Away with the Wife

Elisa and I are on a 3 year streak of Colorado visits. How perfect are we?

We have stayed in Rocky Mountain National Park, Boulder, and now Fort Collins. We have a similar process every trip.

1. Spend some time alone. Enjoy the particular city we are in and each others company.

2. Make time to see our friends. I actually see my friends that live in Colorado almost as often as Kansas City.

3. Hike and socialize

Our time together in the mountains has always been interesting. Our first time (RMNP) I was recovering from surgery and got a bad infection. But we still had an amazing time! The next year in Boulder was the definition of chill. We spent a lot of time in the resort, letting go of stress. Our latest trip was a perfect mix of everything.

Day 1:

Elisa and I took off late on Wednesday from Kansas City, so I will start the journey early Thursday. First, we hit up our favorite diner not too far from the airport (put name in). Had some amazing cornbread pancakes and headed to Boulder. We spent the afternoon trying some beers and shopping around. I always buy books on Pearl Street. Not sure why, but I have enjoyed every one that I have come back with.

It was refreshing to spend time just the two of us. Talking about our wedding and random life thoughts. We also had mixed results on beer. I will plug the good place. We haded to our tiny home in Fort Collins later that night, settled in, and then went to dinner. Our first day gets a little rough here. I forgot my wallet, so had to uber back, and then I got sick (puking) once back at the restaurant. Our nice night together continued with a lack of interaction from me. It is moments like this that I curse my weak stomach.

Day 2:

We began enjoying breakfast at a local waffle shop before checking out some hike in the (put in name) public land area. We arrived to the area we were going to hike. There was a dog park at the beginning of the trail. Elisa and I had a moment of missing our own adorable pups. We hit the trail. The sun was bright and air crisp. It was an easy hike with great views.

The greatest delight was watching a pack of coyotes for most of the journey. It started with one coyote hunting for rabbits and prairie dogs through the valley. As we went along, watching our new friend, we hear him join the rest of the pack. We watch as the five coyotes play on the frozen lake. Watching people hike along, and most of them with dogs.

I found the interaction odd. Such a wild looking pack, but perfectly content with the humans and cousins (dogs) around them. This just might be what wild is in some cases now.

We concluded the hike. Happy to see new places and watch some wildlife. These are the joys of nature.

One of the best ways to conclude a day on trail is with a beer. If you disagree, I am judging you. We made out way to New Belgium Brewery. It was a great tour. The company has such a fascinating history, and delicious beer to enjoy along the way.

I Started Writing a Silly Blog

Colorado is my second home. The mountains seem to bring life back into. Force me to face myself. Something that can be difficult at home.

I also have some of my closest friends in Colorado. In November of 2018, Noah and I went to visit our friend Douglas Little and his beautiful family. Doug and his wife Libby (who is also a great friend) provide a great example for Elisa and myself. Especially, in regards to raising a child. Their daughter, Bernadette has more diverse travel experience than most adults.

So, the title of this blog is ‘I Started Writing a SIlly Blog’. Let me tell you a bit about that, and include some of our adventures along the way.

On a Plane:

I flew solo to Denver and planned to meet up with Noah. On the plane I started running through my long work week that I did in order to make this long weekend happen. It consisted of 12-16 hour days. I love those days a bit too much. The blog I was starting on the plane didn’t describe those three days in a supportive manner. The tone was much more “look at me” type. It sounded more like ego than a genuine way to share my tool kit.

In the moment, I thought the blog was good. It seemed like the lesson was killer, but failed to see how poor the delivery was.

Landed:

Noah and I met in the airport. He landed 20 minutes after me. I was anxious once we landed. We had a two and a half hour drive to Doug’s home. I had set up a podcast to do with some great people and friends named Bobby and Hannah. Just in the moment after landing, it was becoming clear how bad I fucked up the logistics. The podcast was going to add another three hours minimum. We would arrive in Eagle in the middle of the night. I was forced to admit my failings and canceled the podcast. Still going to do it, because it will be a great one.

We headed out with our Uber driver who ended up being one of the most interesting souls I have ever met. I could and maybe will do a separate story on it. I will sum it up here with that he believes the Nazis are on the moon, waiting out the perfect moment to strike. I guess I can’t say for sure he is wrong.

Western Colorado:

There are few places I love more than the Eagle area to spend time with the Little family.

It is a calm city and plenty to do. Quick access to the mountains, and you don’t get the crowd that the National Parks do. Little’s home butts right up to the White River National Forest. The largest area of protected land in the United States. Lucky bastard.

We spent the weekend exploring new areas. The second day, we just walked out of Doug’s backyard and onto our trail. Our hike was to a small peak called the Witch Tete (What a name). It was a great hike. Perfect view and variety of life. It was also nice and challenging 8 miles. Getting to the top requires a bit scrambling. Noah stays behind Doug and I. He had less cutes and bruises, thanks to our failures.

It was perfect when we got to the top. Both sides of the valley looked like completely different worlds. One side had the red rocks of Mars, but green and brown bushes all around. To the other, we looked to our trail, experiencing our journey all at once. At the top, I took a moment to write my thoughts.

Once you get to the destination on the trail, a wonderful moment happens, our minds realize we have been living in the moment. It is a beautiful moment that I am thankful to experience. Our minds being in the present moment.

In Closing:

I don’t want to request that you read all my moments in Western Colorado. I just want to thank Doug and Libby for being such beautiful friends.

I worked hard to make it to Colorado that weekend. It isn’t about bragging about all the things you can do. Something I regretfully slip into once and while. I want to inspire that the work is worth it. Worth it to live life to the fullest. Be apart of this beautiful world. Remember to that is the goal. Not a cool snapchat or instagram story.