"Wander wherever your curiosity takes you..."

-an information sign upon entering the “trail-less” Great Sand Dunes National Park

There are some places and experiences that stand out in my memory whether for their beauty, the experience, the company with whom I witnessed them, or a combination of the above. I was going to list a few of my favorites here, but the list just kept getting longer, so I’ll just let you think of your own. The most recent addition to my “awesome experiences/places list” is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Southern Colorado. I cannot quite put into words the beauty that lay before my friend, Missy, and me as we stood in awe admiring the dunes while the sun sank behind them last weekend. The clouds were catching shadows of sunlight from beyond the dunes as they slowly cleared from the passing storm. When we looked to the north we could see the outline of snow capped peaks hidden from view by the clouds; as we looked to the south, there were flat plains with low clouds hovering just above them. And directly in front of us lay the dunes — calm, peaceful, looking like delicately shaped mounds of soft leather. It was in that moment that I found myself compelled to sing praises to the Lord as I witnessed more of His beautiful creation, I could not help it. I continue to be blown away by the vast variety and creativity that this world has to offer, and I’m not even thinking about the impressive creativity produced by man — although there is a good amount of that as well, which I also attribute to the Creator who made us to be creative beings.

When we woke in the morning, the sun was hitting the sand perfectly, resembling mounds of gold waiting to be discovered against a backdrop of clearing rain clouds. We spent a good part of the morning slowly making our way to the top of the highest dune. The view from the top was breathtaking as miles of dunes stretched before us leading up to the mountains in one direction and into the plains in the other. Enough of my descriptions, go and see for yourself. And if you cannot, here are some pictures to give you just a sense of the fantastic scenery. (there is also a short video documenting the fun Missy and I had at: http://youtu.be/FUFqdVhM_jU).

 

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.  

They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them. 

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world. 

                                       ~Psalm 19:1-4

I have three weeks left in Colorado Springs. Three brief weeks to enjoy the company of friends with whom I instantly bonded. Three brief weeks to appreciate the surrounding beauty and opportunities that amaze me daily. Three brief weeks to leave an impression on the families and children I work with. This week I started preparing my patients and their families for the transition to a new therapist. I have gotten a variety of reactions when I break the news. No sighs of relief, which I suppose is a good thing, but I have had a few parents be particularly upset, and I can understand why. I was trying to explain to one parent that “this is what I do, I’m a traveling speech therapist”. As I heard myself say those words I began to wonder how that sounded to her and to other parents and friends. “This is what I do, I build relationships, and then I leave. I break children’s hearts, I disappoint, I abandon.” Horrified, I wondered if that is the impression I am leaving. A friend once sent me a link to the song For Lovin’ Me by Peter, Paul & Mary, saying it reminded her of me. Although the context and the sentiment of the song is far from how I feel about my relationships and my travels, I can see where she is coming from, and it makes me sad to think that this is how some people might think of me. The lyrics include:

That's what you get for lovin' me. I ain't the kind to hang around with any new love that I've found. Movin' is my stock in trade, I'm movin on. I won't think of you when I'm gone. So don't you shed a tear for me, I ain't the love you thought I'd be, I've got a hundred more like you, so don't be blue, I'll have a thousand 'fore I'm through....But then someday when your poor heart is on the mend, I just might pass this way again. That's what you get for lovin' me...

This is the part of being a nomad that I hate. The part where I get to leave feeling like my life has been enriched by the experiences and the relationships that I’ve formed, but when it seems like no one else sees it that way. I leave expecting that I will see my friends again (see bits and pieces), I leave hopeful that I have been used in some way to bring light into someone’s life. I leave, and they stay. I have to be reminded that not everyone thinks like I do, and that disconnect is what I so dislike. I don’t mean to build false hopes, to disappoint, to leave people feeling abandoned, that is not my intention at all, and I hope I can somehow ensure that my friends here understand that before I leave.

 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.     ~ Isaiah 40:28

a lesson in topography

Seven weeks in and six and half weeks out, I'm at my half way point for my time in Colorado Springs. It's amazing how quickly time passes when living in 3 month segments! When I moved to Dallas nearly 4 years ago, I had a list of things I wanted to do while there. It wasn't a formal written list, just a few things that I had every intention of accomplishing while there. One of those things was to volunteer with Catholic charities to work with the immigrants and refugees in the area. I put in my application and went to an information meeting but by the time my background check cleared I was busy with work and grad school and kept putting off returning their call to figure out how I could be involved regularly. Three years went by and I never took the time to make that a priority. The same was true with other good intentions, including going to a mavs game and a rangers game - two more frivolous "to dos" on my Big D checklist that never happened. I did a lot of other very cool and fun and meaningful things, but my point is that I am pretty bad about putting things off — I am a procrastinator in life (as evidenced by the frequency of my blog posts). Living life in shorter segments however is teaching me to make the most of every day, every week and that is especially true with my current placement in Colorado. You know how you think of all the things you want to see and do while you are on vacation or visiting a new place and then when you go, you actually do them, or at least most of them? Well that is kind of how my life is right now. When I first arrived in the Springs, I was overwhelmed by how many things there are to do — I still am! There are endless options for hiking, biking, running and exploring in and around the city, besides all of the unique points of interest and local shops. With only three months to see enjoy this beautiful part of creation and the people that live here, there is a heightened sense of urgency. Nearly every weekend has been spent discovering a new area with a friend, everything from trying a new restaurant to going on a hike to driving across the state. The lifestyle of learning to make the most of every opportunity is one that I could stand to live with long after I leave Colorado.

a typical view of Pikes Peak from my neighborhood

the clouds coming across the city from the mountains

One of my favorite things about living in Colorado Springs is the view of the mountains from just about anywhere in the city. As I drive to work, I look to the west at every cross street to see Pikes Peak just over the trees and roof tops.  When I walk out of work at the end of the day, I turn around to see the mountain towering over the city. There have been several days in recent weeks that the mountains have been hidden from view by a thick blanket of cloud. Yesterday, as I drove home from a grocery run I could not see the mountains, but I could see clouds coming down from the peaks and rolling across the city.  I wondered what surprises the clouds held for us as they moved my direction. Less than a mile from the house, I noticed white flurries blowing into my windshield. Sure enough, it was snowing on May 2nd. It did not stick, it rarely does. And today it was sunny and warm.

The mountains are full of surprises besides sending us unusual weather.  Several weekends ago, I made the 2 hour trip to Buena Vista for a ski weekend. I expected that I would be driving on winding mountain roads the entire trip and nearly an hour into the trip I was lost in my own thoughts, admiring the mountains and expecting nothing more. Just when I least expected it, I went around a curve and was awe-struck by a vast open expanse that lay before me. I’m nearly certain that my jaw dropped as I took in the unpredicted view while continuing down the mountain side and into the high plains. I could see more mountains in the distance, but I had not at all anticipated the straight flat road that lay hiding between two mountain ranges. To people from this part of the world, this may seem entirely normal, but I have never lived in the mountains, and I am learning so much!

the "vast open expanse" that awed me

A few other tidbits that I have learned since moving to Colorado Springs include:

• Drink a lot of water when at higher elevations and allow for more trips to the restroom accordingly.
• Sealed products such as yogurt cups and lotions build up pressure when moved to higher elevation, be careful when opening.
• Hills + high elevation = running is really hard
• Always have a jacket, umbrella and sunscreen accessible, don’t be surprised by drastic weather changes.
• Baking at high altitude does require some modifications.
• People who live in Colorado, for the most part, like it just as much as those who want to move here from the rest of the country — that explains why a very high percentage of the people who live here are not originally from here. 

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil"  Ephesians 5:15-16