It’s a long journey to the other side of the world — and our three flights (Denver to San Fran to Tokyo to Bangkok) turned into four when a passenger on our final leg had a medical emergency, necessitating an unexpected stop in Taipai.
Catching a few zzz’s in the very loud Narita lobby 😴
We weren’t sure why the lights never dimmed on our six hour overnight flight until we woke to the early descent and announcement to “please remain calm.” The passenger was an older gentleman just a few rows ahead of us and we watched a crew of eight folks in bright vests attend to him for some time before the evacuation. Hope he is okay.
32 hours later at 3am local time we finally made it to a beautiful stay near the airport Chris booked called Ammata Lanta.
Ever the romantic, he arranged special decorations which brought me the biggest smile after such a long day 😄 our room lay beneath an impressive brick-laid spire and the hotel itself was filled with enough art to decorate three properties over. After a few hours shut eye we enjoyed our first Thai meal and a swim in a stunning pool all to ourselves, with the exception of landing planes soaring above.
These doors give way to a whole room of stacked artwork!
Khao San Road
By the afternoon, we found ourselves on a totally different side of town in an area known for attracting international backpackers. A place with a thrumming traveler ecosystem and free flowing drinks. Lots of new smells and street foods, the same pop music and cockroaches (😰) as back home, so many stunning plants and bird calls to geek out on together.
Our first stay is a short walk to Khao San Road and on our first pass, we were bombarded by club promoters and bumping bass. We’re easing into the local food — no scorpions just yet!
We’ve started our nomadic life! The warm welcome from those kind enough to share couches and homes with us feels a like a continuation of the joy from celebrating our wedding. We arrived in Denver to a warm welcome from a world traveler herself and our catsitter, Maddi, with lots to catch up on over delicious Mediterranean at Jerusalem’s after dropping off the sentimental plants we just couldn’t part with into the care of our longtime friend with the greenest thumb.
Lexi’s 10 year high school reunion was set up for the day after we got in town. We spent the evening catching up with her former classmates that were able to make it. No familiar faces for me but all friendly and welcoming people. Lexi loves to learn what everyone’s been up to and meet new folks, and there were lots of new partners and baby pictures to catch up on. The next morning, we met Lexi’s family for brunch just in time to celebrate the beginning of another school year.
Family Lunch
We spent the next few days with our friends Julie and Chris, who just bought a beautiful home. Julie’s husband has been spending a lot of time thinking of ways to make their new place feel like home. They are settling in with their adorable new pup, Lacie. We enjoyed delicious Italian food at Pomodoro, a local business Julie has supported from the start, and a grilled meal on their patio with live guitar tunes provided by yours truly.
Canon City
Iykyk, you’ve been looking forward to our trip to this small (pop. 17,000; elevation 5,351 ft.) outdoor tourism city for some time now. The stunning views, mild Banana Belt weather, and casual hospitality did not disappoint. While we got Chris’ heart racing on a gondola ride (fear of heights, what can you do) and educated ourselves on state flags crossing the tallest suspension bridge in North America, the highlight of our visit to the historic Royal Gorge park was a show in the theatre with raptors soaring through the space.
Gondola ride across the Royal GorgeRaptor Attack
We spent one night at a boutique motel, The Little Canyon Inn, with stunning nighttime stars and delicious coffee. Folks were friendly at Whitewater Bar and Grill down the street, sharing the character of the town and how they’ve seen it change over the last few decades.
The next day we explored the historic Main Street, meeting dive bar owners and city council members. In the peak heat of the day, we dipped our toes in the chilly Arkansas River right next to the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. It’s a small town with its own summer festivals and charm, but locals weren’t shy to remind us they “get their culture” in Colorado Springs and Denver when they aren’t cheering on the high school sports teams.
We rounded out our minitrip on Lexi’s 28th birthday with a psychic reading at the farmer’s market one town over. She picked up on our season of change and dropped hints for some exciting new developments in our future.
A few days to takeoff
Chris booked a private karaoke room for my birthday party and the squad had a blast! Encouraged by a few rounds of soju (Korean rice wine), Chris’ rendition of Don’t Stop Believin’ was barely beat by Hannah’s Creed performance for highest ranked song of the night. But hey, we already knew the man had talent.
We’re up in the mountains this weekend to visit my family in Nederland for the weekend before we catch our flight Monday. When we leave our cars and luggage behind here, taking the light rail down to Denver with just our backpacks, our big adventure will truly begin!
