Finding Your Way

Here in the mountains you think differently… snow and big trees, old trees, hover over you here…. The possibilities in life expand to match the expansive space in Colorado… rock, canyon, mountain, tree, clouds, air, pure air as if it is the best air you have ever breathed in your entire life… peace is possible and colorado demands that you become at peace with the environment around you because you have no choice… it’s bigger than you and the other humans… you realize you are just visiting…the Colorado earth has been here before and will be here long after you… a rhythm of water flowing below you in a canyon bed reminds you of how quickly things pass, and sings for you to slow down… you can feel your blood pumping, warming muscles and skin. You dream of days of simplicity: what do you really need, after all?

Each morning the sun rises again over green boulders and shiny snow, the world is fresh for you to explore, to leave the past behind, to find a new pace… where wood is weathered, seasons capture your attention… a collection of ice forms as thick as phone poles, saplings, on your back porch: now you should stop and hear what is inside you, seeing these icicles like daggers, another force, solid, containing air and water, coatings over coatings, layers, the earth is wrapped in snow and ice with green and sun and blue sky still over head.

Footsteps crunch the snow. People fight the slippery powder to join the Boulder rhythm, civilization right down the curvy icy road: faces, hearts beating, lungs breathing oxygen in and out, color, people layered in clothing, holding warm cups, and then, return to the quieter mountains for the journey into their sanctuaries.

Colorado stars shine over the snow and cliffs and rushing water, the canyon holds its life tight for the dark cold night.

Don't miss the beautiful pictures!

Your Best Holiday Yet: Colorado Getaway Update

Nederland, Colorado

"Ned" with snow-capped mountains peeking over...


Wintery "Ned"

After some snowy days, crisp blue skies...

we took this at the road by our "getaway"...

Pearl Street in downtown Boulder, CO on Christmas Eve


The "Flatirons"--Boulder's gorgeous daily backdrop...


snow-dusted...



We love it... it does remind this Miami girl of "Northern Exposure" this time of year!


Barefoot in the snow! Tulips proliferate here on Pearl Street in springtime...


Another Boulder tradition, and the cigar bar serves hot chocolate to the kids
after they skate...

A view from our canyon hideaway...

Mr. Wonderful picked this place out for us for our holiday... our 3rd Christmas.

The steps to our home away from home...

Perfect!

We are in Boulder, Colorado, and we are blissfully, joyfully, happy. The minute we began our descent into Colorado, we saw white-capped mountains, larger than your memory can hold, and pink glowing skies. Mr. Wonderful was even happier than I could remember, so happy to breathe in Colorado air. This 37 year old man was giddy with joy: our journey was just beginning. We boarded the bus, with no wait, from the airport, and road out among the mountains near the Denver airport, and the christmas lights, twinkling blue lights lining the road we both had traveled back and forth so many times, only 18 months earlier. Suddenly we were in the college town of Boulder, on Broadway, as if we had never been away. The Mac Shack…the fraternity houses, the Wild Oats-turned-Whole Foods.

Snow started the minute we arrived in the center of Boulder, and began our journey to the mountain lodge. The flakes thickened, and we walked from the canyon road down toward our home for the next week. The snow fell, over already snow-whitened road and ground, the skies pouring onto our world, something very dreamlike to our tropical sensibilities. As if in our own little snowglobe, we walked, forward into the dark road; the snow fell, illuminating our lodge and the path--the bridge lead us to our holiday hideaway. It seemed we were the only ones for miles; all we could hear was a creek, babbling away against its icy "roof". The snow kept falling all night and the next day,

a gentle coating of cold white beauty.

We had Christmas Eve in Boulder, and Christmas here in the Four Mile Canyon…Mr. W. made me lovely meals for which he had shopped and carried home to us only by bus and backpack…no rental car on this trip! Colorado’s public transportation is too good.

The 26th, we rode up to beautiful Nederland, surrounded by snow covered rocks and canyon walls that seemed to touch the Colorado blue sky. Layers of sunny blue sky froze at ice-coated rock, and the shadows protected snow down to the road.

In Nederland, we saw the frozen lake, and I remembered the first time I saw the expanse of Nederland at sunset--it was something beyond imagination. The glassy dark blue lake, the sky: its purples and pinks blending over the spring green, white-topped mountains. That day changed me…I learned life had beauty that could shock you, and heal you at the same time.

Here is a little background on our love story... enjoy!

More to come…trip in progress!

pic 1: from this awesome album

pic 2 and 3, google images

all the rest are ours from the last few days ;)

The adventures continue...

(where he proposed and where we lived as newlyweds)

To update you on Mr. Wonderful's adventures, he is now a member of the Atmospheric Club at the University! He is taking Spanish, History of Religion, and Evolution of Jazz. Seeing him take these courses and meet people, and enjoy the university makes me happier than I could have imagined. I wanted him to have the opportunity, and seeing my childhood sweetheart head off to his classes and thrive is one of the best things I've seen in my entire life.

He is going to attend the American Meteorological Society conference in Atlanta this January, as a student conference worker, and they will cover his hotel and other expenses. He will get to meet other fellow weather/science buffs! The conversations he will have...! I am so excited for him.



It has been quite a journey since we got married in May, 2007...as our blog readers know, I convinced him to leave the corporate world and return to school to follow his passion, involving a move from Colorado to Miami to do so.



I am extremely proud of this update!!! He is taking a great group of classes in the next semester, including his second composition class, with the focus of The Big Lebowsky (!), his first meteorology class, and a communications course from our amazing communications school.



In between our semesters, we are going to Colorado. I will be trading in the December Miami weather for snow in Boulder... the adventures continue!

chocolate and salt for the traveling soul

Does it get any better???

If you are in Boulder, Colorado, I suggest Belvedere's chocolate for their dark chocolate with a little caramel and rock salt on top. Your life is filled with flowers and song. At least if you take it with you up into the canyon... Belvedere also has cute little chocolate frogs and even chocolate cell phones.

If you are in or near St. Augustine, FL, go to Claude's. Claude also has a masterpiece of chocolate, caramel, and salt. We gave sampler boxes from Claude's to our wedding guests...no one complained.

Further north, in Jacksonville, FL, a place called Peterbrooke's dips all sorts of amazing salty stuff into their fine sweet blend of chocolate. Dark chocolate popcorn. Chocolate dipped Pringles chips. Chocolate covered rice krispie treat bars. Little chocolate race cars and butterflies.

Yes, I could survive on three square chocolate meals per day. And I do not mean a chocolate slim fast shake. Ha!