I had some errands to do first, however. I paid some bills. I stood in line at the Post Office for 40 minutes. But I didn't mind the wait too much because I got to practice striking up conversations with strangers. Yes, I intentionally practice that. And...I bought pepper spray. I feel weird saying that, but I guess its not a bad thing to have when living in a city. I already tested it out just to make sure I knew how to use it. The spray is actually red. Who knew?
Then, the moment I had been waiting for, I put "Boulder, CO" into my GPS. Roooaaadtrip! Not really, because its only about 50 mins from my apartment, but I was still excited. When I got there, I was just giddy. Mountains were beautiful and the town just seemed...fun. I had an emotional moment over wanting sooo badly to live in one of the smaller towns closer to the mountains like Fort Collins or Boulder, instead of the big, bustling, not-so-scenic, smog-filled city of Denver (Love ya, Denver...but I'll always be more of a small-town girl, don't take it personally). But I took a deep breath and got over it. Then I ate Bacon-Mac-and Cheese from Noodles & CO.
After finding the trailhead parking lot....I deeply regretted not using the bathroom at Noodles. Now, I've used many port-a-potties in my day, but this one.....takes the cake for being the absolute worst. My eyes literally were watering. It didn't kill me, but instead of getting stronger, I felt like I was gunna faint. It was a growing up moment.
View from parking lot. Right away the trail heads right up to the top of that peak.
Time to hike!
The trail was called Mt Sanitas. It was a pretty easy hike, and although it was one big loop, the terrain was super different as you went. The first part was my favorite...it looked like this:
This is at the top of the peak in the previous picture.
There was a narrow visible trail to follow, but....I was standing on it. This is what was alongside of me. (Kind of dull pics, just had my camera phone this time.) I tried doing some climbing off the trail...but I quickly realized how badly I need to invest in some hiking shoes/boots. My Asics are great for running...not so much for climbing.
The second part of the trail was the most boring. It looked like this:
Still pretty? Yes. But I saw many-a grandma on this part of the trail.
Hi, mom!
While hiking, I had alot of time to think. I brought my ipod, but decided not to use it. None of my thoughts were earth shattering, mostly just reflecting on my journey to live in Colorado in the first place. Now that I'm here, what am I going to make of it? Alongside thinking, I did a lot of praying/praising as well. It's hard not to when you're surrounded by this kind of scenery!!
I usually have a pretty good picture of what lies ahead of me in my immediate future. But after my big move, I kinda feel like now I'm just coasting through the day-to-day life. I like my job and feel so blessed to still be working for World Vision (if you missed it, you can read that story here). But I still sort of feel like I'm on auto-pilot. Hard to explain I guess. Once I start getting more involved in church and making more friends, I think I'll be in a better place. I just have the deep down feeling that this season of life is more of just a stepping stone. But I guess that's kinda how every season is...I just am more conscious of it this time.
Anyway, back to the hike...one of my biggest realizations was how much more energized I felt after being up there. When it comes to how I feel most connected to God, it is definitely by being in nature. Even in Minneapolis, when I needed to recharge I would either go running on a trail through the woods, or sit by a lake. It just centers me somehow. So in regards to all that, I guess Colorado is a great place for me to live :)
even the "boring" parts look beautiful!! Glad you made the hike safely!! Yes, God has good plans for your life, dear Daughter!! Wait and see!! Love the pics with you on them :)
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