Goodbye 2008 - Hello 2009

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I am extremely delinquent in writing this final blog entry but decided the year-end would be a perfect time to sum up my travels and update you on where I am and what my plans are. My last entry was just upon my return to the United States in March. As most of you know, I had put all of my belongings in storage prior to my 6-month RTW trip. Upon returning, I had to make a decision as to where I wanted to live and that wasn't an obvious decision for me. Many of my friends in Stamford had moved on, or just moved. Fortunately for me, many of them moved to great locations that allowed me to visit them during my travels (Singapore, Melbourne, Cincinnati (ok..not exciting, but nice 😊). I spent almost 2 weeks back in the Northeast catching up with the friends that are still there and managed to sneak in a trip up to New Hampshire to visit my good friends Steven & Gina in Nashua. Given I still wasn't quite ready to make a decision on where to live or actually what I wanted to do, I opted for a mini road-trip across the USA. I mapped out an itinerary that would allow me to visit with some friends I hadn't seen in quite awhile. My stops included Elizabethtown/Hershey, PA to visit some cousins, a long weekend in Cincinnati that allowed me to see several friends that were former CT neighbors (Jeri, Rob & Shirley...great to see you guys! Chris too!). From there I headed southwest to Wichita, KS to visit with my former SMU classmate and friend, Shari Male, and meet her gorgeous new daughter. My next stop was Boulder, Colorado to visit Marie Willson...a former Dallas neighbor and a friend that had traveled w/me in NZ in 2006. The New York Times had just printed an article about Boulder a week or so before I arrived, so I was intrigued to check it out. (If you are curious, you can read the article at NYT article ) I also planned to meet up with a new friend from Melbourne (Emily) who was going to be in Colorado for business...so we arranged for her to fly in early and accompany me on a week long trip from Boulder down to the Grand Canyon and back.

I have to admit, driving into Boulder it was a very appealing place. The mountains were still snow capped in April and it just appeared to be a manageable sized city. It was great to see Marie again and she was a very gracious hostess showing me around, taking me on hikes and introducing me to all her friends. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The title of the NYT magazine article was "Twenty-Five Square Miles Surrounded by Reality". I was starting to see why. You'll need to read the article to truly understand the stereotypes, but it is a college town at the base of some beautiful mountains with great hiking, cycling and generally lots of sunshine.

Emily arrived from Melbourne and after a night in Boulder we headed southwest for a stop at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah for the night. I had been before, but obviously this was a new experience for Emily and it was awesome to see how much she liked Arches and the natural beauty our National Parks have to offer. Admittedly, after my world travels I was feeling guilty for not having gone to the Grand Canyon yet, which was part of the reason for this trip. The next day we headed to the Grand Canyon to meet up with with my New Hampshire friends Steven & Gina, as well as their friends Jeff & Terri. Emily failed to warn me that she was fearful of heights, which could potentially be a problem if you are hiking into the Grand Canyon. 😊 The views were awe inspiring and for those of you who've been there, you know what I'm talking about. I have SO many pictures of the Canyon and they are all very similar...but I couldn't stop myself. It was just so amazing. Emily didn't finish all the hikes, but nonetheless I think she enjoyed the trip and the magnificence of the canyon.

We decided not to drive back to Boulder the way we had come because we wanted to see more of the area, namely Colorado. We took the long way and came back through Durango, where we stopped for a night. It's always those random, unexpected moments that seem to stand out....that night was one of them. Unable to find a place to get a good dinner near our hotel (off-season in Durango, we were close to Purgatory ski area) we ventured to a local bar suggested by the not-so-competent hotel employee. We walked in and immediately knew it was a mistake. During off-season this bar was obviously a locals hangout and other than the bartender, we may been the only mildly sober people in the place. We ordered some food but the bartender said we'd have to wait about 30 minutes....so we had a drink and tried to blend in. Before long, the locals decided we were fair game and attempted to engage us in conversation. This was NOT the experience I was hoping for Emily to take back with her to OZ. Although, Emily made the mistake of asking about the helmets behind the bar (American football...not so obvious to Australians). That prompted one of the BIG guys to get the helmet and put on a show for us....which then prompted another guy to vie for attention by grabbing a prosthetic leg that happened to be in the bar and drink out of it. On top of that, there was a much older man apparently making obscene comments to Emily in hopes of wooing her home with him. She took it all in stride and we laughed about it...but bolted out the door within moments of getting our dinner. (Em...if you're reading this and have tried to block this experience out, sorry for reminding you about it! 😉

