We Moved To Breckenridge

Well the title sums it up nicely, after all… but we are officially here and settled in, and I am still in some form of disbelief. We moved to Colorado with the goal of living in the mountains, not within view of said mountains as we were in Highlands Ranch (and Parker even less so...) To be super honest with you all and myself, I had lost some of the zeal I felt when we were on our long drive out here with the U-Haul, the Rockies just starting to poke their heads up as we approached Denver from the east. That nascent arrival after a slog through Kansas was a milestone I do remember fondly. The year that followed, somewhat less so. Between issues with housing, adjustments to in-office work, a considerable head injury, and a host of other trivial matters, I started to believe that we had made a mistake. Perhaps Colorado didn’t want us, even after a decade of  work to muster the courage that we could then so certainly declare that we wanted it. 

In any event, just a few weeks ago we were on vacation with my mother and brother in Breck. This annual trip, starting at Vail in 2020, was the impetus for our eventual decision to move to Colorado last spring. It is always a blast. My mom and brother are great fun on and off the slopes, and we have all come our own distance in being better skiers over the past few years. For me, it was a much needed break from work, and any doubts I had returning to skiing after my concussion (see last post) melted away as quickly from me as the morning chill does when the sun rises due east over the slopes in March. 

Everyone was in great spirits, but looming over me and Eliza ever so gently was the anxiety of us needing to find a place to live. Our lease was coming up, and despite countless hours scouring Zillow weekly (in Eliza's case, daily) all signs pointed to us renewing in the "burbs". My mom then found a listing and shared it with Eliza. I came into the conversation, pessimistically dismissive due to weeks of "nearly it". I glanced over the property, and found myself genuinely surprised. Eliza promptly confirmed all of my typical screening questions with a yes and we were on the phone with the agent within minutes. That’s a lie… We called every number the company had listed on their website within in minutes and were actually separately on the phone with two different agents shortly after that. 

The property was still available and we just needed to schedule a showing. This did not work out unfortunately as short term tenants were currently renting the home. Like any other group of well-adjusted adults, we drove over anyway and gave ourselves the tour from the street. 

The following two weeks were legitimately exhausting. Gabe so kindly flew in from Orlando for a trip that I am not quite sure was long enough to feel the altitude adjustment from sea level, much less adapt to it. Moving day may have been one of the longest days of intensive labor I can remember, and I did work as a career firefighter for years, often extending into 48 hour shifts. The challenge was in downsizing to a little over 1200 sqft, but compounding that was the fact that the new home was furnished. We packed one house, drove to Breck, unpacked to a deck, then packed the second house, then moved everything from said deck into the house, drove back to Denver, and piled the most precarious arrangement of mattresses, bedframes, and miscellaneous accoutrement into a storage unit. We then had only  remaining the not so trivial matter of wrestling two cats and a dog into the jeep before driving through a snow storm at 11:00 PM back to Breck... 

BUT IT WAS WORTH IT 

This home is absolutely beautiful. We live now in an abject paradise. I can see peaks 7 and 8 from our deck and we practically live on 6. We have a private hot tub set to 104 with a true vista of the valley, framed in aspens and pine. I cannot fathom what this place will be like when the snow melts and the wildflowers begin to bloom. I most earnestly anticipate the smell of fresh mountain air and its efficacy to provide true calm. I am not saying any of this to brag, but for the polar opposite reason. To practice humility. To be truly grateful for the privilege we have to be here. On another note, I am proud that we stuck this out. I have remarked several times throughout and prior to this moving process that it felt like we gambled a significant sum on our initial move to the state. We then lost the hand, and here we are, going back to the bank to double down once more. I realize now that that isn't what happened. We didn’t bet a second time and come up luckier than the first. We followed our dream. Not a half-baked, impulsive dream, but one we had been nurturing for the better part of a decade. The feeling of disbelief is just that of delayed gratification, but it is delayed no more. 

Also, thanks again, Gabe! We hope you will be back to visit soon!