June: Feeling of Familiarity

June was anchored by the feeling of familiarity, the deep, nostalgic, chest-warming kind of familiarity. 

We kicked off June with an epic trip to Seattle to sail in the Puget Sound with the whole family. The trip started with a few days with a visit to old friends and neighbors we had pre-kids. Time with them was not on the official list, but we’ve been wanting to travel to see them for some time. These former neighbors shared a wall with Bryan and I during a transformational time in our lives - a first home purchase & remodel, a first dog (for us both), my RA diagnosis, the beginnings of covid, and more. The familiarity of spending time with people with whom you shared door codes, countless dinners, candy cabinets, and life’s triumphs and defeats after some time of being apart is indescribably special. 

The back half of our Seattle week was spent on Bainbridge Island with my best friend, her husband, and their kids. Sailing was added to the list by my best friend’s husband. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest - his family history in the area runs so deep that I fully believe he was drying up out here in the arid Colorado climate so he had to move back. He grew up sailing and has since taken my best friend and their kids on countless adventures, including races!

On this trip I learned that I’m a terrible sailor (being born and raised inland and all). I learned that island life is genuinely slower and more casual. I also learned that our children clicked together just as easily as we all did over 20 years ago in college. I learned that they’ve created a beautiful life in a beautiful place that is filled with love and magic. And most importantly, I learned more of what I already knew - that I love these people in the deepest parts of my being. It’s the kind of love you can feel as a tingle in your chest and a well of tears behind the eyes when you think of them - connections at a heart level extend far beyond the miles that separate us. 

Once I got back home, I jumped straight into the next weekend - a gravel bike race and a day of trail horseback riding. 

I had the honor of joining a dear friend in her first-ever gravel bike race. She did great - it was so fun to watch her have fun! She has recently taken up cycling at this level, so it was incredibly heartwarming to share that part of my world with her. Long ago, before buying houses and getting diagnosed with RA, before puppies and kids, Bryan and I had spent many summers in the mountain bike scene: racing, supporting, but also developing friendships and core memories. Every summer since, when the weather starts to turn warm up high, when the pine trees begin to smell after rain, I find myself daydreaming of the racing season. This race, the expo, the sound of the announcer’s voice on the speakers brought it all back. It's an incredible privilege to have the feeling of coming home; to know a place where you’ve felt joy and belonging enough to feel immense comfort when you return.

Then June was on to horses! My current boss assigned me this task, she didn’t even hesitate when I asked her for her submission to the list. Horses are her passion - she dedicates an incredible amount of time and energy to them. Horses and I have a history - on more than one occasion I’ve been bitten. They are big and have minds and hearts of their own and they absolutely can sense my trepidation. However, this particular adventure was quite magical and these horses changed my mind! (To note: I’m not a “horse girl” now, but I do have a new-found reverence for these animals.) My boss, her trainer, and I took the three horses off trail in South Boulder for a few hours, over rocks and through the grasses. The picturesque Flatiron views absolutely blew my mind the whole time. 

The final weekend in June was a test ride with another one of my best friends with our bike packing gear. Neither of us had ever bike packed and we wanted to make sure we worked out all the kinks before hitting an epic Colorado Trail pack in July. We rode from Gold Hill on what felt like the hottest afternoon of the summer over to the dispersed camping outside of Camp Dick. The bikes did great, our campsite next to the middle St. Vrain creek was peaceful, and the joy was palpable. 

And just like that (ha!), June was over. Onward to July.