Since yesterday, I am no longer in the southeastern USA, but I have flown to the southwest to Colorado. Why? Because I love the mountains and fell in love with the Rocky Mountains last year during my time in Canada.
But first, let's say goodbye to Florida: Honestly, it wasn't easy for me... It was a great time with Luzi and Martin. Experiencing beautiful moments together and exploring impressive areas together is simply a lot of fun. It's easier not to be on your own and to be able to share things. Besides, it was a great feeling for me that Luzi stood behind me in emotional crises that inevitably occur while traveling. While the two of them continue to enjoy the great weather in Miami Beach, they took me to the airport. Saying goodbye really hurts, but I am grateful for the great time we had together. Luzi also made me a wonderful travel book, which I will surely benefit from in sad moments :)
Farewell coffee with Luzi & MartinFancy café on our way back from Key West But already during my 4-hour flight, it became clear to me again why I am undertaking this journey: Besides exploring incredibly beautiful landscapes, I want to grow while traveling, get to know and understand myself better, and meet different people with their views on life. As great as travel companionship is: when you are alone, you have to step out of your comfort zone more and grow beyond yourself. And so my anticipation for the Rocky Mountains grew despite the pain of saying goodbye. Thanks to a dear friend who has already lived in Colorado for a while, I received some great tips about this state and was able to increase my anticipation even more.And of course, after a short night in my Airbnb in Denver, today on my first day, I wanted to see the mountains right away. So, it was time for me to leave my comfort zone and get to know local people. I immediately found a nice couchsurfer who drove with me to the Rocky Mountains...perfect, even when you are alone, you keep encountering amazing people.What can I say about the Rockies? Aweeeeeeeeeeeesome and gorgeous! :) Every mountain is so unique...the colors of the mountains change depending on the section of the road, and each mountain is covered with pine trees in a different way. The snow coverage varies from mountain to mountain, and you can even spot wild animals (in our case, bison and mountain goats) at different places.Mountain covered in snowFreezing at an altitude of 4000mAt some places, you could already see open ski resorts, while other mountain passes were still completely free of snow and represented a highlight for hikers. I could rave about the mountains forever: They free your mind so much, are incredibly beautiful, and offer numerous sports opportunities. I really believe that I fit in well in Colorado: The Americans here all seem to be very enthusiastic about outdoor sports. My companion told me that many young people consciously move to this beautiful state because of its proximity to the mountains.Wild bison grazing in the mountains As far as my love for the mountains reaches, there is a huge disadvantage here in Colorado: the weather... Just yesterday, I was in Miami with about 30 degrees Celsius. Today, on the other hand, it was sometimes below 0 degrees Celsius here. You can't imagine how cold I was... Not only did the change in weather bother me immensely, but also the wrong clothing for cold weather... and not because I didn't check the weather. But when I left my Airbnb in the morning to go hiking, it was still about 20 degrees and I could walk around in a t-shirt. However, during the day, it cooled down incredibly and it even started snowing in Denver City. Unbelievable these weather changes. The people from Denver told me that yesterday in Denver it was still 27 degrees Celsius. And then today, it started snowing! Unbelievable for me, but apparently quite normal in Denver. Here, the weather can suddenly change completely every hour. So, for the next outing, I will pack a bikini and a winter jacket ;) Anyway, unfortunately, it was not possible to go hiking in a winter jacket at an altitude of 4000 meters with -5 degrees, so I could only explore the mountains by car. But that's still a good start and I will simply make up for the hiking in the next few days, otherwise, I wouldn't be Kathrin ;)So what do you do in Colorado when you can't be active and climb the mountains?Old gold mining townWe visited a former small gold mining town near Denver. Oh my God, such a cute place. The clocks there really seem to have stopped. The people are incredibly relaxed and friendly, and the area is beautiful, just a few houses in the mountains. Do you know the gold mine train in Phantasialand? The place looked exactly like that. Only the homemade candies that were offered to me were just way too sweet for me. German beer bar in DenverFurthermore, I learned that beer and breweries are absolutely typical for Colorado. There are over 50 breweries in Denver alone. It amazed me that people would start going there at noon to have their beers... Crazy! Of course, my companion wanted to show me that German beer is very popular in Denver. So, I was actually able to drink a Düsseldorf Altbier in Denver.As open and cool as the people from Denver are, they are a bit crazy too ;). After all, you can't go out for a beer without giving some to your dog ;)
