The Year of 2019
2019 had been an eventful year for me in Colorado through the welcoming of a new family member (my nephew), the passing of another family member, close childhood friends beginning their next journey into marriage, guiding out-of-state friends when visiting, and introducing my dog to where I climbed mountains. I greatly enjoyed spending more time with my family, catching up with old friends re-exploring my home state.
Winters in Colorado
All these journeys and mini-journeys provided ample opportunity to develop hidden gems in photos. To start the 2019 year, several friends from Washington DC met up with me and E in Colorado to go skiing, visit the mountains, and wander Denver’s streets. Our tour of Colorado started with skiing in Vail and visiting the Ice Castles near Lake Dillon.
Springs in Colorado
Although I took several mini-trips to Colorado, I did not have much time for travel photography due to family obligations. However, when my nephew was born in March, I stayed in Colorado for three weeks and experienced another wonderfully classic Colorado snowstorm. Seeing the city blanketed in white brought a sense of childhood nostalgia and wonder. I experimented with new lens filters and got myself out to walk the cold streets.
Summers in Colorado
After my nearly month long stint back home, my next trip did not come around until August. I have always wanted to bring my dog, Shirie, Colorado and up to my cabin deep in the mountains. However, my dog is considered too large to be in the airplane’s cabin with me. Since Shirie is from South Korea and had to be placed in cargo for that long flight, I never wanted to do that to her again. So, the only option was to drive to Colorado from Washington DC, a 24-hour of continuous driving. After much convincing, E agreed to do this trip, but of course not in 24 hours and more like in 48+ hours.
Visits to Our Cabin
We decided to take I-70 to Colorado, driving through St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, and to take I-80 back to Washington DC, driving through Omaha, Nebraska and Chicago, Illinois. This long road trip greatly tapped into my nostalgia. Omaha and Kansas City brought back memories of college. Colorado brought back memories of my childhood. Not only did Shirie stay for a bit in the house where I grew up, but we took her up to the mountains to tap into her mountain dog instincts. Shirie made it (not hiked) to the top of 14er (Mt. Evans). She chased after squirrels at my cabin near Gunnison. She also met her human cousin and her dog cousin for the first time! Despite all the fun to be had, Shirie is not a happy roadtripper. Despite all the scary noises in new places, she was still a trooper and put up with my crazy antics well.
Until next time,
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