The Greatest State

I'm sitting in a local coffee shop a short walk from my parents' place sipping Americano, my tummy full of amazing Whole Foods salads. The sun is shining, people are out and about in the mixed-use shopping/apartment area. Most importantly, the mountains are right there waiting for me if I poke my head out the door and look West. It's funny what being land-locked and wedged in by mountains does to a person's understanding of what geography ought to be. I drove for 4 days through some of the flattest (though pretty in their own way) states in the union. Even though I haven't had time during this trip to go hiking and enjoy the Rockies properly, I did go four-wheeling through a pretty canyon in Colorado Springs.
Which brings me to what actually makes this the greatest state: the friends I get to see here. I visited my home church, spent a few days with Claire and Dave (including some much needed Swing Dancing at the Merc), am getting together with long-time friends from youth groups, and seeing a college friend for Indian food tonight (Erika J). There aren't nearly as many people here for me to see as their used to be, a phenomenon I also discovered in Spokane last March, but the ones I do get to see are precious to me.
Tomorrow I fly back to NJ to start a new adventure: Child Rearing. Stay tuned for my adventures as a Live-In nanny.