The transitioning of a Nomad...

I'm nearing my five-month mark of working for the State Patrol and I will be testing out of training in a week.  It's the oddest feeling in the world, not having an end-in-sight for a job.  I've spent the last 10 years of my life country hopping and job hopping, I think my longest stint in a job was when I worked at Starbucks in Leicester while I was studying.  I worked for Starbucks for just over two years.  Eighteen months here, fifteen months there...that's all I've known since graduating college.  I keep thinking I only have a few months left in my current job and it makes me sad because I really like my job...Then I realize that I don't only have a few months left.  I've got as long as I want.  And that's really weird to me.  Maybe my fellow nomads-turned-non nomads also know that feeling?

I've also recently realized that living abroad is SO much easier than it is living at home.  You're alone, among others who are alone, so you're forced to make friends...and as much as I struggled making friends in Korea, it was still easier than it is here.  Moving to a small town, where most people who live here grew up here, the friend situation (and dating situation) is quite lacking.  People in small towns are established.  They know everyone.  They're married with babies...their friends are married with babies.  There is little room for an outsider to move in and try to establish themselves in these communities.  It can be disheartening.

And I've been getting itchy feet again.  Which is probably stemming from the pattern of country and job hopping that I've been used to over the last 10 years (and also the lack of culture in America).  In all honesty, if certain areas of my life remain stagnant within the next year and a half (meaning if I don't meet an awesome dude and a plethora of friends to spend my time with), I can see myself scattering once again like a dandelion in the wind.  You can take the girl out of the lifestyle of the nomad, but you can't take the innate nomad out of the girl.

Until then, I'm trying to discover north west Colorado, inevitably alone.  And I'm definitely going to enjoy another season of the Denver Broncos while living in Broncos Country...10 more Sunday's til football!

Here are some photos of recent Colorado adventures from the Sand Wash Basin and Freeman Reservoir in Moffat County...

Wild horses run freely out at the Sand Wash Basin

I'm not really a horse person, but these wild horses were pretty awesome at the Sand Wash Basin

Heading out to Freeman Reservoir 

Spring-green aspens

I found Rocket!  No idea where Groot and Star Lord were, though.

Beautiful view out near Freeman Reservoir 

A few weeks before, this was covered in snow and herds of elk.

Scraggly deer...shedding their winter coats in the spring

Two weeks ago, I was making my way out to hike Hanging Lake.  Unfortunately, my Jeep didn't make it...she died that day, melted in the summer heat.  Hopefully I'll make it out there in a week or two.  So, until then...

Happy Trails to all my fellow nomad travelers out there!