Boulder Colorado in Tweets & Updates

In addition to the summation of my month in any location, the true pulse of the city and my experience are easily felt through my social media updates. This is where the true story of my thoughts and feelings lay, laced between words, wit and wisom. Here are a few gems from Boulder, Colorado.

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An Experience for Your Eyes Only

If you want to experience heaven on earth, just drive through the state of Colorado :). Ladies and gents, I have arrived!

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An Unspoken Code Amongst Travelers

There is an unspoken code amongst travelers and those who have ventured out into this world, no matter how far you have gone. You know what it’s like to be somewhere completely new, to know no one, to rely solely on new connections and new friends.

I got to hang at an amazing house in the mountains for dinner tonight. A house in Boulder, that actually had a boulder rock running through it (I mean, why go to a climbing gym when you can climb in your own home?! LOL… of course) . It had the most amazing view.

When people asked how I connected with the owner he simply said “she’s traveling, I’ve traveled. I know what it’s like, so I invited her to come up an join us for dinner.”

I hope that I can pay this forward, years from now, when I have settled in some amazing place and space. I hope I will meet newbies or those that are passing through, and show them the same kindness that has been shown to me.

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Being Open

The more open you become to the world around you, the more open doors will appear where there were once only walls.

This is no magic trick, but simply expanding your range of vision to see the opportunities that were always sitting right in front of you, the ones you didn’t notice because your mind was preoccupied and otherwise elsewhere.

And in this way, your life becomes a Choose Your Own Adventure book, and you become infinitely excited, living in the moment as well as thriving on the energy of what happens next.

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Double Dutch

Life can kind of be like double dutch. Think about it. You are a kid and you see other kids doing double dutch and you’re looking at those ropes moving and somehow they instinctively know when to jump and it boggles your mind. “How are they doing that?” and “how come its not a cluster of limbs and ropes going on over there?”

It looks impossible, but you’re intrigued. So somehow you get the courage to try it out. You watch the ropes turn and you do your best to follow the beat of them hitting the ground. You even get into your own little groove about it. And you jump in and the magic just does NOT happen. This is where you think “oh, now I see cluster of limbs and ropes…all attached to me!!!”

Don’t be embarrassed. At that point you have two choices. You can say “no thanks its not for me,” or you can say “blast! let me give it another go.” If you choose the latter, you need to be open to others showing you what to watch for and how to jump in. You need to be okay with the risk of making a complete fool of yourself. And you need to be okay with making mistakes (like the kind that will scrape your knee and send you crying home).

But one day, you’ll catch the rhythm and effortlessly jump right in. And before your mind can catch up with your body to comprehend what’s happening, a balancing act of pure bliss occurs. You’re jumping rope, you’re doubledutching. You can hear the ropes as they whiz by, you can feel the wind, you have a grin on your face but you’re also calm and ready. This is your moment. This is why it was worth it.

That is life. A spectacle that doesn’t make any logical sense until you let go and jump right in.

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Only in Boulder

ME: “Hey, my friend says it would be a good idea for us to connect. Want to meet up? How about tea or lunch tomorrow?” NEW CONTACT: “Sure! How about we meet up at 7AM for a hike?” ME: “ummmm…okay”

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This Weekend

This weekend was: hiking, scenic driving, snow capped mountain views, evergreen trees, winding roads, boxcar coffee houses, brunch downtown, trinket shopping in local establishments, color swatching, accent wall painting, and cookout on a deck in the mountains overlooking Boulder and beyond with an eclectic group of new friends.

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Deep Thoughts

Deep thoughts of life and purpose run through my head often out here, and I wonder if its possible to be this heavy and this light at the same time. A funny thing happens when you spend time with yourself and when you start to strip away the routines you’ve become accustomed too. Your mind opens up. The world does too…

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Worth

I think you are worth way more than you sometimes settle for…

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What You Leave Behind

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
–Pericles

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What is Fear?

It’s really true, you have to go out on a limb for what you want. You have to reach for what you can see with your own eyes even if others don’t share your vision, or you have to reach for what you can’t quite see but still know in your heart to be there.

What is fear but an ever changing opponent that serves as seemingly impossible obstacles to overcome? What is fear but a trick of the mind causing you to sometimes pause in your tracks? But you must rise above.

I have heard before that the grass is not always greener on the other side. I suppose in the basic sense this could be true. But it also depends on what you have in mind when you are scoping out this greener grass.

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In Search of Answers

I don’t have all the answers and I never claimed to. I just have a different way of seeing things, I am open to what’s out there, and I’m not afraid to take a leap of faith. I still have questions, I still am incredibly curious, I still battle with fear. This is the human in all of us.

By living out loud and sharing my adventures, and also by being honest, I hope to connect with you in some way. I hope you become more confident in all you’re capable of, I hope you chase your dreams and desires, and I hope you dare to believe in your own self worth, which truly is limitless.

Now go get em tiger!

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Watch for Changing Weather Conditions

Yesterday was amazing for a couple reasons. First, thank goodness the owner of my apartment mentioned to take layers literally as I was heading out the door. “Colorado is all about layers girl!” she said, and geez she wasn’t kidding!

When I left the house it was getting to 80 degrees. When we got to the top of the mountain it was snowing, which blew my mind!

Some parts of our journey were scenic drives, and others were carried out by foot on meandering trails in the wilderness. The evergreen trees here are so tall.