The drive through Colorado was gorgeous as we went through Silverton and many other charming towns on our way back . I'd had a great trip to the Grand Canyon and a lovely time w/Emily and along the way had made the decision that I wanted to live in Colorado. Soooo, cutting to the chase...I bought a townhome in Boulder at the end of May and headed back to Stamford just long enough to get my stuff and coordinate the move to CO. I do miss being so close to NYC and some of my friends that are there, but at the end of the day I have a much higher quality of life here in Boulder and have made some good friends. I've done a ton of hiking, went on my first real mountain backpacking trip, went snowshoeing for the first time and have sort of started to road bike (not good yet, next season!). If I don't get fit living here, I'll never be fit! I own my home again for the 1st time since 2001, which is a really nice feeling.

While my personal life was easy to transition, my professional life is proving to be a bit more challenging. I had some work from my previous clients immediately upon return, but that since has faded and with the challenging economy and financial markets my business is struggling. Given that I can not go an entire year without seeing my niece and nephew in New Zealand, I've planned another trip down under in February. While I'm "down there", I figured I might as well make a few stops in Australia and visit with some friends in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Once I get back I will have to make a determination about my career and if my self-employment is no longer feasible in the Denver area, then I will begin looking for a full-time opportunity.

That about sums up the balance of the year for me. Upon reflection, there are many things I've come away with as a result of my travels and my move. The things I learned about myself in Africa helped me to relax and enjoy the balance of my trip, but at the same time I wish I had known those things prior to my time in Moshi. I'm very goal oriented and went to Moshi with a mission to help, but didn't at first see that just accepting the situation and making the best of it was sufficient. I was constantly trying to find a BETTER way. My goal to do things more efficiently or "my way" just created more stress for myself and less opportunities to just enjoy the surroundings and the people. I hope I don't forget that lesson as time passes because my natural tendencies are very Type A, but I am trying to go with the flow a bit more.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to spend so much time traveling and making new friends around the world. I appreciate all of you for following my journey and my adventures and hope you have enjoyed reading my ramblings. My adventures will continue as I have an insatiable travel bug, but also an exciting and beautiful area near my home to explore. This will, however, be my last Travelblog entry. As I say goodbye to 2008 I reflect on so many good times and also some challenging ones, but that is what life is about. It's not always easy and that is what makes us appreciate the good times the most. I look forward to having a new president to lead our country, to seeing my family, to spending time with new and old friends and just seeing what life has to offer in 2009. I wish you and your families all the best for a very happy, prosperous, and lets not forget adventurous, New Year.

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Photos

Me & My Parents in El Paso, TX
This was at an Easter Day parade...they are quite patriotic. :)

Cincinnati Crew
Dinner out with Jeri & Chris Kuck and Rob & Shirley Ashburner.

Shari & Elise in Wichita
We visited a Botanical Gardens...the flowers were beautiful.

Delicate Arch
You can barely see her, but Emily is under the arch (to the left). Gives you an idea of the scale of this gorgeous arch.

Grand Canyon
View from the helicopter we all went on (except Emily of course :)

You thought I was kidding!
This guy really did drink a beer out of a prosthetic leg.

Emily looking amused...
...by a drunk American wearing a football helmet in a bar.

My new home
My townhome - it has LOTS of windows and good views of the mountains AND room for visitors. :)

70's Party
I decided to throw a 70's party in my new home (it was built in the 70's and that is quite evident in the basement). Tania, whom I met in South Africa, was in town from Calgary for the event.

Marie & I
Out in Boulder to celebrate Marie's birthday.

Comments

[Marie]

I'm glad you are here!
Hey Julia, As you are in New Zealand now, Boulder just isn't the same without you!! ;-) I'm so glad you moved to Boulder and can't believe your year being out here, is just around the corner. Thank you so much for all the help and support with the Blue River Century and being such a good friend in general. Cheers to You! Marie