'Grandma's' Departure

Yesterday, mom left to go back home after her three week visit (note the spiffy new cut that she got while she was visiting here in Colorful Colorado).

In part she was here to watch the four-legged kiddos while Sam and I adventured for a few days through the Midwest, and in part she came just to get away for a bit. It's always a little bitter sweet, however, when it's time to leave. Though we were definitely ready to have the house back to ourselves and return to a semi-normal life (whatever that may be), it's always sad when a family member or friend who's visiting has to go home. It makes me miss living closer to everyone and then I start missing home (even though I'm still not sure where home is anymore). Little Gandolf ran up this morning, expecting to find 'grandma' in bed, but she wasn't there. It was kind of sad to see his little face, but, I think he's recovering from all the fawning and coddling that grandma provides with relative ease.

As for me, the last few weeks have brought about some additional thoughts on my future, and while I still would really love to be able to have a creative job, I just can't stand the idea of not having the possibility of repaying school loans when I'm done with this third ride through college life. I've decided to change majors and use all of my fine art studies as a minor, thus providing me an opportunity to hopefully be employable in the future. While the idea of going back into the workforce doesn't thrill me (its 8-5 schedule, the never-ending politics, the bore of the routine), I realize that I will have a lot of debt to repay and I should probably have something that is, at very minimum, a broad-based degree that would allow me to work in a variety of fields. So, the fall is bringing about a change in my focus, and I'm hopeful that all will go well and I'll still be able to wrap up school in close to the same amount of time, or at very minimum, only needing to add on one semester. For the first time in a very long time I feel as though I have some focus (let's face it, I'm never entirely focused on anything), so I believe that it will bring positive results.

I'm also still longing for Wisconsin. I believe in time it will leave my consciousness and life will return to normal. I think that I just need to have more focus on more pressing goals, and leave any sort of moving until an appropriate time. It's easier said than done, however, and I can't help but long for a nice long bicycle ride through Madison, around one of the lakes, etc.

Who wouldn't want to live there? It's so green and there are bicycle paths everywhere it seemed. Plus, Sam looks so cute there on the bike path. I know they have winters that are rougher, so I suppose I should focus on that and not the beauty that we saw in the middle of summer.

We now return to regularly scheduled life. I have the added bonus of a lovely sore throat that arrived just as mom was leaving, but hopefully it won't hang on long and I can continue enjoying the last few weeks of the summer break.

Missing Madison

We returned from our midwest-ish bicycling/camping tour one week ago, and I can't believe how much I'm missing Wisconsin. I know that it's easy to idealize a vacation (you're not working, you have no stress of any sort and nothing to side track you that isn't a fun diversion), but I really fell in love with the city of Madison.


I think that growing up in California, we are taught that California is the be-all, end-all of everything in the States. We believe (and I truly don't think that the natives there think that they're better than anyone consciously) that NY and Cali are the exciting areas, and the rest of the US is filler. It's where our crops come from, it's the place where all the hill-folk, country-folk, and those who dress badly choose to live. I'm not sure I was even aware that I had this mental conditioning as part of me until we were planning this little adventure/trip. When we moved to Colorado seven years ago, I remember longing to be back in California. I missed the beaches, I missed my friends (and sometimes family) and it just felt as though I'd been torn away from a part of me. Over time, I realized that Colorado is actually much like California and that there are so many Californians in this state, that it's almost as though the mentality is very similar (at least in the areas of the state I am frequently visiting or a part of). I'm not sure what it is, but there's a certain sense of entitlement... and I don't even mean money-wise or even really in the acquiring of possessions, but rather more of a thought that the individual is more important than the whole. In some sense, I get this as it's important to look out for yourself, but in another, I find it a bit strange.

We've lived in Colorado for, what I will call for simplicity purposes, nearly a decade, and I have made no personal attachments to this place. At first, it was more of that feeling of missing the familiar of my "home state," but then it was more, well, I'm not entirely sure what it was. Colorado is a beautiful state, and the mountains are second to none. But, I'm not really a mountain girl. I don't mountain bike, I don't ski or snowboard, I don't even really hike in the mountains, so while the Rockies are an absolutely breathtaking sight to behold, they hold little attachment for me. When we first moved to Colorado, we lived in the mountains, and I think it seemed more real to me that we were in this state. Now we living in a city that, while it has mountain views, feels as though we live on the plains of Kansas.

