You know, it's been a great year. Whatever is that happening outside, and even in my own little world, one I try not to speak about often, overall, it's been a fantastic year. First and foremost, 2020 has been our first full calendar year we lived in Colorado. And what a decision it was! While we've owned this house for over 2 years, and technically lived in it for 19 months, that FULL CALENDAR YEAR rings awesome. We've gone through every season and clicked off every day, all 365 of them, and never - EVER - looked back. Nailed it. It is exactly where we belong. I haven't been as happy to be in a certain place before. I thought Portland, OR was my spot. It probably was, at the time. It took time to let it go. Didn't help I spent 10 suffocating years in Austin, TX (literally and figuratively speaking). Mt. Hood was my mountains. Every time I flew over it, I cried. Now? Forget about it. It's all Pikes Peak or nothing. It may not be as prominent and sharp and overwhelming, but boy, it got my heart. I can see it from every corner of our city, standing or driving, from every direction we're coming home. There's a reason "America the Beautiful" was written at the top of it. And that top keeps calling my name. 8 ascends so far, and I am not tired of holding my breath looking around. It never seizes to amaze me. I pray it never will.
I love everything about the place we live in. I love the spread of the mountains and outdoors activities Colorado has to offer, and little towns we get to stop by, winding roads we get to drive on. I love the offerings of local ski resorts, and great snow we have. I love the fact that we actually have snow in the winter - and yet that in city limits, it doesn't stay too long, thanks to our 300 days of sunshine. It's good to have it, yet not to wade through it during winter runs on the roads. I love that when Springs comes, the birds return, and the leaves begin to pop on the trees. I love the blossoming fruit trees and how the smell and look. Before you know it, it's all green and the air gets warm. Our trails melt, we peel off the clothes on the runs, and summer comes. I love how hot it gets - yet how dry it stays. There's nothing "suffocating" even when it hits 100F (not often, thankfully) because of 6,000 feet elevation. I love the access to all kinds of trails and altitude at my disposal, within 10-15 min drive from home. Home...I LOVE our little 1928 bungalow, all 829 sq ft of it. The neighborhood, the neighbors...oh, God, front porch! We live on our front porch! There's a great comedian who has a thing on disappearance of front porches vs folks turning to building up back decks. Privacy...vs having your neighbors being your best friends, your surveillance, your entertainment, gossip, news...real surrounding. We got that. Our neighborhood will never grow, it is all about walking the sidewalks and watching for each other. It is like living in a small town while being in a city. Gorgeous city, may I add. The downtown, the history, the little businesses. Heck, I knitted hats and socks for folks at our local coffee shop! You can't get any closer to people than that. I love my job. Not only this whole "helping people" thing. I love where I work, and I thought Myo in Austin gave me joy. This tiny chiropractor office, where it's only my doc, I, an admin, and two front desk ladies...we are family. We truly are. The patients, people who come see us, they are like family to us, as well. And they keep bringing their own families and friends in. It's mind blowing how in this past year, with all that's been happening, we were overwhelmed with the flow of patients. So much for working part time! Before I knew it, 4 days at 8 hrs, and if I offered more, I'd be booked! Now I want more free time...to keep exploring, and keep living. Summer slowly turned to Fall, and we got our REAL foliage. The golden Aspen, the flickering of orange and red in it. Burning hills all around, and the streets presenting us with season change. We have it here, after 10 years of ever-green and always-hot-and-humid. Like life itself goes through changes, leaves fall, and here comes the view at Pikes Peak from that very front porch- because of bare trees. The air smells different, and we know winter, again, is right around the corner. And then one morning you wake up to a foot of snow on the ground, this time to stay, and the morning run is all about bundling up smartly - it's 5F and crisp. A full year. We've gone through a full year in this paradise...
And it's been amazing in many other ways. I set a number of goals for the year, most of them fitness goals, but some for reading and knitting and personal relationships...and I happened to nail them all. Just the other day one of my patients said to me that I seem to be very disciplined. Indeed, this is definitely one of my quality traits. We're all different. Discipline, focus, goals, those things help me go through life, help to offset my on-the-verge depression, make me accountable for things. They help me grow. Because not growing is like dying a little, and I am not ready, nor willing to go quite yet. I intend to live fully, especially now, that I have this place I call home, and I have Larry by my side, with our renewed determination of love and commitment and support of each other's growth.
We rang the end of the year with one more ski trip to our local hub, Monarch. We were treated to a bluebird day, fantastic snow conditions, and perfect skiing.
So here's to more of great years, more adventures, more love, more health and fitness, more happiness. More focus on what we can control, and if each of us does just that - the world will be a better place.
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