Saudade

Sunday
June 8th, 2014
3:43pm

I just got home from work, shove a few garments in a duffel bag and take Trevor outside to go to the bathroom. I'm so excited to head back home in Morrison for a few days and hang out with the family, plus a few extra family members that are visiting from out of town.

3:48pm

Text from mom: "Can you talk?"

This threw me off. Very curt and unlike the way my mom usually texts.

3:49pm

I call mom.

"Hey hun."

"Hey mom, how are you guys?!"

"Not good sweetie."

"What? Why not?"

*Crying*

"What's the matter mom?"

"Honey, Suvan died today."

Adventures and More Adventures! (Days 5-8)

Oh man oh man. These past 4 days have been absolutely amazing.

So much so, that I haven't wanted to slow down and write a blog post. The thought of opening up my laptop to do anything not involving my next adventure just felt like a waste of time.

Let's start with this past weekend:

I met up with a friend, Kendra Hughes, who I had met over Instagram. We instantly became friends, and seeing her was a large driving factor when I was planning my trip south.

We started by camping on the edge of a cliff overlooking Sedona... it was called the End of the World. And it certainly looked like it, too. Waking up to a sunrise illuminating an entire valley full of large red rock formations and green green trees was absolutely unbelievable.

It was amazing........
                                          and cold.

I couldn't take my van back to the spot we were at, due to it's low-ish clearance. So, Trevor and I shivered all through the evening. And it was one of those mornings where a fire was necessary, not just a fun thing to have. It was like, "Whoo! Let's get this friggen fire started!!"

Days 3 & 4

I need to get better at not writing about the last half of one day and the first half of another.
But wifi isn't a commonly accessible thing.
Or maybe it is, I just don't go lookin' for it.
Either way, here we are!

Yesterday was simple, but amazing. I woke up in Telluride, surrounded by towering pine trees with soft, fluffy snowflakes falling between them. Between the pure whiteness of the freshly fallen snow and the pale, white bark providing protection to the aspens, it felt like a dream. Like I didn't actually wake up, but like I literally was still dreaming of this place. I love every kind of climate and weather condition, but that is, by far, my favorite.

Also, funny little side story, it had started snowing the night before, and I stepped outside to take a photo of the lovely house I was staying in, and being my father's daughter, I went out in my flip flops. Which, I must say, I have done many times before with absolutely no problem.

This particular time though... didn't go so well.

*Step outside*

"Oo. Chilly!"

*Walk around to find the best position to take the photo*

*Squat*

*Take photo with GoPro*

"Oh I think that will be a good one"

*SMACK*

From upright to flat on my back in half a second.

*Retreat inside with snowy pajamas*  :-|


Like I've mentioned before, I need a GoPro camera just to withstand my day-to-day life... :P

But I got a cool photo right before making a snow angel!

Day 1... and Part of Day 2

Yesterday I began my adventure.

An adventure involving my van, my dog, and a crazy amount of dried food and power bars.
(No, seriously. I think I overprepared. There's enough to feed a third world country in there...)

Anyhoo, my first stop was Telluride, Colorado where I have some really cool family that lives in the area. It was a bit of a drive on the first day, 6 hours or so. It was a very long karaoke session.
(Sorry, Trevor.) And since I drove straight through, I don't have many adventures to share. But some of my roadside breaks were in really, incredibly scenic areas. The entire drive was incredibly scenic. I was not the most attentive driver... well I was attentive... just not on the driving. More attentive of the beautiful, majestic mountains that surrounded me.

Here are a few photos of my drive to Telluride:

Oh Sh*t!

As you may or may not know, I looooove to longboard. And it is Spring, which means that longboard season is in effect... just for the record, longboard season is 3 seasons long.. even with some of Winter included.

I digress... as usual. 

So I have been longboarding every chance I get since Spring has arrived. On a chilly day, in a dress, barefoot, on the way to the coffee shop... you get the idea. 

One of my favorite places is Wash Park in Denver. And it's super convenient because it's about 3 minutes from where I work three days per week. It's got this wide, paved loop around some pretty ponds, sprawling fields, big trees, and tennis courts. It can get kind of full of cyclists and joggers, but for the most part it's smooth sailing during my skates. 

So I go and hit up Wash Park after work this evening - leggings, vans, a big tee... I'm ready for some serious skating. 

Earphones in.

The Dirty Heads on. 

I take off and keep up a fast pace. 

Or, I don't know, at least it felt fast when the wind was in my face...

Cruising cruising... on my second loop now and it's getting dark. People are dispersing and my cruising is getting even easier as I have the path mostly to myself. 

I'm carving pretty hardcore down a hill and in my own happy little world when suddenly I realize there is someone next to me and matching my speed. 

I look over to see a cyclist on a road bike smiling at me. A pretty handsome feller, I must say. I smile back and give a giggle out of embarrassment for my oblivious nature. 

"Is that an Arbor?" He asks with a large, attractive grin on his face. 

Two Separate Objects

Learning a new hobby.

You chose the hobby. Planned for it. Paid for it. Started it.

So why is it that as soon as you start it, you just think to yourself (or maybe even out loud, depending on the circumstances), "What the heck was I thinking?"

     My parents gave me an entire Cross Country Ski setup for Christmas. Which was awesome!
My mom and I had been discussing picking up a new winter hobby that still involved snow, but didn't involve the (more often than not) crowded slopes and all the prices that go along with it.
     And well, let's just say that ice skating was out of the picture... I am truly the most unstable person on ice. When I'm walking, I can find a patch of ice the size of a small pancake and still find a way to almost break my tailbone. I blame it on my tall center of gravity, but I think it all has to do with my mental state and the fact that I get psyched out when I know ice is present (due to all the times it's been the source of my downfall.... literally. (Haha. Pun.)) Obviously I can't see myself when I have to walk across ice, but I'm sure my legs have about as much bend and flex in them as an iron rod.
     Snowmobiling is something we've always wanted to get into (hasn't everyone?!). But the startup costs are kind of intimidating, and we've had our fair share of motorized sports and know that the constant maintenance is just a part of it. Something more simple would be nice.