Hey Guys!
There has been a lot going on in the last two weeks so I apologize for being absent. We moved from Florida to Colorado! It was a hellish trip that I can only look back and laugh at – probably because now we’re settling into our new rental and don’t have to get in the car again unless we want to. When we started our journey, I was feeling really excited to start a new adventure with my favorite people. It was especially exciting for me as I’ve never been to Colorado. When we crossed the border from New Mexico into Colorado, I was awestruck. I mean just, mouth wide open in disbelief that I could see these mountains off in the distance. A dream of mine coming true.
Our drive out from Florida to Colorado was…eventful. On our second travel day, one of the kids got a stomach bug and puked all over the car. We cleaned up, got a hotel, and tried to chill for the night but she was up all night, every hour. The following day, she thankfully woke up and seemed to be feeling somewhat normal. We got back on the road but we were exhausted. We decided to stop at a fun hotel so we could get out and stretch our legs but also enjoy our time. We ended up at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Grapevine Texas. It was AWESOME! Restaurants and shops all within a big glass dome. The kids got to take their picture with the Easter Bunny which blew their minds. As we continued on our way, we ended up in Amarillo Texas with a flat tire. Thankfully it was a slow leak and we realized it because our drive from Grapevine through New Mexico was nothing but wide open roads and tiny little ghost towns. Not a place you’d want to break down. Once we got into Colorado, we were 2 hours from our new home. We were tired but it was still daylight and we were ready to push through just so we could get there. Nope, another kid caught the stomach bug and started puking. Same deal, up all night, every hour. The following day he was feeling better and we were able to wake up, eat breakfast and get on the road to our new home. Of course this tiny 2 hour stretch would also be eventful. Another pukies all over the car and car seat. We finally rolled up to our new place and stumbled in, covered in gross puke and ready to start our new adventurous mountain life.
With how bad my anxiety has been over the last couple of months, I was for sure thinking it would be awful on the drive and once we arrived in Colorado. Just for the sheer fact that we left family behind in Florida and we don’t really know anyone out in Colorado. –Except my girl B, who I haven’t seen in like 5 years and I get to see this Saturday! – I have been surprisingly calm and feeling really good about our decision. We have done so much exploring already and have been loving every second. It’s snowed 2 times and we’re supposed to get a winter storm tomorrow night into Wednesday! Before coming to Colorado, it’s been almost 10 freaking years since I’ve seen snow and I didn’t know how I’d feel about it. I’ll be honest, I was worried that I’d miss the sunshine in Florida but to my surprise, the cold air of Colorado seems to be just what I needed. Crisp, cool air without having to sacrifice the sunshine. This area of Colorado actually gets more days of sunlight than the Tampa Bay area of Florida! Who knew! What I do know is that sunlight is a very important part of our daily lives.
I grew up in Pennsylvania so I know what the cold is like. What I couldn’t understand is how the cold in Colorado is just so different from the cold in the Northeast but it really is. It snows and then it melts the next day. There doesn’t seem to be any gray slushy mush lingering on the sides of the road for days on end. And much like Florida, when a storm rolls in, the clouds quickly roll out. So far after seeing a few rain/snow storms in CO, I’ve noticed they exit as quickly as they enter which is nice. It doesn’t seem like there are days, weeks, months of gray dismal skies. That’s the difference. There are people out running and walking hours after the snow stops.
Colorado Springs, where we are, is known for being a pretty exercise forward part of the state. I mean, honestly, how could you not get outside almost everyday with all that this state has to offer? Being outdoorsy and exercise conscious people, it was really encouraging to see people out in inclement weather putting their health first. We’re new here and it’s exciting in that respect, but I do think we may have found our little niche of people.
Today we’re getting back into and creating our new routine. Back to school for the kids, back to eating right and exercising for us all – it’s been a while! Our goal is to prioritize getting out and exploring. We’ve been going to Garden of the Gods which may be my absolute favorite place I have ever been to. It is breathtaking and gorgeous. We were also able to check out the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (talk about exercise! whewwww!) The zoo is literally located on the side of a mountain and each exhibit requires you to go up and up and up…
I know not everyone has the means or even the want to uproot their family for something new. There is freedom in routine. My husband and I realized we started to feel a bit…claustrophobic in our small home in Florida. We weren’t able to get out as much because of the heat and the cities around us were being built up FAST with large condo buildings which also means more traffic. Although the process of listing and selling our house happened pretty quickly, we have thought long and hard about what kind of life we wanted for our family. And while we were perfectly okay in FL, we realized we weren’t thriving the way we knew we could. Life is short. Most of us know this all too well one way or another. It was scary, it was exciting, but ultimately, it was one step closer to the life of our dreams with our kids. We believe there is so much to offer them here that aligns with what we believe to be important values in life. We are so grateful to be able to experience the natural beauty that this state has to offer. I am most looking forward to sharing these experiences with my children and teaching them (and myself) more about the great outdoors. Nature is healing.
Stay adventurous!
-A
Sounds amazing—& the mountains look stunning!! Glad you all survived a hectic trip there & are settling in to your new life in nature now 💚