First impressions are everything.

You’ve heard the saying. It could apply to numerous things: personality, hygiene, fashion sense (low on the pole), or leadership. Even more important is consistency of impressions. That person or place that can shock and awe you time and time again. The place you never get sick of, the person you never grow tired of. Perhaps it’s your favorite CD or book. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is my favorite film of all time. I could keep it on the background all day. Between the quasi-psychedelic soundtrack, exceptional cinematography, and strong characterization, I simply never tire of it. It doesn’t hurt that I like the scenery, either.

I used to know a girl who, when walking into a room, could hush the crowd with her presence. She wasn’t a swimsuit model, but had a beautiful smile and a certain energy that others gravitated to. She had more than her fair share of admirers and suitors, which she turned away with charm and class.

Then there are the places. Some making amazing impressions, some not so much. Like Midway Airport versus a national park.

Each year, I travel to the places that blow me away with consistency. The Gallatin National Forest. Glacier National Park. Grand Teton National Park. I remember traveling with an ex-girlfriend (she’s still a very good friend) back in 2001. Our goal was to see the Northern Rockies. We’d traveled a long way across Wyoming, through high desert,and counted four cars in three hours. We passed the Hoback River, and made our way into Jackson, Wyoming. We kept asking ourselves where the Tetons were, because we had heard so much about them. The hype was immense. Top ten national park immense. We drove north on highway 26 towards the park, but still could not see the much-hyped Tetons. It didn’t help that East Gros Ventre Butte loomed to our left, blocking our view. But when the butte gave way to the land beyond, the Teton appeared at once, screaming to the sky in cold, chiseled granite. We had cried out in shock, and then laughed just as hard. It turned out the hype was true. The range was stunning, far beyond anything we had imagined (and this was coming from a couple who had just been to Colorado).

Every year I try to go back there, and each time I’m no less impressed as East Gros Ventre Butte gives way to what it has always given way to.

Yet each year I search for more first impressions. From people I’d like to get to know better, to animals I may encounter to landscapes that will forever imprint upon my mind and spirit. I drive to them, I walk to them, compelled. Maybe, just maybe a few will live up to the hype.