One of the funny moments was going past a sign that said “watch for changing weather conditions,” to which immediately after it started to rain. We both thought that was a well place and surprising accurate sign! And then it didn’t actually start to snow until we were at the top of the mountain, as in, we got up there and all of a sudden there was a gust of wind and white stuff floating around. “No way! Is that (gasp) snow?!?!?” It wasn’t falling lightly. The wind was carrying it and practically pushing it through. Amazing!

We also crossed over some small waterfalls while hiking and witnessed some spectacular views. We had lunch and snacks in open fields, one featuring such a gorgeous view of the mountains to come and purple wild flowers spotting the green terrain. We also saw elk, magpie, and a coyote wolf (who thankfully was far off headed away from us and wasn’t interested in our trail food).

When you are out in a place like this, you can’t help but to let your troubles melt away, trading them off for things that are way bigger than you but you are still a part of. You can’t help but to stop, look and listen… and to take it all in.

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What I Do Know

Things I don’t always know: (1) where I am at any given time, thanks to the travel I get that messed up a lot! (2) what time zone I’m in or where the time goes. (3) what will happen tomorrow. (4) where I will be a year or 5 years from now, but pretty sure its some place nice.

Things I always know: (1) I am loved. (2) I enjoy the work I do. (3) My life is amazing. (4) what I do matters.

I balance things I had no idea I could. I reach for things and take leaps because they make perfect sense to me, which is part of what really matters. I take really good care of my yard and I’m in love with the grass that grows here.

Everywhere I go, I am exactly where I was meant to be.

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Beautiful Clouds

Today in the sky I saw clouds that resembled the ones I used to paint, of my mind and from the sweetest dreams.

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Taking One Step Off Your Path

I’ve had the revelation that the same thoughts I have around leaving a great temporary home for a new one mirror the thoughts you should have about your own life. You are never too young or too old to think this way.

Thoughts like “did I do enough?” “did I connect with the right people?” “did I truly give it my all?” “did I see all I wanted to see?” and “did I make a difference?” By spreading my wings I think I have.

Taking one step off the path I thought I had to follow has put me in the middle of awesomeness that words cannot describe. Looking forward to enjoying my last couple days in Boulder, and then yes I will be hitting the road again.

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Nature Sightings

So I just saw a mother raccoon escort all 5 of her little ones across the street. And the tiniest one was lagging behind, but she waited for all of them to get across before moving on. All this happening under dim street lights at night.

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Where Does the Time Go?

Where does the time go that another month has passed already and I’m gearing up to move on? Is time passing quickly for everyone or is it just me? Or is it just more noticeable because each month I’m in a different location…?

When leaving, while I’ve done and seen so much, there is still so much more I want to do and so much more I want to see. Even though a month is quite enough time it’s also never enough time.

The sun is setting on my time in Boulder and I’m secretly begging it to slow down for just a bit. And yet more adventure awaits as I progress further west.

Sometimes it seems as if this journey leaves me with more questions than answers. And yet still I wouldn’t change it. And yet still my life is made richer by each person and each experience.

How fitting these words and thoughts spill out of me at sunset, and how even more fitting that tomorrow is another brand new day.

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Not So Strange Connections

If I were to tell you about my evening, there’s a chance you might not believe me. But just in case you do, here goes….

My friend Andrew (whom i was originally connected to by a new friend in Austin) invited me out to Chautauqua park to see a play. I knew nothing of this play at all, not even the title. I only had a reminder in my phone calendar I made for myself a few days prior. Little did I know it was a play that had scenes laid across an enchanted trail at the park, and the play itself was a comical rendition of the tale of Snow White. The audience had to walk the trail, led by a guide and a violinist, to each scene in the play.

I met up with Andrew and another new friend he introduced me to, who works for Nike Foundation. We were some of the biggest kids in the audience, and it was incredibly awesome. To be outside in nature and be a witness to such a performance… I loved it.

This was followed by drinks outside and a traditional Napoli dinner downtown, and of course we were joined with other members of the Nike Foundation, each well traveled and with great stories to share.

After a very fitting meal, we decide to walk a block up so I can have my official last drink in Boulder. And, from what I had learned, everyone was out quite late the night before, so it was incredibly sweet of them to join me for one last drink. I knew I was in good company. We all whipped out our phones to make sure we could stay connected online long after this last call for alcohol.

And speaking of connections, here’s the part you won’t believe. Earlier when I spoke of the play I mentioned I met Andrew and one other new friend. Turns out, this new friend was born and raised in LA (my next destination) and she is already telling me cool things I should do quicker than I can whip out my phone to record them.

And here’s the next kick, she recently moved to Portland (my next location!!!) within the past year. But, due to work and travel she hasn’t spent much time there, so she decides that August will be a no travel month so she can properly explore her new city. Well folks, what month do you think I will be in Portland?!?!

And with that I say, good night!

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That’s So Boulder

Boulder was the first city I dove into without scrambling the Internet for things to do and events to attend. I jumped right in and within the first week I’m sure I had it all. I had a friend with a gorgeous house in the mountains and an open dinner invitation for anytime, I had a 3 day city guide to make sure I didn’t miss out on any of the good stuff, I had a ridiculously cool office to work out of with perks like unlimited coffee/tea at a local cafe and the occasional massage therapist session, and I had bountiful hikes, happy hours, good people and good times. Not to mention gorgeous, breathtaking views with every walk, bike or car ride.

I seriously couldn’t ask for a better place to spend June. As I think about day 1 of the epic 2 day drive to Southern Cali, I’m already contemplating the way back to these flatirons. Boulder is definitely keeping a piece of my heart.