Rocky Mountain High…..in Colorado….I’m not sure if John
Denver was a pot smoker and was referring to that kind of high or not. I will say that my Rocky Mountain High is a
natural high. Free of drugs. This place is the place I was meant to
be. From a very early age, maybe 8 or 9
when we traveled thru Colorado on our way to or from South Dakota where we
vacationed most summers, I was awe struck by the beauty of the mountains,
fascinated by their snow-capped peaks, heck just the snow since we lived in Mequite,
Texas where snow was not a normal occurrence.
I remember telling my mom that I was going to live in the
mountains someday. And now I am fulfilling
that dream, albeit 50 years later.
I had a brush with mountain living in 1980, when I married
and moved to Red River, New Mexico for a ski season. I loved the cold, went the whole season
without a coat, just a thick sweater. I
loved the smell of burning fireplaces and the cool mountain breezes and the
crunch of the pine needles under my feet.
When we moved back to Oklahoma, I remember feeling an enormous sense of
loss and in my heart I knew that I would eventually make it back to the
mountains.
During the course of the next 30 years, I would visit the
mountains ever so often. A trip to Red
River, a trip to Winter Park, to Breckenridge, to Cripple Creek. It wasn’t until I met Joe that my mountain
longing became a real possibility because he had always wanted to live in
Colorado too. So we set out to live a
life style (Rv and debt free living) that would eventually allow us to retire
and move to Colorado and live in the mountains we both love so much.
And then at some point, we started to think why are we
waiting? Our kids are grown. It’s just us.
What’s holding us back? Joe
worked in Security and that is a universal need and the job market doesn’t vary
much from place to place or the salary for that kind of work. Taking care of my dad had taken a toll on me
both physically and emotionally and I was ready to take care of me for a
while. Dad was in a great place with
great care. My sons were both married
and happy. I could be a phone call and a
plane trip away from wherever we were. So
I applied and got a job in beautiful Louisville Colorado.
Now, there are drawbacks to having moved. For one thing, the only RV Park that was
available turned out to be quite a distance from work and so I have to drive in
traffic for about 2 hours or more a day.
It’s like playing bumper cars.
You have to be alert every second as driver’s cut in and out of traffic.
There are wrecks every day on my way to
work and I wonder how long it will be before my truck is hit no matter how
careful I am. The neighborhood that we
ended up in is a little sketchy. The
park itself is great, with wonderful neighbors.
But the area surrounding is pretty scary at night. Still I feel safe when I’m at home, it’s just
the getting there that worries me at night.
We could move; but the financial price would be steep as the cost of
living is super high here. Higher than
Austin which I thought was ridiculous.
It makes sense to stay where we are for now and pay off the debt we
incurred from the move, the months I was without a job and the other little
things like deposits, and higher cost of living.
Still all that angst from the traffic and commute and the
small amount of debt we incurred to make the move disappear every time I look
to the west to see the snow-capped Rockies.
Every time I am stuck in traffic heading to work and out my window is
the beauty of the sun on the mountains.
Every time I walk outside and feel the cool air of the morning and
evening and I am as awestruck as I was as an 8 year old little girl.
I belong here. This
is my resting place. The songs that pop
into my head and heart of ones of praise.
And my soul wells up with Hallelujahs……..surely the presence
of the Lord is in this place…………go rest high upon that mountain……………..
My depression has disappeared. A happiness that I haven’t felt in a long
time washes over me. A peace that comes
from knowing I am in the right place, with the right person (JOE) and doing a
job that fulfills me. I’m close to Andy
and Liz and have made some new friends.
Joe and I had the opportunity before he started working weekends to go
out and explore some of the places that people plan for a year or more to
vacation to. We can hop in the car and
in an hour be in Colorado Springs where Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods
are. We can drive 3 hours and make it to
the lower part of the state where we will eventually retire in the San Juan
mountains and see our friends Tom and Sally.
We can drive west for a couple of hours and be in Vail. We can drive north a bit and be in Estes Park
or Ft. Collins. What a huge blessing to
be in a place that we can vacation any time we have a few hours to spare.
With the depression lifting my health has rebounded. I have lost weight, have better control of my
blood sugar and feel better than I have in years. The cool air inspires me to get outside
more. The trails and dog parks are a few
blocks away.
My job is awesome. I
am a perfect fit for the tasks it entails and so I have a great sense of
satisfaction knowing I am doing what I like to do and am good at. My co-workers have already discovered my
comedic talent and encourage me every day.
I don’t expect my feeling to change once the winter hits and
the snow abounds. Anyone who knows me well know that I am a cold weather
person. I can’t wait to build a
snowman. I am looking into the mass
transit system for getting to work so that I don’t have to worry about driving
in it. That will be a bonus to the
non-snow days as well. To have an hour
commute with someone else driving will be heaven. I can read, or work on my computer,
or write or as Joe said “hold a daily comedy show on the A train”.
As for the future, well I am excited about being a grandma
for the 1st time in January and ecstatic that SW Airlines round trip
to Austin is a little over $100 round trip so I can see Hannah often. I am planning a trip to Oklahoma , a mere 10
hour drive for the Thanksgiving holiday to see my dad and family and hopefully
some of my Oklahoma friends.
Driving to Andy and Liz’s yesterday, passing Castlerock
Canyon along the highway, looking west and seeing Pikes Peak in the distance, I
flipped on the radio and my favorite song came through. It is Well With my Soul………
It is well, it is well with my soul.
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