colorado

We got into denver without incident. The airline (Frontier) was cool, in that it had little TVs in every seat, but uncool in that you had to pay $5 to watch. They also get bonus points for handing out Sun Chips as snacks and giving you the whole can of Coke with your little plastic cup of ice. I read and dozed as I always do on planes.

We met my parents in their rented Oldsmobile and drove the hour and a half out to (not Breckenridge, but) Winter Park. I guess technically we’re in a suburb of Winter Park called “Tabernash.” Monday we went out to do some cross-country skiing, which was interesting, as most new things are, but eventually just exhausting and vaguely frustrating. I’m sure people who really like hiking (ick) could get into it. I’m glad we all got to do it together as a family, though, because it had been too long since we’d done something like that.

We decided to move our plane tickets back to a return date of the 30th instead of the 1st. Doing so cost us, net, about $220 each. Yeowch. But I think the extra couple of days will benefit Les’s preperations for school greatly, and I won’t mind it either. Also it means we don’t have to be here when everyone is cleaning up the cabin to leave. Hee.

Tuesday we hit the slopes of Winter Park, for one of the most crowded skiing days of the year. Renting stuff took a while, but it was tolerable. Once we got up on the slopes, things were actually great. Practically no lift lines, not too many people in your way as you skied, my brother picking up the technique just like I did two years ago after 15 years of disuse. At the end of the day I crunched my knee, so we called it quits. Today’s doctor visit and x-rays confirm that there’s nothing really wrong with me.

Tomorrow we head back home. I’ve started to feel that longing at the end of a trip to be back in my own space again. To ignore other people, to not do things, and bury myself in my private world. This vacation seems like it’s been so long. But full.