July 23rd – July 29th
I stared at my computer screen for about 10 minutes trying to figure out how to start off this post. How do I accurately describe Colorado? Truth is I can’t. I’ve always heard from other people how great Colorado is. How beautiful it is. How when you visit you’ll never want to leave. All of that is true, but Colorado is also so much more. When I first arrived and saw the mountains around me, I didn’t feel as if I was still in the United States. Considering that I live in Ohio, that’s pretty accurate as my daily scenery consists of alternating corn and soy bean fields.
The trip to Colorado was an experience to say the least. And every one who told me, told me right. I didn’t want to leave. Actually I’m already planning my move out there this very second. I want to write about why this trip to Colorado was so incredibly rewarding. I want to express how I felt, my favorite parts so that in ten years I can relive these memories. These are moments that I want to remember for the rest of my life.
Let’s back track to the end of senior year. I was unhappy. Like really unhappy. I didn’t let it show though, so no one really knew. I was stressed out of my mind about AP tests, friends, graduation, moving on with my life. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t winning any of the bazillion scholarships I applied for. Or why, suddenly, I was faced with a billion decisions with a billion deadlines. Or why I struggled to get out of bed in the morning, knowing that it was going to lead me into more stress. So, by graduation I felt completely drained.
Throughout summer, I gained a lot of myself back. I traveled. Saw my family in England. Went to the beach. Drove up north with my best friends. The happiness I thought I lost was slowly reappearing. Then, Colorado came. It was an unusual trip because a lot happened. I still felt a sadness that stemmed from an inner self-conscious. However, I was slowly rebuilding myself.
If you’re ever lost or uncertain about life, the mountains are the place to go. I felt so alive. I remember standing at the top of Mount Evans, 14,270 feet above sea level, and thinking how is this real. I stood on the side of cliffs and stared out into the complete wilderness and thought “this is what life should be.” Life should be feeling the adrenaline as you stand on top of a mountain and sway from part dizziness part adrenaline. Life should be the tears that form in your eyes as you see how beautiful this planet really is. Life should be seeing, feeling, knowing God through the things he created.
Garden of the Gods. Step foot into this park and it will be hard to convince yourself that there is no greater being. Huge, red rocks jut out from the earth. Rattle snakes hidden within the green grass. Nature’s playground. Google best places in Colorado and this is sure to come out on the list.
The best parts of the trip to Colorado? Rocky Mountain National Park. Echo Lake. St.Mary’s Glacier.
Rocky Mountain National Park was incredible. I felt so immersed in nature that it was unreal. Driving through the mountains, hiking up trails, trying to make friends with the wildlife, this is what I live for. I was so overwhelmed by everything that I hard time taking it all in. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to get lost in the wilderness. I wanted to explore through the mountains. It was amazing and I was so happy.
ECHO LAKE AND MOUNT EVEREST WERE MAGICAL. I can’t even describe it so here’s a bunch of pictures so you can see for yourself.
We also hiked a lot in Colorado. If you know my family at all you know we are not the hiking kind of family. We’ve never gone camping together. I don’t think we’ve ever actively sought out hiking trails. However, in Colorado the only way to see the majority of the beautiful places was to hike to them. So we did. Angel Falls. Rainbow Falls. St. Mary’s Glacier. And it was SO WORTH IT.
Angel Falls/ Horsetooth Reservoir.
Rainbow Falls:
St. Mary’s Glacier:
While in Colorado, we also explored Boulder and Vail. Every city and small town that we went to were incredible. Boulder was amazing because it had mountains surrounding it while also having the big city vibe.
I’m a lot happier now, and it took a while to reach that point. We all have lows in life. We all deal with them differently. My outlook on life is that sometimes an escape to the wilderness is necessary to rebuild yourself. Well, at least it is for me.
emma xx
