So, Kelsey and I took a fun road trip two weeks ago to see her family. The 5 1/2 hour trip...one way...turned into like 6 1/2 as Kelsey and I got a bit lost. However, I like to think that just allowed us to see more scenic Utah. I was surprised that I didn't fall asleep on the way there or on the way back. Kelsey and I got in some good bonding time talking about everything from family to school to church to reminiscing. It was a good time. I think my favorite part about the ride there, aside from getting lost, was the amazing thunder and lightning storm we hit once it got dark. We planned on leaving in enough time where we would get there before the dark. Kelsey doesn't drive well once it's dark, so she claims...even though it was light when we got lost and I wasn't much of a help. Anyway, it got dark and all that was ahead was deep blue sky and the shadows of the landscape. It was beautiful to see the sky illuminated every couple of minutes and to listen to the rain and thunder. I also enjoyed the segment of the trip with deer warnings. Kelsey and I got a good laugh at the "deer in the headlights" look we kept imagining seeing. She informed me that deer like to give you that look and then jump out all crazy like in front of the car. This kind of attack sometimes sends the deer through the windshield and it lands on the passengers. Freaky story right? So, I'm freaking out the whole time scanning the side of the road kinda half laughing at the scenario and kinda fearing it would happen to us. Then, of course, I look out and see a deer...and it's giving me that look. They seem so innocent but knowing it could dart out in front of the car at any moment caused me to scream "deer". I've never been so frightened to see a deer. Kelsey said, "lets just imagine actually hitting one, and it won't happen." HA...who does that? That was like saying, just imagine that the worst will happen and you'll feel great. Silly Kelsey. But, we attributed the fact that the deer stayed there to the imagining we did earlier. Kelsey would call her family regularly getting directions. They would remind her of where to turn and she would say, "oh yea, I think I can get it from there"...then once we got there, she'd call again. It was quite amusing. So, finally, we got to Kelsey's aunt's house. She lives on the most beautiful land in Cortez. There is nothing blocking her view of the mountains. She had a beautiful patio where we ate breakfast in the morning...oh so peaceful. Wind chimes gently ringing, the cat and dog begging for food, and humming birds paying frequent visits. It was lovely. She fed us well. The night before she pulled random-ness out of the fridge which consisted of: spicy chicken wings, chili, ritz crackers, and tortillas with honey. Kelsey and I slept in a room with the most squeaky doors of all time. The kind where you try to open it slowly so that the squeak goes away and it only lasts longer...so you try to open the door super fast and it gets louder. So, in the morning we headed off to her grandmothers house. It was so quaint and adorable. She had all these garden decorations that gathered solar energy and flashed different colors at night. So, we gathered there early in the day. I got to see here dad who is receiving treatment for cancer near Cortez, her mom, her brother Jared, and his girlfriend. We decided to head out for some adventures at Telluride, this little mountain village that is now home to the rich and famous. It still has a quaint charm to it in some parts but all of the shopping was rediculous. My favorite part was the gondola ride to get there. I guess it's hard to access the city by car so, most people travel in and out by gondola. How sweet is that? The views from the gondolas were exquisite! We were completely surrounded by beautiful green mountains. I loved every second and thought of my mom. She would eat a place like that right up. Jared treated us to lunch in this nice resturant which kinda had a lodge feel to it. I thought of my brother Ted as I walked past a "Free Bin" area of town. There were shelves that lined a wall labeled for mens and womens clothing, children's toys, and home appliances. Anyone could take anything. I was amazed that such a yuppy town was home to so many hippy types. My family would certainly find something there to suit everyone. I wanted to bring them all there. The best view in town could be seen from the main street into some distant mountains where a waterfall plunged from top to bottom. Amazing. Shortly after exploring the shops and realizing they were all ridiculously priced, we made our way back to Cortez to meet up at grandma's house again. There we sat on her little patio and talked about family adventures. I listened to the stories and really enjoyed watching everyone interact. There was love so real and so present I could almost touch it. I felt like this is what life is about. Family and connecting with people...experiencing together. It was beautiful. The next morning, we headed over to grandma's again for breakfast and headed out to Utah again. Kelsey and I passed the time in much the same way. This time we stopped at "Hole in the Rock" and had a little fun at this little po dunk tourist attraction. That is officially on my list of places to go back and visit again. We found a new pass time this go around: watching clouds...bad idea for the driver. 5 1/2 hours later, we were back in Provo. It was a short but fulfilling trip. I decided I like Colorado and the Eiman family.
