i used to fly quite a bit for work and personal travel; but until recently, i’m pretty sure my last flight was the return trip from Argentina.

my good friend SA changed my sad travel status by arranging a trip for us to visit our friends in Colorado.  Team Colorado is made up of two people from Summit County, one from Denver, and one from Nederland.  they have been mentioned previously in this blog, and let me just say i’m one lucky person to have all of these fine folks in my life.

the Colorado visit was great fun, with time spent in both Nederland and Summit County.  my friend JW lives in the cutest cottage in Nederland, and that’s where we started the trip. we enjoyed dinner at the Sundance Lodge, evening visiting, a day trip into town to see the sites, including the cool restored carousel, a walk to a nearby lake, a quick stop at a new retreat center and then we sadly said goodbye to JW and headed off to Summit County.

once in Summit County more visiting, eating and drinking took place.  my trip wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the Dillon Dam Brewery, oh how i love that place.  we made the obligatory cruise through the outlets (i needed some new sneaks), we purchased a group lottery ticket with high hopes of a big win, and i then made my way to Denver International Airport.

time spent with Team Colorado is always too short, but during this visit we did plan the next gathering (December) and talked about some in between visits as well.  since the CO trip, i’ve booked some work travel, and i finally feel like i’m back on my travel game.

i realize Hawaii isn’t international (for me), but really, isn’t it worth a mention? this past weekend i attended a wedding on the Big Island. destination weddings are the best, especially when you get to go somewhere warm and tropical.

my tan is fading as i type, and i was almost in tears this morning as i was putting on jeans and a sweater. my shorts, tank top and flip flops were sadly put away after returning home earlier in the week. with the weather we’re having at home, they may not see the light of day again until August.

i wish that i could say i saw a lot of really cool things while on the Big Island, but i can’t. i spent almost the entire time at the hotel enjoying everything it had to offer. things like poolside drink service, a water slide, macadamia nut morning rolls, a glass bottom boat ride, tasty sweet potato fries and a constant source of entertainment from the bartenders. i did venture out to the hotel next door which was like a little Disneyland with it’s dolphin adventure, boat and tram rides and no lack of great pools with waterfalls.

at my hotel bar were two photo albums that had some amazing photos of the volcano, waterfalls and scuba diving. i’m sure if i had made an effort to see any of those things i wouldn’t have been disappointed.