To start with true confessions – I’ve never done a blog before. I’m old school enough that it just seemed pointless at best and egocentric at worst, but now that I’ve read some, I can see that it could be viewed as sharing. So that’s what I’ll be going for.
Confession #2. I’m a flatlander. That is, born in Dallas, TX (elevation 430 ft) and having lived in Texas all of my life (until now). I will say that I can still recall the first time I saw the Rockies. I was maybe thirteen and on one of our 4 F vacations (forced, frolicking, family fun – and I wish I could claim that but one of my childhood friends made it up), and I was completely awestruck by the mountains. “Why doesn’t everyone live here?” I thought. Now, having made the move, I have the Colorado transplant attitude – “I’m in. Now close the door.”
Confession #3. I’ve always been a nature lover. Yes, I was raised in the city, but I could find beauty in almost any natural landscape. Are outdoorsy types born or made? That’s a whole other topic, but I guess for me it probably started in the huge backyard that is part of my earliest memories. There was so much to explore and, unlike the mystifying adult world, things made sense and followed a kind of order there. For example, if you went barefoot, you got the joy of feeling the warm Earth and blades of grass under your feet, but you also ran the risk of stepping on something sharp, biting, or yucky. I don’t go barefoot much anymore, but now I practically pinch myself every morning to make sure I’m not dreaming. I live here, I whisper, looking out at the incredible splendor of my surroundings. I know there are those who would be horrified to live forty miles from the nearest Walmart, or where the internet reception is less than the speed of light. And, being from the big city, it has taken some adjustment to having no 24-hour grocery stores or pharmacies or restaurants or open all night anything, really. I haven’t actually seen them roll up the sidewalks, but it might have happened. But you know, it’s fine. I’ve gotten a clear distinction between want and need, and have learned to come down on the right side of that line most of the time. And that’s almost as beautiful as my everyday view.