This summer I headed out to Colorado after the school year. Being a teacher was more difficult than I expected. There was a feeling of elation and relief when it was over.

My friend Alexis had asked me to go visit her. Alexis defies description. The best I can do is say she is a mix of wild fire, Buddhist nun, fearlessness, love, generosity, intense focus and playfulness (and she loves to touch her food before eating it). At first I was unsure, as what I wanted more than anything was to do nothing, but I decided it would be good to connect with old friends and see the new face of the Shambhala Mountain Center.

Arriving in Colorado was like a dream. Things were novel and beautiful. I stayed in Boulder my first night. I got to see Naropa University for the first time. What a charming campus! I loved that they had drag race gatherings and EDM festival flyers on their community boards. They also had a cob bench in one of their gardens!

Boulder is lovely. I remember not thinking that when I lived in Colorado a few years back, but I think the contrast of coming from Texas and still riding the elation high of not working, skewed my perspective. I got to see my inscrutable meditation instructor, Agness. She has been such a beacon of wisdom in my life.

I spent a fair amount of time in Longmont staying with Alexis. Longmont kind of reminds of Fort Collins, but with less diversity and no college scene. Its like where people in the area move when they’re middle aged, having children, and don’t want to pay the outrageous real estate to live in Boulder. I just so happened to run into some old colleagues, Marsha and Jon, while wandering into a local summer music event downtown.

One day, Alexis and I headed over to a Shambhala gathering over on the outskirts of Boulder. The event was hosted by some mushroom farmers, Nicole and Benjamin Wolf, owners of West Wolf Medicinals mushroom powders. Later that evening, we headed over to see our friend Hazel and then to Tracks club. It was a captivating crowd and a lively evening!

I headed out to volunteer at the Drala mountain center (formerly Shambhala mountain center) for two weeks. It was so stimulating to be back on the land! There was a double rainbow on the arrival day of two long retreats.

The land had been through a difficult few years, but seemed like it was a time for new beginnings. There was a new CEO recently selected. I got to meet up with old colleagues and meet new faces. This is a special place.

I spent my birthday here! That was exciting. We had an epic fire by a river at Elkhorn state park right next door.

After DMC, I headed back to stay with Alexis for another week. I met up with old friends, Heather, Dan, Eric, and Kambrie and explored more of Boulder. I love that many homes in Boulder are wildscaping their lawns. Before I left the area, Alexis and I headed over to Estes Park to hike over to Sky Pond. The views were stunning. The water at Sky Pond was so cold, my legs went numb. We had to run almost 5 miles back downhill to make sure we didn’t miss the last shuttle back to our car. It was kind of an intense day.

Next, I headed over to Silt, west of Glenwood Springs to visit Rachel. The ride over through the Clear Creek Canyon was amazing! I loved Rachel’s house. It was so quaint and peaceful, in the middle of nowhere. We went rock climbing with her partner Takeo. That was exciting! Later, I helped her set up at the farmer’s market. Rachel is a death doula.

After Silt, I headed to Buena Vista to visit Pam. Pam is fun. We jumped in the Arkansas River daily, worked at our friend’s (Kevin) farm, and walked around the pedestrianized cute downtown. Pam “saved” a girl who could’ve been swept away by the river’s current.

After Buena Vista, I met up with my friends Inge and Josh at Crestone. Crestone is a special place. Its like a hidden spiritual haven. Josh had just bought some land there sandwiched between an ashram and a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center. Inge and I explored the forest and the town center. The town center is just a square but the greater Crestone area extends for miles across a range of mountains.

My final stop was Salida. Salida is just lovely. Another quaint mountain town with a river that runs through the center of it. It’s a bit bigger than Buenva Vista. I stayed at a mountaineer hostel (Simple lodge) while there and learned about this special subculture of extraordinary people.

This five week trip was so rich. It was nice to look on this place with fresh eyes again. At the end I felt rejuvenated and love. I felt the nourishment of cooperation, nature, generosity, and friendship. I feel so grateful to everyone I met on the trip. I’m inspired to begin my next chapter!