Souvenirs from Colorado

I have the sort of manic-zest-for-life that can only come from big life transitions. I’m back from Colorado and settling back into the New Hampshire seacoast. I’m back to school, only this year I’m working full-time as a (student) SLP in a hospital in Portland, Maine. Finally! There are still so many old friends to see and favorite coffee shops to visit.

Everything is still new and exciting and overwhelming. I’m loving all the changes, and I’m definitely not getting enough sleep. (If you’ve seen me in the past few weeks and I seemed a little off, that’s probably why.) There’s no time for sleep- there’s too much life to live!

I know that, at some point this fall, I’m going to crash. Sleep deprivation will catch up to me and I’ll hit a rut in this new routine. But that’s okay. I have a plan.

Towards the end of the summer, I made a list in my journal of things that I wanted to take back from Colorado. Nothing tangible. Just small habits and parts of my life there that I really enjoyed. Here’s what I came up with.

• Finding new music. Or books, movies, podcasts, art. I forgot how much it cheers me up to find a great album or a new author to explore. It changes your whole week. You get to harass your roommate to listen to/read/watch your latest find- and sometimes she gets into it too! That’s even better. 

 

• Walks through town. This summer I didn’t have a car, which isn’t nearly as much of a bummer as it sounds. Walking downtown for a coffee instead of driving became my favorite part of the day.

• Morning coffeeshop breakfasts. Abby and I got coffee and sat by the river almost every day in Estes. We felt like old retirees. The opportunity may not come around often, but when it does, I’ll always jump at the chance to put my feet up and sip my coffee slowly.

• Laying out in my hammock. You ever fall asleep reading in a hammock with mountains everywhere you look? It’s the fucking best.

 

• Taking photos. Of the spectacular views and the ordinary ones.

 

• Taking a second to appreciate the view. There were so many moments in Colorado when I felt the need to stop, put down whatever I was holding, and take it all in. Mountain summits and sunsets and sunrises and sometimes just the view out my window.

Maybe you’re in a rut right now. If work or school or life in general is feeling a little bit stale, I feel you. I hope you break out of it soon. You could try something on this list. And if you stumble upon something cool, definitely tell me about it.

Happy Tuesday, friends.