Aunt Lisa baked special treats to send us off, and celebrate cousin Sydney’s new apartment in Denver
We met up with Dustin and Kristina one last time before we set off on our roadtrip to Denver! Loro has some of the best smokehouse dishes in town. We couldn’t leave Austin without eating here one more time. This was two nights before we were heading out. The tostadas with pork and the brisket were delicious. Wonderful time catching up with Dustin and Kristina sharing wonderful stories and some wild stories too.
Loro Asian Smokehouse and Bar with Dustin and KristinaKinda Tropical
Kinda Tropical
Nothing special here, just our last dinner in Austin at a place called Kinda Tropical. We had been doing a lot of packing over the last few days and needed to get out of the house because there wasn’t much left in the empty rooms. This is a delicious place we had been to once before, comfort food and a cozy atmosphere, we laughed and celebrated our last day in town then hurried back home to give the cat some playtime before the big move.
See Ya Later Austin
Or so we thought… the morning of the move, we were awakened by Austin Energy shutting off our power before 6:30am. Phone flashlights on, we were clearing out rooms and closing up bags before the sunrise. Had a few final items to load up the cars with. No big deal. Just a surprise that the power turned off before we left. Got all loaded up, gave the cat a little bit of medicine to help with the long drive, double checked the cargo load, and unfortunately our trailer had a bad cable so we needed to make a pit stop at Uhaul to take care of the problem. A short detour, and then we were off.
Filled to the brim
In total the drive was 16 hours split up over 2 days. We stopped in Amarillo for the night to sleep and recharge. The overnight stay was a pet friendly airbnb. A perfect resting place for us. Then headed up to Denver the next morning. It was a pretty easy drive overall, I was behind the wheel the whole way since I felt comfortable driving with the Prius in tow.
Cars all loaded upLuna making fun out of the drive
Stay tuned to find out what happened when we arrived in Denver!
Welcome to our Blog. Chris writing. In case you haven’t already heard, Lexi and I got married in April and we are ready for a big change in our life. We have decided to pull up our roots and move from Austin, TX to Colorado. This move in not so simple, you see, as we’ve dreamed of a grand honeymoon but corporate America does not allow this type of vacation. So we have strategically timed our move and departure from the workplace to allow for weeks of travel without worries of rent or PTO.
Our honeymoon is set to begin August 25 — we are traveling to Thailand to celebrate the beautiful life we have on this harmonious planet. To explore our surroundings and souls. To create new memories, find hidden waterfalls. And we want to share this experience with you.
As I write this, I am sitting here at my construction jobsite on a Saturday as I finalize the details of this renovation before school starts. My notice to resign has been submitted and my replacement is getting to up to speed to close this project out. It is hard to leave something you have worked so hard on for an extended period of time but I will carry the skills and lessons I’ve learned with me as I move on to another role.
Chris on a construction site: Many days look hot and sunny like this
A Meditation on Identity
Lexi here – I’ve had the fortune of taking a bit more time off than Chris with federal grants frozen, the main work I’d been doing at Burns & Mac for the past three years. We spend the majority of our time and energy at work so it’s only natural it becomes part of our identity. However, more and more as I would look around the office, my passion for policy was being replaced with growing cynicism about corporate profits and the appeasing nature of consulting.
I had also been letting stress cycles at work rob me of hobbies and a rich social network for a long time. This reprieve from a daily commute and desk chain has given me time not just to reflect but also to experiment. I have tried new skills, countless recipes, and explored the city in ways I did not have energy for before.
Highlights from this personal time include:
Discovering a deep passion for herbalism through community sessions at a local medicine garden
Compiling a resource on how food impacts female hormones in the midst of growing frustration about the underfunding (and active defunding) of women’s health research/care
Checking out stacks of library books weekly, reminiscent of summer break growing up
Getting back into community organizing with a local activism group
This freedom has been the ultimate gift from my husband and I am so lucky to have enjoyed this time, especially in the midst of our wedding, travels, and move. I’ve gained more empathy for those who define their days beyond a traditional job and learned a lot about my natural rhythms.
I firmly believe we each have a unique contribution to improve the (or at least our) world. With deep gratitude, my cup overflows again and I feel reconnected with my inner light. I can’t wait to dive into projects and another position with new energy after our adventure!
See You Soon 5280
On that note, we are packing up our lives in Austin on August 14 and can’t wait to see our Colorado friends & fam before catching our flight to the Land of Smiles. Love y’all!
Sunrise Owls 