Day 2 was a wonderful rest day. We (okay, I) slept late, and after breakfast went down to the Conifer Safeway to stock up on camping foodies. Brian had regaled me with descriptions of this store after his visit last July, but I still wasn’t quite ready for the reality. It was the most awesome grocery store I’ve ever seen: good layout, clean everywhere, and an awesome design that I can only describe as woodland. As we were walking through, I told him “This place makes me feel like such a rube.” Next time, I’m taking the camera. That afternoon, we also drove into Denver to visit Dairy Queen and temporarily satisfy my undying love for DQ dipped cones. Pat has the same appreciation for DQ. Win!
Between store trips, I spent a lot of time sitting out on the deck, just soaking up the peace and watching bird drama over the feeders hanging from the railing. I can still hear the breeze in the pines and the soft tones of their minor-keyed wind chime drifting through my head. I’m going to cling to that memory over the next few weeks while trying to adjust to being back at work. Checking email this evening to see what’s in store for tomorrow was a big mistake. I am now thoroughly depressed to be going back.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends and will be happy to see them again. It’s just going to take some effort to regain my game face. It was so easy to see us living in Colorado, and felt so much like home. I had asked Marilyn about the snowfalls they see, and she said that the first snow of the season is always so wonderful, though for the most part they all are. Especially when you know you’ve got nowhere you have to be. That statement resonated with me, and I think it’s the cause of my difficulty now. Having nowhere to be is one of my absolute favorite things. Work really horns in on that. Maybe gathering my personalities to chant “We don’t care…we don’t care…we don’t care because it’s payday!” will help. Maybe I was born to be a retiree!
At any rate, spending time in Conifer is high on my list of good feels. Day 2 was when I really began to recharge and feel better than I had in a long, long time. It was a great way to start the trip. Next post: Day 3!