I moved to Colorado last November, but in the midst of some amazing travels, I haven’t really taken the time to enjoy my new surroundings.  So, I decided I needed a few Colorado adventures.  I found a few great things Colorado has to offer like team sports, camping, and hiking.  My sportsball league played every Thursday evening (when it wasn’t down pouring) and alternated sports each week.  My favorite games were volleyball and ultimate (we also played dodgeball, kickball, and wiffleball – this was a very serious league).  After our last game that didn’t happen because of rain, we went to a Pub to celebrate our season.  The following week Hannah, my friend from yoga teacher training, came to visit.  We camped at Echo Lake at the bottom of Mount Evans road (which was closed at the time) and hiked to Lincoln Lake, a 10-mile hike round-trip through tall pines, green meadows, and a burn area from many years ago. Beautiful scenery, great company, and only a little rain.  It was a great time.

After meeting my new friend Sara in Aruba, we decided that we should inspire each other to train for a race, a tri, but for now a race.  So, we signed up to do the Pagosa Offroad Duathlon as a team for the Dirty Du course.  Pagosa Springs, CO, is an awesome little mountain town with a couple of breweries, some great restaurants, and sulfur-smelling hot springs.  I used to go there when I lived in Farmington, NM, so it was nice to be back in the area and to see some friends from there.  In case you’re wondering, we did not win.  Sara and I only trained for two weeks, however, my friends Brandy and Shane took first in the duo race – even beating all the guys. Yes, they are awesome.

The adventures continued with more local bike rides with friends and fun in Golden, CO.  We also went to an Avett Brothers concert at Red Rocks, which was phenomenal.  Red Rocks alone is amazing, and then adding the Avett Brothers and good friends made it even better.  I do love being in the “Great Outdoors” of Colorado.

Moving is difficult.  I’ve done it several times for work, for school, for life.  Each time leaving my friends, my support, and going somewhere new.  For me, it takes about six months of loneliness to find those first few people with whom I really connect and that’s with the effort of putting myself in situations and places that are unfamiliar and new.  And still, it takes about a year to find my people. The people that we call our own change, moving in and out of our lives for various reasons, but they always leave an impact.  We choose what that impact will be on our lives.  I choose to learn, to grow, knowing that some experiences are more difficult than others.  It makes me more appreciative of the present: of the people and the experiences that I have the opportunity to embrace now because at some point, it will again change.