For the record, that pic is actually of the plains of Colorado (wouldn't want to confuse anyone, but honestly, the Kansas plains don't look much different).

When we started out on our trip, I thought I would be confirming my beliefs that the midwest was not a place that people should live, but rather just pick up their corn, and I found out something completely different. People are people, and while there are definitely a lot of farms throughout Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, there are also cities spattered throughout these areas.

I found downtown Des Moines to be perfectly charming and a place I could certainly see myself living.

Just an adorable place to be, and they have this beautiful outdoor sculpture park, full of pieces of art.

It was so hard not to fall in love with such a charming city.

By far, my favorite state was Wisconsin.

From the oddly eccentric and beachy-feeling of the Wisconsin Dells,

to the city of Milwaukee's vast Lake Michigan and beautiful city,

it was difficult not to love the state. But, when we hit Madison, something seemed just perfect.

First of all, everywhere we went there were walkers and bicyclists.

That in itself was pretty exciting and comfortable. And, I couldn't help but notice the city of Madison's bicycle lane signs. I know we have them throughout the US, but theirs were particularly cute to me.

But, beyond the bicycling, walking, and the most adorable bicycle lane signs ever, it just felt comfortable. Things were green and lush, there were lakes everywhere, and it just felt like a place that I'd be comfortable relaxing and enjoying life. Isn't that what we want in a place that we call home? Even Sam looks adorable in Madison (as he does anywhere, but he just looks like he belongs).



I guess it makes me think twice about my lifelong thoughts that living in the midwest would completely suck. While I realize there's nothing I can do about it for now, it seems to keep calling to me, and I have to stop and wonder what life could be like in another part of the country. I realize that the winters would be much different than they are here in Colorado more than likely, as we are fortunate enough to have a lot of snow, that also melts extremely quickly. But I also grow tired of this "high desert" and the less than lush landscape that surrounds us.

I suppose there's always a chance that this California girl could very well end up living in the Midwest, and loving it. It's also not very likely because of commitments and chains keeping us in Colorado, but it's an interesting thought to picture myself being able to be a part of such a lovely community. I guess in all reality, I just like change, and in a few years, I may no longer like it there and want to move on to another location... or, perhaps I just need to be happy living wherever I am and just live in the moment. For me, that's much easier said than done though, as I strive every day to just enjoy what is in front of me, rather than wishing for the future.

The Return From Vacation

The trip to the midwest was great fun, and now we're back and attempting to function while sleeping on the fold out couch for the next week or so. We took a ton of pictures on the trip, so I'll definitely need to share some of those, but I was so excited to get back and have my "real" bicycle available to use. We decided to do a short ride to get lemonade and coffee and I was just so excited to have the Pashley back, I thought I'd share a picture of the pretty Pashley with the handsome Globe.

Yesterday, we had to take her in for her first "check up" or tune up as most would call it. She was shifting a bit strangely, which was apparently due to some cable loosening, and she seems to be up to par again now. We actually rode to the store last night, and I have to say, I didn't enjoy that one as much because of the semi-severe wind that seemed to be working against us in both directions. Now, I seem to have injured the inside of my right ankle (Sam thinks this is due to wearing sandals while riding; I think it is due to the wind and the amount of pressure I was putting on my body to fight through the weather issues).

It is good to be home though, as I definitely missed the dogs (though they did enjoy having "grandma" stay with them), but I miss being in Wisconsin. I'm sure I've entirely idealised Madison and Milwaukee, but I fell in love with what I saw of the state and I feel as though I live in an arid desert now. Perhaps another visit will happen at some point in the future, but I'm definitely glad to have had the opportunity to see a different part of the country. As I said though, I'll definitely share some photos at a later point.

For now, it's back to things here in Colorado, and I suppose that means I have to actual finish painting the inside of the house in the very near future.