Life… In Colorado.

These past four weeks without social media have been reflective and peaceful if I’m being completely honest. Without the constant stimulation from social media, I was able to focus on hobbies outside of work and really hone in on what I enjoy doing. Each evening, I found myself reaching for my knitting needles and yarn to complete the baby blanket I have been working on for my little niece and it has come together much quicker than I anticipated. I can feel myself getting faster with the needles, finding a calming rhythm after a day of work.

This is the biggest knitting project I have taken on, learning new stitches and techniques along the way. Each imperfection makes it unique, a one of a kind blanket for my perfect niece. I cannot wait to see how it turns out and seeing her face when she opens up the package will make it worth every stitch. Countless YouTube videos are being watched to learn new skills, seeking expert advice on adding fringe to the ends so it fulfills the image I have in my head.

This project has filled a great deal of my time the past several weeks and now that it is coming to an end, I have started looking forward to my next knitting project. Christmas presents for my family will be the next hurdle I look to take on, finding suitable and achievable gifts for each of my loved one’s. We’ll see if they go as smoothly as the blanket has… I will keep you posted along the journey.

Colorado has been the cool breeze on a hot summer’s day for me. I wake up each morning to go on a run with Lucy, enjoying the mountain air and starting my day with a jolt of exercise. While I grounded Lucy from our runs last week, she is back at it and loving every second (She cannot seem to resist the temptation to chase the bunnies and prairie dogs). Not only can I see my running improving, Lucy is in the best shape she has ever been in! I have found a morning routine that I enjoy and I feel refreshed the rest of my day.

Even though Lucy frustrates me during the runs, lunging for every animal she can see, I know she really enjoys going and it tires her out for the rest of the day. She returns home, takes a couple sips of water and settles in on the floor with her favorite stuffed animal. Can you think of anything cuter? Nope, didn’t think so. I embrace the challenge of her resistance training when she chases after a rabbit, but at the moment I truly hate it. She’s getting better and after a couple weeks she has finally started to listen. After being corrected once, she falls back in line with our run. She’s a work in progress, always has been and I think she always will be.

Along with my knitting and new found love of running, Erik and I have been exploring the city and meeting new people. Last weekend, we went to a last minute Colorado Rockies game and got completely singed by the sun within five innings. All in all it was a great day, spent with my favorite person! There is nothing better than an afternoon baseball game on a hot summer’s day. Too bad we forgot the sunscreen at home….

As I sat there trying to shield my skin from the sun, I started glancing around at others surrounding us. Each person looked just as sweaty and sunburnt as we did. Watching people sit down in their seats, shooting back up after realizing the plastic was scorching hot, burning the backs of their legs instantly. Sweat dripping down our backs and the term ‘swass’ had never been so real. At the end of the day, it was so fun but how could it not be when we both love watching baseball?

The last exciting update I have for you, we got invited to a game night by our neighbor! Everyone in Colorado has been so friendly so far, striking conversations each time they see us and inviting us to events when they come up. On Saturday we had quite the busy day for ourselves! We attended an art fest in Denver where we browsed dozens of unique works of art from countless vendors, completely in awe of the talent that surrounded us. As we made our way back home, we settled in and got ready for the game night that was quickly approaching.

We gathered our things and headed next door, the anticipation building and hoping it would be a successful night. Soon after arriving, the laughter started rolling and the nervous breath released from my body. We were having so much fun! Once we started playing Telestrations, all bets were off, we were all cackling every step of the way. If you have never played, I completely recommend it, you will walk away laughing so hard your face will hurt.

We parted ways at the end of the night with a successful first get together under our belts. Sometimes hanging out with new people isn’t always the most successful, but luckily that was not the case. We cannot wait to see how this unfolds but I think it’s safe to say, the first two months in Colorado have been nothing short of fantastic. We could not love it more! I think we have found our place to call home.

"All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination." - Earl Nightingale.