Because 39-year-olds can do whatever they want with their own blogs.
It’s hard to describe the feeling of freedom, unmitigated joy, and peaceful ease driving through the mountains brought me. I like a road trip. I drove through boring, brown Texas and flat, long New Mexico until I hit the mountains just south of the Colorado state line and my entire energy changed. Even Bob got excited in the back! I went from driving to thriving. (<- couldn’t help it, cringe)
I did AUS > CLOVIS, NM > PAGOSA SPRINGS, CO > PARK CITY, UT > DEN > POST, TX > AUS over 12 days. My birthday/Labor Day weekend was beyond special, relaxing with my marriage certificate trio, my brother & his fam, and Bri Bri. So much (the perfect amount of) wine and fire pits. The rest of the week by myself, I worked, hiked, and ate Blind Dog sushi (some of the best in the US imo). On the way to Denver, I stopped on the scenic byway and hiked Medicine Bow Peak, which was indeed “Hard” for both me and Bob but so worth it. The feeling of release, awe, and progress you get out there in the mountains—well, it’s hard to get anywhere else.
The Denver weekend was wonderful, and we learned a lot. And ate awesome food.
I’m back home now, and as grateful as I am for my house and home, I can’t help but feel a little penned (pinned?) in. Weighed down. My mom is reading this going “uh oh” … but I can’t help it. The mountains are calling, and I must go.
More to come.
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(written after our PHX trip) Phoenix Gratitude: I spend more time there than I ever thought I would, thanks to my bestie living there *and plying me with concert and football tickets*. It’s always refreshing – relaxing – to take a step into someone else’s life, and just bob along with their day. I’m so grateful for friends like that. Grateful for Beyonce, Barks & Brews, breakfast tamales, thai food, sweet shoppes, flower boots, sunshine, pokemon, outlet stops, love island, little pups and bed snugglers, and easy friendships.