After three long days on the road I finally arrived in Breckenridge, CO. 30+ hours of driving is easy to plan, think about, and talk about. Executing the drive leaves little to be desired. Driving while blasting my latest music discoveries is one of my favorite pastimes; after this journey I don’t know if i will ever look forward to doing so again. Even my favorite tunes eventually started to simply provide a vexatious background noise that I paid little attention to, regardless of how hard I tried to enjoy.
I have to admit, it was an eye opening experience to see the heart of America. Endless corn fields, rolling hills, farm machines the size of small houses, and meager farm towns that remind me of the sticks straight out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The truck stops were amazing too. Glorious establishments for truckers to revive the mind and body, fill up their massive gas tanks, and to prove to me that truckers are truly a breed of their own (I’ll leave it at that.)
I realized the significance of my move for the first time while I was checking out of my second hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska. I revealed the fact that I was from Connecticut while chatting about the snowy weather with the hotel clerk. The brief conversation ultimately focused on my journey to the Rockies and my reasons for my move. After automatically firing off the explanation I had rehearsed so many times before, the clerk mentioned how hard it must be to simply leave everything that is normal and important to oneself; how she would never be able to follow through with such a thing, never-mind do it alone. Only 700 miles away from Breck at this point, I started to agree with her and question my move.
The drive through the Rockies was absolutely breathtaking and at times somewhat frightening. The roads alternated between ear-popping climbs to break burning descents that revealed some of the most beautiful mountain scenery I have ever seen. This route undulates in this fashion indefinitely. I got the impression that the Rocky Mountain portion of I-70 would not be especially fun to drive once the snow starts to fall in the Rockies; a good indicator that this assumption was true were the “Road Closed” Gates that threatened to shut off all traffic into the Mountains on a snowy day.
I will be moving into a house that has “Ski/Snowboard” and bus access to town and the gondola to the slopes. I love the fact that I will be able to strap on my board, ride down through powder and trees, grab a few beers and hike back up to my house. The house is the quintessential mountain home: wood stove, cedar floors and roof beams, and a wooded mountain setting. The landlord has been extremely helpful and flexible; he will be providing us with living and dining room furniture and a couple beds; leaving us to find one bed, kitchen wares, and some sort of entertainment center or TV stand… I don’t anticipate this being a problem as there are plenty of listings on Craigslist and the Summit Daily paper for cheap furniture. Move in occurs this coming Friday.
I’ve been spending my time casually looking for a job, trying to orchestrate things with my other roommates, acquainting myself with the downtown area, and adapting to this bloody altitude. Its my understanding that a low lander like myself will be short winded, experience some lethargy, headaches, fatigue, and an overall feeling of “blahhh” for several days to weeks: this is the cost of surfing down some of the sickest powder snow in the USA.
I’m happy to announce that my first day of shredding will be on Monday, October the 26th with Mr. Alan Sadonowicz. We will be making our way to A-Basin to enjoy the few trails that they have open… a post will follow.
Cheers.
Love this quote I read in a forum: “Sometimes the Universe gives you a sign, sometimes it gives you a nudge as well if it thinks you need it. I have learnt to listen to these hints, as you ignore them at your own peril. What in the short term could be construed as a disaster often turned out to be a blessing in the greater picture. It is best to be calm in these situations. Sit and think things over without emotion. Work out what needs to be done. Change is often painful, as we do not like the unknown, even if the known is not a good place to be.”
