Recap

The fountain was even going in Old Town, Fort Collins. The lights were simply beautiful as well.

Well I arrived home late Wednesday night. My mom, brother and I all agreed that my trip went by far too fast. I must agree with them. It seemed like the week past by in a matter of hours. Next trip I will have to allow for 10 days, or 2 weeks. I forget that 2 days of a trip are travel days, so basically I was only really present for 5 whole days. Well, 4 whole ones if you count the day I slept all away. I did truly have fun, it was so nice to see my mom and brother again. As I left my family at the shuttle stop, I was feeling more worried about my travel back and was distracted. I wish I would have been more present when I said goodbye. I did tear up a little as the shuttle headed towards the interstate because I knew my trip was really over, and I now felt I didn’t end the last moments of my trip the way I wanted to.

The airport I was most afraid of, DIA, ended up being super easy to navigate. That didn’t make me any less nervous though. I was basically shaking with nerves as I got my ticket, and went through security. I was hoping they wouldn’t notice and think I was hiding something, ha ha. It was funny I made it through security in Sioux falls in less than 10 minutes. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to get through at DIA. The TSA agents there were much more menacing looking as well. I waited in line patiently, knowing I had plenty of time until my flight. I can’t imagine being late, and having to wait to get through security, and race to your gate.

My gate of course was at the COMPLETE opposite side of the airport. It was in the old, frumpy part of DIA that obviously hasn’t seen any upgrades. I in fact, had to enter the aircraft from outdoor stairs, rather than walking through the tunnel that connects the airplane to the airport. I didn’t even have to do that at a tiny airport like Sioux Falls! Bad weather was plaguing a lot of the US, so some flights were being canceled or delayed, and I heard a rumor of a shortage of planes. They ended up busing two plane fulls of people who where flying nearby to their destinations. I kept checking the screen to see if it still said “Sioux Falls: On Time.” It always did and I think we were one of the lucky ones to get out of DIA. I ended up lucking out both flights and missed bad weather. In Iowa it snowed and stormed the afternoon I left, I had pretty good weather each time in Colorado, and it snowed and was very nasty here in Iowa the day after I got back. My dad tells me he is using me as his travel agent if he ever travels since I know the weather so well!

I met two nice women sitting next to me at the Frontier Airlines gate (the carrier I was using,) and we had a nice chat. I also lucked out on both flights sitting next to nice people, no crying babies or noisy children, low levels of turbulence, and had window seats both times with great views. Ironically enough I happily traded seats with a woman on my way home (she had found an old friend sitting next to what have been my seat,) and I ended up sitting next to a guy who was on the same flight as me when I flew into Denver. We were reminiscing over the whole de-icing, engine problem thing. We both agreed that it would have been better to keep the engine problem part a secret, even though it’s common in cold weather, because that’s not something as a flyer you want to hear.

I even found my car alright, thank the Lord! It took a little bit, but I found it, in the dark even. It wasn’t snow or ice covered, and it started and checked out fine. I stopped for fast food as I drove home, missed my exit (even though there is a huge neon Shell station sign marking the exit, and I’ve taken it dozens of times) because I was fiddling with the radio and didn’t know how far I had come, but finally made it home by 9 pm. As I was driving into my town’s city limits, I couldn’t help but feel sad that I knew it was time to come back to reality. That’s what always sucks about a vacation ending. I also must say I missed my mom and brother already. I missed Colorado too.

I came upstairs to my apartment, which was not too hot or too cold, opened my luggage to make sure everything was intact, which it was, and swiftly went to bed. It felt great to sleep in my own bed again. I had a physical therapy appointment yesterday, and the PT really worked my shoulder and back muscles good, gheeze! My left shoulder is incredibly tense and he was trying to relieve some of that, and also my shoulder muscle in my upper back wasn’t moving as well as it should. He said a week or two more probably of physical therapy. Heat is important, and my lovely mother made me one of those rice heating packs with remnants of some flannel she had made me a pillowcase from. I cozzied up in bed with it, and my two new flannel pillowcases as the snow fell outside, and felt happy I was safe at home.  I see the Dr. again this morning, so we will see what he says about my shoulder and upper back. I am curious to see what he has to say, and also find out if I have any other limitations at work. I’m a little worried I work a full 8 hour shift on Saturday, and I haven’t done that since my shoulder issue. Take it slow and easy I guess.

It’s back to reality today. The Dr., then work 10-5. I am looking forward to getting back to my routine, well, sort of 😉