Telluride

Remember last year when I took a road trip around CO and Utah? I went to Moab and Crested Butte? I went as soon as school got out, right before I left for Switzerland.

This year, I wanted to do another road trip but was leaving right after school for other various trips (wedding in NY, AK for work, VA to meet Teddy) so I took my 2015 road trip over Memorial Day weekend.

I went to Ouray and Telluride, Colorado with Bonnae, a friend from school.

We stopped in Black Canyon on the way. 

Incredible. After I see all these crazy land formations, I do lots of googling to try to understand how they were formed. It's an educational trip if you think about it...

We continued our journey to Telluride, where a huge Mountain Film festival was happening. Good thing because it snowed, hailed, rained, thunder stormed, and was 25 degrees. On Memorial Day. 

We didn't let it get us down, and still enjoyed many activities, both indoor and out. 

When the weather was unbearable, we ducked into a documentary about rock climbing, or a coffee talk featuring real survivors of the recent Mt. Everest earthquake and aftershocks. 

We even met Cheryl Strayed, the author of Wild. 

But when we could, we hiked! It was beautiful. 

And sometimes slightly warmer, despite the 2 feet of snow. 

On the way home, we stopped in Ouray, another beautiful mountain town with more crazy land formations and a huge waterfall.

It was there that I was walking and reflecting on how much I am just in my element in nature. I never choose to spend my breaks on a tropical island.  I have zero desire to live in NYC.

My heart is so happy when I am doing this.