Well, hello again!
I know it has been a while since my last post and I honestly wish I had a good reason for the hiatus… I don’t. Apparently I am just very inconsistent in my writing, but what’s life without a little room for improvement? So if you are one of the few who follow my blog, thank you for sticking with me. If you completely forgot that you were following my blog, hopefully this will be a pleasant interruption to your regularly scheduled programing. And if by some miracle you happen to be new here, welcome!
A friend has recently been encouraging me to put myself out there and start writing again, which luckily, coincided with my need for a creative outlet (let’s just say my nine to five only fulfills the need to pay my bills). So I am glad to be back, sharing my experiences with you and hopefully trying some fresh endeavors too. Unfortunately, I think 2020 took my reclusive tendencies and turned them up to eleven, so I have some bad habits that will need breaking. All that being said, I am working on a different style of post than usual and wanted to share some of the enjoyable stories and exploits that are happening through out my journey with you.
Now, my current undertaking is to write more of an online travel guide that will share some of my favorite drives and adventures that I have been on; specifically focusing on the Peak to Peak Highway here in Colorado, currently, which runs between Black Hawk and Estes Park. It has been a go-to drive of mine for quite a few years and I am excited to share all the little spots I have fallen in love with along the way. Because I want to make sure and offer you the best guide I can, I have been making a point to do a little more research and am taking a lot more stops than I have in the past. As such, this last weekend not only gave me the opportunity to explore some new things, it also reminded me why I started writing this blog a few years ago.
While on my drives, I tend to plow straight through any towns and instead focus on basking in the glorious creation that is nature, but this time I intentionally headed directly for Nederland, Colorado with the purpose of research. Call me weird if you want, but I have always thought it was important to try things before recommending them to others. Granted there is always that perception caveat, right? Just because I found something enjoyable doesn’t necessarily mean you will, because we all have different backgrounds and will perceive things differently. Don’t worry, once I figure out how to not only experience things through my viewpoint, but also instantaneously through the viewpoints of others, I will share that secret. I mean, that right there could be the first step to understanding other people and ultimately world peace, but I digress. (Philosophical Thought Box – Check!)
So this weekend I traveled solo, which I like, because instead of my focus being on my friends and whether they are having fun and enjoying the trip, I get to go into it with minimal expectations and an increased awareness of the people and things around me, rather than being mostly concerned with my travel group. This solo travel mentality always lends itself to either noticing great quirks or talking to new people, often locals. For an example of quirks, every establishment I went to in Nederland had some form of sign that said “be nice or leave,” which is lovely and made me chuckle, because it is important to set boundaries, even with tourists.
But my highlight that day had to be meeting Russa. She was a retired “Educational Assistant in the Transportation Department” (a.k.a. – School Bus Driver. She gave her description with quite the mischievous glint in her eye) and she moved to Nederland over 26 years ago. I can honestly say that I never would have met her had I not been travelling alone that day. I was waiting in line for coffee when I overheard her telling the coffee shop owner a punny joke (“what do you call a cow with no legs?… ground beef”) and just had to share one that I learned years ago. We ended up sitting near each other outside and chatting while we consumed our drinks. She had such a vibrant personality and we had a similar sense of humor, so we had a great chat chalk full of stories about Nederland history, tales of her escapades (let’s just say someone, may have driven their car across the pedestrian bridge shortly after it was built, and that someone wasn’t me), and she even shared some funny stories about “the tourists.” It honestly made my day.
So if you have the chance when stopping in a small town, take a little time and chat with a local while visiting their town. Because they are there all year round and are the people who give that town the heart and personality that you are enjoying.
Sojourn Nation 