“In Telluride, the snow falling down. I was waking up in that sleepy little town. In her eyes, my world came so alive.”

Can you hear Tim McGraw’s voice when you read that? I remember hearing that song in the early 2000’s, and since then I’ve wanted to see Telluride for myself. The photos I’ve seen over the years of the colorful little town against the mountain backdrop were stunning! I decided this was the place I wanted to spend my 40^th birthday and had envisioned walking around the town, shopping and ending the day sitting by the fire watching the snow fall. As luck (or fate) would have it, that’s exactly what I got. 

The day before, we were back on the road again at 4:30am to leave Los Angeles before Monday rush hour traffic. Even that early in the morning, there were a ton of cars on the road and we were just beginning another 12-13 hour journey. Our route took us back into Arizona and then up through Four Corners (AZ, UT, NM and CO) before crossing into Colorado and into the Rocky Mountains. As the mountain views got closer, we traded palm trees for snow-covered firs and spectacular views. The roads got windier and the elevation climbed higher until we were at about 9,000 feet pulling into Telluride. And there she was, this adorable and colorful town. Anywhere you looked you saw gorgeous mountain views. The people were so nice, the stores eclectic and all of the food we had was great! I was gifted a sense of calm and peace in that town. It felt like I could breathe again (except not really because 9,000 feet of elevation is no joke!) and that I was experiencing a rebirth of sorts. Entering a new decade, with a new perspective and a happy, grateful heart. I guess the song was right, I came alive in Telluride.

[Sadly, we forgot our real camera the day we walked around Telluride, so these are all cell phone photos.]

The day after my birthday we had scheduled an adventure photoshoot with the incredibly talented Kena Iversen Photography. It was a crystal clear, blue-skied day. The snow-covered mountain caps were out in all their glory! Absolutely picture perfect! We hiked, we laughed and we fell through the snow (multiple times!)… and it was an absolute blast! Here are a couple sneak peeks from our adventure shoot.

We started our journey home the next day – 3 days on the road to make it home in time for another week at work. Even though we had just spent 16 days living out of hotels and suitcases, neither one of us was ready for it to end. While that was the least glamorous part of our trip and the least scenic part of our drive…I still enjoyed the quiet days and kept the joy of our adventure with me. Even today as I sit here writing this post, I still feel the peace and gratitude in my heart. This was definitely an epic trip – we found joy, adventure, good people and love along the way. And a  girl couldn’t ask for more. Thanks for following along, friends! Until next time… xo