Hello from snowy Colorado! I’m taking an overdue vacation and decided to see if I could hack the cold & snow of winter in my favorite summertime location- Dillon, Colorado. Here are some beautiful pics, along with a couple of life lessons I learned. Hope you enjoy!

Lesson 1- Be Patient

Getting dressed to go out takes a while,lol! Lots of layers, gloves that make every action (like locking the door) more awkward, and lace up boots. And returning to the condo? Let me just say don’t wait till the last minute to hit the bathroom.

I tend to be a fast moving person, so imagine my dismay when I walked out day 1 of vacation to find 5 inches of fresh snow on my car! Took a breath, grabbed the snow brush and proceeded to learn how to uncover my ride. Day 2 was only 2 inches and today only 1. But I learned to be relaxed and patient about it.

Seriously, stressing about time is not worth the toll on our health. I will remind myself, “Patience, Grasshopper.”

Lesson 2- Pace Yourself

Here at 9000+ feet altitude (think nearly 2 miles up!), one runs out of breath easily until adjusted, which takes a few weeks for most folks. I had to learn to take a break and breathe. Even at lower altitudes, it’s important to pace ourselves. I’m reminded of a famous Iditarod racer who decided to let his dogs rest regularly instead of driving them to exhaustion. Not only did he win, but he set a new record! Run, rest, run is a great philosophy that many other cultures embrace. We in the US could learn that lesson and be healthier for it!

Here are my fun pics, where I paced myself and got to enjoy the upside of cold & snow.

Day 1 was my first ever experience snowshoeing. The area had just gotten 30 inches of fresh snow, but we were able to hike right on top of it!

Day 2 was a hike around Lake Dillon. The sun was out and several people were walking their dogs or just soaking up the sun. We all would stop and say hello, which is so refreshing! I met this cool woman visiting from the Netherlands and we hit it off and hiked around together.

Later that night I went to a Colorado Avalanche hockey game and fell in love with a new sport!

Day 3 was my favorite outing! I got to cross country ski for the first time in 36 years and was reminded of how peaceful and beautiful an experience it is.

I fully intend to take a yearly XC ski trip! I’m sure you can see why. ☺️

Day 4, today, is my last day. About to go hike a bit, then visit the Dillon Ice Castle exhibit tonight. Heading home tomorrow with new energy and perspective. I hope you’ve found this helpful and beautiful!