On the Road Again

Sometimes it feels like we just got back from Hong Kong, and in the scheme of things, we did...it hasn't even been a month since we returned. But, there are other times that it feels like a distant memory or like something I only read about someone else doing.  Did I really travel to the other side of the world with my family? Our home routine was way too easy to slip back in to and it makes our time away feel way more distant than it really is.  As we travel again this week, I am quickly reminded of our time abroad. Cole raised his hand in hopes that a taxi would stop and he crossed his arms as he waited for what he thought was an elevator. These are things he learned during our travels and I thought would have been forgotten. But, there it was.  The girls were excited to get on a plane and ride it for "just" 2 hours.  Our plane ride was simple and not filled with anxiety, just the motto of "We can so do this"! Hong Kong was like boot camp for travelers.  Once you've been on every form of transportation in extreme heat with millions of people...nothing can stop us now!

Cole waiting for the "elevator" at the rent a car place.  Just when a few of the memories start to fade, I am quickly reminded of the things Cole learned on our vacation.

Cole trying to pay for a drink in the vending machine with his boarding pass. He couldn't figure out why it wasn't working.

Time to get a taxi...

In Denver...the sights are awaiting us...

This week, we packed up our stuff and headed out to Colorado. This trip is about as opposite of a vacation as you can get from Hong Kong. There are several hours of the day to just relax, the mountain air is crisp and clean getting downright chilly at night, it's peaceful, quiet, and the views are endless.   As I sit here typing this and looking out at snowcapped mountains, the words that come to mind are vast beauty. A lot of places I have visited have been beautiful, but sometimes that beauty is in snippets - just a little bit here and there.  Colorado has 360 degree beauty...just when you think it's just mountains and trees you turn to see a babbling brook, a waterfall, a creek with quickly moving water alongside a road. I'm in awe of the landscape here.

What brought us out to Colorado is a family reunion.  While we had anonymity in Hong Kong, here we are traveling with 38 other people, many of whom we haven't seen since our last reunion three years ago. It is loud, boisterous, energetic, memory making, and loads of fun. There are some sights to be seen...we'll be going on a family hike in the Rocky Mountains...but the point of this trip is to be together and get to know each other just a little bit better. We are staying in one enormous cabin at the YMCA of the Rockies with 16 bedrooms - each family has their own space - and a gigantic common area and kitchen.  We have a fire pit,  park, grill, volleyball court, a fantastic deck with adirondack chairs...all at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. What a perfect setting for an end of the summer vacation and nothing but time to reunite with family members that are scattered all over the country.  And a bonus to our trip was seeing some friends that moved to Denver just a few months ago. It was great seeing them and a little bittersweet as two days just wasn't enough. We'll miss seeing them at home and playing whenever we want, even for an hour here or there. We look forward to seeing them this winter when they come home to visit and wish them well on their new adventures in Colorado.

Friends reuniting!

The view from the chairlift at the Cheyenne Mountainside Zoo.

The zoo had a rock climbing dome.

I could say how this giraffe drinking water reminds me of what Todd looks like on ice skates, but I won't. That would be cruel...

We fed the giraffes at the zoo.

This giraffe seemed to pose with the girls.

Skye fed an opossum..one of the uglier animals out there.

Syd checking out a handheld gps unit...totally her type of thing.

Seven Falls.

Waiting for the elevator. This one was inside a cave.

Garden of the Gods. Absolutely beautiful. I wish we had more time to explore it.

My next blog will most likely be less words and more photos...three days into the trip and I have my favorite photos narrowed down to 264...and we're just getting started. What a place this is!