Home Sweet Home

There is nothing like travelling to make you appreciate home. I spent the better part of this week in Colorado with my friend Sarye, and her family. Colorado is gorgeous, great big sprawling ranches and mountain ranges stretching as far as the eye can see. Sarye and I definitely embody the story "Country Mouse, City Mouse". Can you guess which mouse I am?

This was a whirlwind trip, so full of appointments and decisions and talk of decor and dresses and favors and cake topper or no cake topper?, that we didn't really get a chance to visit and talk. The biggest thing I appreciate about Sarye is that no matter how many years it has been in between seeing and talking to each other, we just pick up right where we left off. I loved being there to help her make all these decisions. This is going to be a beautiful wedding.

Smoke from the Highpark Fire, largest in CO history

Sarye lives outside of Denver, but is getting married in the mountain town of Estes Park. We visited the location she is getting married at on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. Literally the edge. About two feet from the ceremony site is a sign stating "national forest beyond this point". I don't know why, but I find that fascinating.

In the midst of all our appointments we took some time out for a beautiful lunch at The Stanley Hotel. The Stanley was the first hotel in the United States completely run on electricity. It is also rumoured to be haunted and insanely beautiful. While we were at our lunch in the elegant Cascades Restaurant I looked out across the courtyard at the other side of the hotel and noticed movement in an attic window. It wasn't a ghost, but rather a guest in his skivvies trying to yank the window down unaware that there were four ladies in the restaurant cracking up because we could see his tighty-whities. I wouldn't call that highlight exactly (because that would be weird) but it was pretty funny.

I so enjoyed being there with Sarye and her family, but at the same time felt very restless and out of sorts. Colorado is beautiful, but my heart is firmly in California. And it's funny, but the knowledge that the ocean was not a two hour (or even a day's) drive away sort of made me feel nervous and a little twitchy inside.

It was a such a sweet time with my friend, but boy was it wonderful to come home to my little family.