Wherever we travel, we always enjoy seeing beautiful and colorful homes. Sometimes the scenery around a building can add to its beauty and sometimes it is just the building itself that sets the scene. For Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Houses and/or Barns, we decided to choose a couple of our favorite photos of colorful homes. First is a barn outside of Cripple Creek, Colorado, from last year when we went hiking during September as the leaves in Colorado were very vibrant.
Barn with Beautiful Autumn Scenery
And just as the colors of the changing leaves made the simple barn a beautiful scene, the colorful homes in Reykjavik, Iceland, made the urban landscape more pleasing to the eye.
It seems like forever since we first learned that we had the opportunity to stay in Germany for an extended period of time, but at last we are on the threshold of a new and exciting chapter in our lives. There are many changes, even more than just living in a foreign country for almost six months, but more about that later because now is all about the opportunity directly in front of us. We spent the last few days in Denver until our flight to Frankfurt today, so we indulged in the familiar and did our best to try some new and different experiences at the same time. Living in Colorado, we are used to plenty of steaks, burgers, American comfort food, as well as Mexican fare, but there are plenty of other options available as well. So, for the last 72 hours, it was all about our old favorite haunts and trying some things that perhaps we have overlooked in the past.
Wild Mushrooms and Fried RavioliPumpkin BeerToasted Cheese with Poblano Peppers and Red Pepper SoupStreet Art
We are fortunate to live in a place where craft beer is king and there are an abundance of choices. With that said, we have watched the giant, corporate, breweries take over the small independent breweries over the past several years. It is a nod to the success of these smaller breweries and how they have changed the landscape of beer where people are no longer content to just take whatever few choices are available, but truly want something creative and a little different. Obviously there is a lot more to living in Colorado than just red meat, burritos, and beer, but there are a few people who might argue with you. Needless to say, we are truly looking forward to trying the different beers and wines of Germany as well as all of the surrounding countries that we are able to visit during our upcoming stay.
Stacked HuevosOktoberfest BeerJalapeno Wontons Smothered in Green ChiliMeat and Cheese Platter
They say that life is complicated, but sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes it is just a matter of good food, good wine/beer, and good friends. We have had the pleasure to enjoy all of those over the past twenty plus years and look forward to what the future has to offer in those aspects.
More Street ArtCheesesteakAnother Oktoberfest BeerGrilled Romaine Salad and Mac and CheeseRoasted Brussel Sprouts
When we were young, we read stories and saw movies about Native Americans going on vision quests. A journey into the wilderness with nothing but a bow and arrow where they were to survive in the harshest of conditions until they would have visions of their ancestors who appeared in the form of an animal. That animal would become their spirit guide and would reveal to them their true selves. Images of venturing into the wild as a child only to return as an adult, while obviously more metaphoric than actual events, do have parallels to real life. We had a friend once tell us that you are not truly an adult until you live out of the state or country where your family resides. In many ways, that is true. Without the support system that family and friends can offer, you don’t always know what you are truly capable of.
On the TrailGolden ViewsFall 2010Up Close
We have found that the more that we have travelled and lived away from our family, away from childhood friends, in places where there is a distinct language barrier, the more that we have felt fulfilled. We won’t claim adulthood, even after over five decades of existence, but with every adventure we feel a little closer to discovering our own personal spirit guides. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Quest. In many ways, our desire to travel, to see the world unfiltered, to meet people from various cultures with beliefs that are not the same as our own, is our own vision quest. Perhaps it is a lifelong journey, not a week in the wilderness, but a journey spent discovering ourselves over and over again.
Getting Lost in NatureBrilliant OrangeBlue Skies
Since this is a photo challenge, we decided to use some photos from one of our hikes in the mountains of Colorado to reinforce the image of a vision quest. One could easily imagine that young Native American boy wandering into the forest to meet his spirit guide as an eagle, or a stag, or perhaps a wolf. Walking below the wide open skies and the stars at night, truly one with his world, one with nature. We may never achieve the complete connection to the world as he would have, but we will strive to do so with each and every travel experience. We hope you enjoy these visions from our hike as much as we did at the time that we experienced it first hand.
