Colorado – Reconnecting with Home

It’s been over 12 years since I boarded a plane for Tokyo to live overseas, and now I find myself back in Colorado, feeling a mix of nostalgia, familiarity, and warmth impossible to recreate anywhere else. As much as Australia has become home, there’s something about the ease, beauty, and culture of Colorado that makes it magical.

The reason for this part of the trip was clear: to visit home without the relentless pace of work, have fun and spend time with those I wish I had stayed in better contact with over the years. Colorado offered exactly that, and the 23 days spent with family, friends, and showing Bryan my home state turned out to be even better than I had hoped.

My mom often says, “the only normal family is one you don’t know well.” This was further reinforced by my brother, Eric, who highlighted in his toast during our mom’s 70th birthday celebration, “Mom has earned her highest marks, an A++, in eccentricity.”  And honestly, none of us fall far from that tree. Doing NYT puzzles separately but together, power walking through Boulder streets, cooking tempeh for a bunch of meat eaters, and of course celebrating my mom’s 7.0 release (more about this in another post) was a great reminder of why I turned out the way I did, for better and worst 😝.

However, not everything in Colorado was comfortable, as we were reminded our first morning in Boulder.  Having just arrived the night before I figured no better way to adjust than a “light” run.  The plan was simple: run from the house about 3km (1.8 miles) to the start of the Sanitas Trailhead, jog the trail (walking where needed) back home for an short 6-7 km loop.  After the rolling hills, mostly flat to down, saw us gasping for air and wondering if we had aged a few decades overnight we were done with the easiest 3kms and at the start of the trail head.  It soon became abundantly clear there would be little to no more running possible, so we regrouped and decided to walk fast. Feeling disappointed in my complete lack of ability to run the trail, and in hindsight using an oxygen deprived brain rationale, I made one of the dumbest suggestions of the trip thus far.  I said, “as long as we are walking, why don’t we hike to the top of Mt. Sanitas. We are already on the the trail and really it’s not that much further.”  Bryan with more enthusiasm and breath than I expected said, “sure, sounds great!”

An hour later, narrowing vision from dehydration, and stiff muscles from lack of oxygen, we made it to the top.  It was beautiful, however all I could think about was how long it would be until we could get a drink of water.  Another 45 minutes taking the most direct route down, an urgent text to mom asking for coconut water and we were back in AC, drinking from the faucet, and most importantly still alive.  Welcome to Boulder Bryan!  After a few days with mom in Boulder we departed for Steamboat to spend a couple days with my brother and his family.

One evening in Steamboat, as we were all gathered around the table, Bryan suggested a game he had bought as a gift for the family, Wits and Wagers. None of us had played before but it involves facts, numbers, and betting—right up our alley. Partnering with my nephew Caleb, I soon realized I was merely the administrative support. There to read the clues, dole out the winnings and size up Caleb’s chips as the house was running out of money.  Caleb knew most of the answers, was incredibly calculated, and figured out who to bet on in the very rare case he didn’t know the answer. We won by such a landslide that no one even bothered counting chips when much to everyone else’s relief the pizza arrived and the game ended.

After our time in Steamboat, Bryan and I headed to Crested Butte to meet my ‘adopted’ sister Melanie and her husband Dave. Melanie and I grew up on the same cul-de-sac, just two doors apart, and we’ve always been more like sisters than friends. Despite not staying in regular contact, it felt like no time had passed. We caught up on each other’s lives, laughed about our younger years, and decided that “middle aged” may just be the best age yet.

Crested Butte’s natural beauty was humbling and inspiring. Every day there, I was awed by the towering mountains. No need for CGI here.  With all my travels, I had forgotten how stunning Colorado is. We tackled the “Oh Be Joyful” trail, and the next day, I tested my sealanders lungs and stamina riding up to Lake Irwin. To round off our mountain time, we ticked off a Colorado bucket list item: the Manitou Incline —a hike/climb up 2,700 stairs with grades as steep as 68% in parts. It was tough, and while I would like to say rewarding, the resulting blisters and aches in the following days dimmed some of the reward.

In Castle Pines, we had a quick  reunion with my college roommate Jamie before Bryan left for Virginia. We both regretted not having more time together in Colorado, especially in Steamboat, where Bryan fell in love with the insurmountable challenge of weeding 20 acres.  And fortunately Liz’s dad was readily willing to adopt anyone willing to weed as part of the family.  So we will be back.

The following 12 days, after Bryan had departed for Virgina, were spent with family, friends and colleagues. Reaching out to connections from over a decade ago was initially daunting. I worried about their responses and regretted not staying in touch. To my delight, each reunion was energizing, fun, and fascinating. Despite the challenges people have faced, the friendship, laughter, and the stories of purpose and tenacity were inspiring. I was incredibly grateful for finally taking the time to reconnect.

Now, as I sit on the plane to Virginia, I find myself wishing teleportation was a reality. Colorado, we will be back soon!