Dreams do come true. No matter how long the wait, how hard and tedious and uninspiring, how impossible it all seemed...if one keeps their head down, eyes laser focused, and desire burning, it'll happen.
We turned the key to the realtor for the next Austin house owner on Thursday at 4 pm, and drove into the sunset. "Go West, young man".
With an overnight stop somewhere an hour and half before Lubbock (we both really needed sleep and rest after a week of 3 am waking up, work and all the things involved in moving to another state), we finally crossed into a state of CO at the top of Raton Pass. Our home state.
And just like that, not even couple hours later, by 2:30 pm, we turned the corner of the street (the view never gets old!!) and rolled into OUR driveway. OUR HOME!
The grass was over a foot and half tall, and due to recent May snow storms - last as late as a previous weekend! - there were A LOT of heavy tree branches both in our front yard and backyard. But, it was still the cutest house one could wish for. The cutest one for us, for sure.
We didn't take breaks, and straight from the stirring wheel got into unloading the truck and bringing boxes and items into the house. By 4:20 pm the U-Haul was returned, and we could exhale slowly. We have arrived.
The evening, and the following day have been spent in 2 ways: me - unpacking ALL the boxes and allocating their content into different rooms and the few closets we do have in this 829 sq ft home. Larry - chain saw in hands, cutting tree branches, putting them aside for disposal, and mowing lawn, not once, but twice, due to its complete overgrown condition.
And like that, at 4 pm on Saturday, 48 hrs after we pulled out of our Austin house, we were all settled into our CO home. Coffee and beer and knitting in hands. This is home. Pinch me!
Sunday was our day for fun. We returned to the local (OUR local) trail loop of Section 16, 12 min drive, one we discovered 2 years ago, for a repeat exploration. In a mere sub-2 mile steep climb (1100 feet), we were deep into backcountry line, in peace and quiet and amazing views opening up 360 degrees. Do we really get to be near this awesomeness for the rest of our lives?!
The morning was absolutely gorgeous, and the almost-5 mile perfect grade and trail condition downhill was such a warm welcome back into trail running. I have done "road running only" for majority of the past 3 years (venturing to Austin trails only to hike with a backpack while in the midst of training for my summer hikes), and I, quite literally, forgot how to run trails (not that Austin has "trails" in my personal definition, but pardon my obnoxious PNW past). We ran gingerly, but oh, so happy! My heart was flattering, my soul singing, and I couldn't wipe a smile off my face.
Everything is blooming here, from bushes in the front yard, to wild flowers. It smells and looks gorgeous. The morning runs picked up pace, yet again - a phenomenon I can never figure our explanation for (at altitude I run at least 40 sec per mile faster than back in TX at zero elevation, even before heat and humidity comes). The weather in the first half of the day is so beautiful - upper 60's and sunny. In the early afternoon, the clouds roll in. It is monsoon season here, in the mountains. Storms come with thunder, hail and hard rain, and the temperatures drop by a good 10 degrees. I love it! I take it any day over 100F and 100% humidity! But it also means all the errands need to be done and over with by 1-2 pm.
Monday morning, Larry got back to work: he is doing same job at Dell, but now remotely. Thank God for this option! The transition went flawless, and I can be his personal secretary, serving him tea, coffee and lunch, right into his office. :) I got to make a trip to DMV and get my new CO driver's license - I am officially a resident of this state! I also had an interview with a chiropractor doctor on Monday evening, who's office is looking for a massage therapist. She is awesome. While I still don't have my LMT license transfer completed (need to get fingerprinted, my appointment is not until Wednesday), and I can't start for at least another month, I figured a mock interview to test waters is not a bad idea. I am not going to jump on the first opportunity though, regardless how anxiously I want to get back to work. I now know my worth as a therapist. I also know there are so many more things I can do here besides working all damn time!
It has not settled in our brains that this is a move, not a visit. We've been coming to COS for the last 3 years: 3 times in the first couple of years (every 7 months or so), then 5 times since last October. We never stayed more than 5 days - in fact, we always stayed exactly 5 days - and we think once we pass this number, it might finally hit us: we live here now. We don't have to leave.
Grocery shopping done, I am tending to the kitchen chores. I prepare meals - nothing new here - but now I am preparing them fresh before consuming, slowly, mindfully. There will be a renovation here starting in 3-4 weeks, and I am so looking forward to it. Kitchen is the only space in this house that desperately needs work: 90's era is just so ugly. We want to bring back the style of 1928, year our home was built, but have appliances and conveniences of 21st century, in European (a.k.a. small-size) style. Everything else in this house is in perfect condition - they used to build to last! Original wood windows, wood floors, doors, door knobs and hinges. Beautiful backyard with 2 blue spruce trees and an apple tree bearing fruits (I tried them last October, for real!). All of it needs tender loving care - and we will provide. Lets begin this wonderful chapter of our lives.
Slow pace of life... last time I experienced it was, like, never? I am not sure how I feel yet, but I am certain that I love it here. Weeds are therapeutic. So are books (I got a library card and picked 5 at once!), knitting, yoga, walking to a store to pick up freshly baked goods...
4 weeks without working every day. How odd. How fortunate that I am forced into it, otherwise I would have never gotten to slow down. I must breathe deeply...The air is fresh. Every tree and bush and grass remind me home, where I grew up. Including airplanes zipping by from the airforce base. It's a soothing sound, in a weird kind of way. Other than that, all I hear are birds chirping in the backyard. #lovenewhome
We turned the key to the realtor for the next Austin house owner on Thursday at 4 pm, and drove into the sunset. "Go West, young man".
We didn't take breaks, and straight from the stirring wheel got into unloading the truck and bringing boxes and items into the house. By 4:20 pm the U-Haul was returned, and we could exhale slowly. We have arrived.
And like that, at 4 pm on Saturday, 48 hrs after we pulled out of our Austin house, we were all settled into our CO home. Coffee and beer and knitting in hands. This is home. Pinch me!
It has not settled in our brains that this is a move, not a visit. We've been coming to COS for the last 3 years: 3 times in the first couple of years (every 7 months or so), then 5 times since last October. We never stayed more than 5 days - in fact, we always stayed exactly 5 days - and we think once we pass this number, it might finally hit us: we live here now. We don't have to leave.
Grocery shopping done, I am tending to the kitchen chores. I prepare meals - nothing new here - but now I am preparing them fresh before consuming, slowly, mindfully. There will be a renovation here starting in 3-4 weeks, and I am so looking forward to it. Kitchen is the only space in this house that desperately needs work: 90's era is just so ugly. We want to bring back the style of 1928, year our home was built, but have appliances and conveniences of 21st century, in European (a.k.a. small-size) style. Everything else in this house is in perfect condition - they used to build to last! Original wood windows, wood floors, doors, door knobs and hinges. Beautiful backyard with 2 blue spruce trees and an apple tree bearing fruits (I tried them last October, for real!). All of it needs tender loving care - and we will provide. Lets begin this wonderful chapter of our lives.
4 weeks without working every day. How odd. How fortunate that I am forced into it, otherwise I would have never gotten to slow down. I must breathe deeply...The air is fresh. Every tree and bush and grass remind me home, where I grew up. Including airplanes zipping by from the airforce base. It's a soothing sound, in a weird kind of way. Other than that, all I hear are birds chirping in the backyard. #lovenewhome
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