Passing the "Colorful Colorado" state marker was a very gratifying sensation. I felt very accomplished in seeing that pass by my window.
Arriving in Colorado I had no real plan. I had no idea how long I would stay, I had no idea where I would go when I left, I had no idea of all the fun that was to be had. All I had was a list of people to see and a camera with which to take pictures of disc golfers. While on the subject, here are some of said photos...
I got into a pretty comfortable routine while away: wake up, eat a tiny breakfast, watch some of The Walking Dead marathon or History Channel, take a nap, get up for the day, drink beer somewhere, do something outdoors, and laugh with awesome people.
I laughed so much one night that my face ached terribly from all the smiling and my belly felt like it had been through a massive work out.
As far as working out goes, I did hike a mountain in Boulder. That experience is now one of my biggest accomplishments thanks to the best hiking buddy around. I stopped many times both to rest my wobbly and weak legs and to gaze at the awesome views. By the time I reached the top I was told that I had major bragging rights, so that is exactly what I am doing. I hiked all the way up a mountain. At the top was a picnic lunch and time for listening to the silence while preparing for the descent.
Even before the hike in Boulder my legs were wobbly and weak from trekking up the stairs at the Red Rocks Amphitheater for a showing of Catching Fire. A friend had agreed to meet me there but she had our tickets, so I planned to putz around and explore while I waited. There were so many thousands of people, however, that I became slightly overstimulated and decided to sit on a rock and wait there instead. After a fair amount of time waiting on the rock a very kind lady generously offered me an extra ticket to get in which I anxiously accepted free of charge. I cut in line with a Colorado native and began the slow walk up.
Once in the amphitheater I decided to get popcorn and M&Ms for the movie and walk even further to the very top to watch the sun set before showtime. Seeing the sun and the moon both amongst the rocks was so cool. Watching the sun roll away gave me time to catch my breath before claiming seats. Although I had seen Catching Fire before, it seemed like an entirely different movie watching from such a different perspective and in the company of funny friends.
Other fun happenings while in Colorado: petting a horseshoe crab, playing games such as Scrabble and Shuffleboard, Fourth of July fireworks, mountain drives, watching kickball at City Park, listening to stories from my parents' glory days, and making new friends while catching up with old ones usually at a table with food and beer.
"We all need a place to feel free. The silence you can hear. The space between each heartbeat. A place to feel free." -Bearfoot
