Colorado - An Affair to Remember!!

Episode 1 - The Place

Now that I am in New York, I have all the more reason to continue chronicling my experiences at Broomfield (The New York diary will have to wait for Colorado chapters to get over).Colorado offered me what Madras( I like it that way!!) did not and the word they use for it is Space. The moment you step out of the confines of your apartment you see the wonders of nature all around you. The snow clad mountains are a sight to behold. Their enormity humbles the onlooker. The blue blue sky could wipe away the blueness from one's mind however depressed it may be.The mile high state has so much to offer.For an adventurer this place is a nothing less than a paradise. Colorado being at the heart of the mid west is generally perceived to be dull. But if I were to express my opinion it is everything but dull. To relish the beauty of Colorado one has to travel through its creeks, its mountains, the Arkansas river and those numerous hiking trails.
Rafting in the Arkansas river through the Royal Gorge is sheer thrill. At the end of a 10 mile journey in the white water you don't feel exhausted but you actually feel rejuvenated. Fighting the rapids gives you an out of the world experience. The most important of all are the Great Rocky Mountains. One could reach the foothills of the famous Rockies in just about 20 minutes drive. Describing the Rockies requires an all new post for such is its beauty. It is not only nature that makes you love the place, it is the people too. The university town of Boulder is one of the very happening places in Colorado. The Peal St in this town is always so full of life and people, but not the type where you feel claustrophobic.
The Great Sand Dunes National Preserve which is at about five hours drive from my home is an amazing sight. Out of nowhere you see a complex sand dune system. Where on earth does one get to see Sand, water and snow all in a single view? The height of the tallest sand dune is close to 750ft. To climb that one needs enormous energy and stamina. I was conked out by the time I reached the summit. The view from that spot is very hard to capture in a photograph. The enormity of the sand dune system overwhelms you. There are so many such hidden visual treasures in the land of the Rockies that remain to be explored.

How often does one get to work in a place where the drive from home to office is a visual treat? For a person who has spent most of her life is metros this was sheer bliss. Away from the hustle and bustle of city traffic, the maddening crowd and pollution, Broomfield was serenity personified. Working in a vacation spot is sheer pleasure and I embraced it with open arms after seeing the silent liveliness of Colorado.

Colorado, esp. Broomfield shall live in my heart forever...

The next episode features the most important reason for my love for Broomfield, the People.