If you have been following along on our grand road trip here, you may be wondering where we are since I left us in Portland. Not only did we make it through Yellowstone and Colorado but we have been home a couple of weeks now and are working on getting back into our routines.
I have to say, the trip was amazing. Living like a nomad for a month and going where we wanted was amazing. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to do this and I have decided it won’t be my last journey like this. There is so much to see out there people!
So to wrap up the final week….
First, I loved Portland. It made the list as one of my favorite cities I have visited to date. I loved the music scene, the vintage stores, the crafty/artsy people, the breweries and Powell’s book store! I could live here easily and so wanted to bring some of it home with me.
Second, Yellowstone was crazy cool. I love how wild and beautiful it is. I like that is bubbly and hot and unpredictable. While driving through the park late at night, we stopped, turned off the car and looked up at the stars and it felt like we were alone in the world. It was dark and wild and you could even see the milky way. Thinking about it now gives me chills. Amazing. Oh and the colors……. Mother Nature, you saucy wench!
Finally, our last stop was Fort Collins, CO. This area isn’t new to us. John spent three months here a few years ago working at the Shambhala Mountain Center and I had visited and drove back with him when he came home. It was a great way to wrap up the vacation. We took our time exploring downtown Fort Collins and eating in the great restaurants, shopping in the interesting little shops and making a pit stop at the New Belgium Brewery to taste some of their great brew and bring back a growler for ourselves. We also spent the afternoon before we left checking out the grounds at the Shambhala Mountain Center, sitting and meditating in the Great Stupa, and eating a wonderful lunch on the grounds there. It is a great place to relax, reflect and recharge and that is just what we needed before our final push home.
So now we are back in the “real” world but boy did I bring some ideas and excitement from the trip home with me. There is nothing like taking yourself out of your regular routine and environment and throwing yourself into others to make you see things differently. I have a new appreciation for my home, Lexington and Kentucky in general. It is nice to be looking at it with fresh eyes.
