillance to spy on the house. So now the police have obviously got enough evidence for a ‘bust.’

Well, this was really exciting. I got out of bed and snook in to the living room to see what was going on. There I discovered Jamie and Leslie lying on the floor and peering through the curtains. So I got on my hands and knees and crawled to the window to join them. This was so exciting!

The three of us spent the next two hours watching the proceedings of the raid. There were police and a SWAT type team there. They even bought one guy out, made him strip to just his underpants, and showered him down in the front garden. The police officer in charge came by to tell us what was going on. (He must have seen our little heads poking through the curtains.) He told us that the druggies had a lab down on their basement. When the police raided the lab, one of the druggies ducked under the table knocking over some of their potions, which went over him. So they had to wash him down.

Anyway, at 1:30 a.m. I retired back to bed since nothing else major was happening. But this was really exciting. I mean I’ve only been back three days and I’ve already seen a drugs bust in action.

Welcome back to America, Ethan!

TUESDAY:

Another day apartment shopping. I also called by on my old apartment ‘The Hall,’ where I spent my two years here. I dropped by to see if I had left anything of mine behind. While I was there it felt really good, as if I had come home. So I began to wonder if this is where I should move. I also saw my friends Suzy and Kris today. They told me I should move down this way since we would be close enough to each other to visit.

While I was out I went up to BYU to see Nancy, my ol’ boss and friend. She was a great friend to me before I left. It was nice to see her and chat. She also advised me to make this year really count and not to do anything to jeopardize it, since they probably would not let me back again. I was also deeply distressed when I was suspended, and so I don’t want to go through that again. Nancy also rehired me to work back on ‘Guest Services,’ my job before I moved to ‘Lost and Found.’ I really loved this job, so this was great.

This evening I got in touch with another good friend of mine, Banu. He was music buddy from Romania. So I went over to his apartment for a couple of hours discussing music and everything else. It was good to see him again and it was especially good to know some of my old friends were still around.

MONDAY:

I spent the morning shopping and checking on apartments again. But no such luck. The apartment I had set up while I was in England wasn’t what I expected, so I changed my mind about it. Leslie drove me around today. I also asked her to take me to my bike, because I am sure it was ‘Huffy.’ So while Leslie waited in the driveway I ran behind the guy's’ house and to get the bike. I tried the combination and ‘yes’ it worked. The bike itself was still in good shape; I couldn’t believe it. However, it really needed a good wash since it was filthy from the dust. So now I have got wheels again.

A bit later I called with another dear friend of mine, Suzy. She was very surprised I was back in town. So I went over to pay her a visit. I spent the evening with her and her roommates. Suzy’s older sister, Christie, was up in Salt Lake so I never got to see her. They phoned her up though to tell her I was back. She too was shocked, but excited to have me back. Suzy also took me to see Kris, the last of the three girls I grew very close before leaving for England. She too was pleased to have me back. Kris took me over to see Sam, who lives across the road from her. Since leaving BYU in ’96 Sam has made himself the gay spokesman for BYU and uses people’s misfortunes to back up his course. I was never keen on Sam, because he just showed interest in me when he wanted something. I really wasn’t bothered about seeing Sam. I was just hoping to see his roommate, David, an old friend of mine.

Well, David wasn’t in. As for Sam, as soon as he saw me, he was all over me to fill out one of his pointless surveys. He also kept onto me to give him permission to use my suspension story towards his campaign against BYU. I told him I wasn’t interested. I know if I get involved in his campaign it would get BYU after me again and I can’t afford to let that happen. Sam wouldn’t care if I got sent home again as long as he got what he wanted. I’m not risking my career for a user like Sam. Plus this year I am definitely keeping my nose clean.

As for home, I must admit, I haven’t missed it yet. I put this down to the stress I was under when I was back there; when I was in a physical abusive relationship with my then boyfriend Steve and the suspension from BYU. It really is such a relief to be back here. My time with Steve certainly made life In England very stressful. I’m so glad I managed to get out of it alive.

SUNDAY:

Ethan M. is back!

I really can’t believe it myself after being away for so long, sixteen months to be exact. At times I certainly never thought I would be back to America let alone BYU. But now that I am back I can start to get on with my life again. I just have to make sure I don’t mess up this time. I mean I can’t afford another year like last year.

Anyway, Thomas, my good friend and ol’ roommate picked me up at Salt Lake City airport. It was great to see him again. It has actually been two and a half years since I last saw him. He also served a mission while I was away and he wrote often.

After a quick visit to his apartment Tom drove me over to the home of Jamie and Leslie, a maried couple. These were really good friends of mine before I got the boot from BYU. I will be staying with them for a few days while I look for an apartment of my own. It was also really nice to see Jamie and Leslie again because I am very fond of these guys.

After settling in, Jamie drove me around to check out some apartments. While we were driving around I asked if we could check on ‘Huffy.’ This was the peddle bike I bought off my friend Tim about four years ago. When I left England in December ’96 I locked it to a post behind Tim’s house. Since then Tim and Michelle, his wife, have moved to Arizona and the bike was left there. I never expected the bike to still be there after so long. Even if it was, I thought it would be just a pile of rust by now. So Jamie took me over to where I had left the bike. There I saw a bike just like mine, but I wasn’t sure. Also I didn’t want to be seen taking the bike after leaving it behind some guys house for sixteen months, because I know I would be yelled at. So I left the bike.