Exploring new places

My heart was racing as I was driving towards the airport to pick him up. It has been two years since we last saw each other and so much has happened in that time that I was not sure if this was a good or bad idea.  But here I am now and there is no turning back.

I met him 2 years ago at an airport waiting for our flights to different destinations, where we had a long layover in the same destination. We spent all that time talking and laughing over dinner and drinks.  I wrote about him then. ( (click here) However, even though we had every intention of meeting again, life got in the way and the plan slipped by. However, we did talk, text and exchange emails occasionally.

When I got back to the US after my trip, he suddenly decided it was time to come visit. Considering I had plans to drive to Asheville NC, this seemed like a good time for a road trip.

After an 8-hour drive, we finally reached the quaint B&B in the outskirts of Asheville on a rainy evening. We spent the next few days exploring downtown Asheville, hiking and drinking beer at some local breweries and even made a trip to Carl Sandburg’s house.  However, by day 3, I decided that maybe this was not the place for me. I can’t say what it was that made me make that decision, but I had to trust my gut feeling.

Now that Asheville was off my list, I had to check out the next place, which was Colorado. So despite all good intentions of me thinking that I wont be getting on a plane or stepping into an airport anytime soon, here I am again, sipping on over priced coffee listening to people talk loudly about their trips on their phones.

I stumbled out of my flight in Denver, CO on a late night, groggy from the night flight and the 2 hour time difference to see him again standing outside the waiting area for me.

The next day we drove around Wyoming admiring the open wide roads I had heard so much about. We took a drive towards the mountains and explored some of the state parks, during which we drove on dusty country roads with trees making its attempts to spring back to life and from time to time a stream would flow in between. I was in awe. Had I finally the place that might work for me?  After all I did say I wanted a place with a lot of outdoor activity, open space and not a big city and this seemed to be all of that and more, despite the fact that it even snowed one day.

That boot is meant for climbing

We drove around different cities including Fort Collins in Colorado and I was absolutely captured by my surroundings.

During all the road trips as should be, we listened and sang off-key to country music on the outskirts of the country roads.

I even had the chance to experience elk, moose and rocky mount oysters (if you are unsure what it is, I will let google explain that to you).

Driving to Denver was my favorite part. The sun was beating down on me and glistening on the snow-capped mountains as we drove on the open roads South on I25,  as I sat admiring the big blue sky and the endless open space.  The endless cattle you see seems to outnumber the people. We were lucky to see Elk, Moose roaming the prairie too.

The snow-capped mountains

We made a stop at red rock amphitheater and explored and hiked around there too.

Is this the place for me? I wish I had answer to that question, but for now, this place has captured me.