Fall Foliage Train Ride

A few weeks ago the trees in the mountains were well on their way to changing their colors.  In anticipation of this Erin and I had booked tickets on a train ride in Leadville to see the trees.  We drove up on Saturday after a week with some of the first heavy storms in Colorado.  The leaves on the trees we saw on our way up to Leadville were beautiful; with mountainsides covered in yellow aspens.  We stopped briefly at Silverthorne for some brunch before making our way in to Leadville for our afternoon train ride.

The train was a standard gauge railroad with many open and closed seating cars.  We found seats in the open section and were soon on our way.  Unfortunately, after the previous week's storm many of the leaves had fallen off.  Still, it was nice to hear about the history of Leadville and enjoy the ride on a beautifully sunny day.  The train went from the town up towards the mine and back again in about three hours.  After the ride we hung out in Leadville a little longer to get some pictures of the aspens before heading back down to Denver.

That night, we met up with our friends, Brian and Cassie, who were in town for two weeks.  Brian is stationed in South Korea and has been living there with Cassie for the past year, so it was really good to see them.  I had also seen Brian earlier in the week for a guys-night-out which was also nice.  When we saw the two of them on Saturday night we went out to the Rodizio Grill which is a Brazilian steakhouse.  I enjoyed the wide variety of meat that the servers were bringing around to our table (including tri-tip which I had previously only been able to get back in Tulare).  After dinner we all went up to the Peaks Lounge in the Hyatt Regency.  It was nice to sit around, enjoy some drinks, and catch up with our friends.

By now there are still a few trees with Fall colors down here in Denver, but they are mostly bare.  We already had a little bit of snow a few weeks ago.  Fortunately Erin and I were able to take a ride out on the motorcycle yesterday as we went for lunch in Golden.  However, I feel it may be the last time this we ride this year.  At least there's snowboarding season to look forward to in a few months.

Wedding in Chicago

In September Erin and I got go out to Chicago last month to take part in her brother's wedding.  We flew out Thursday night meeting up at the airport since we were coming from work.  After a quick bite to eat we were on our uneventful flight to Midway Airport.  Once there we found a cab and made our way to the hotel in Peoria.  We got in pretty late, but the hotel staff were nice and had our room ready.

The next day we got up and had breakfast before meeting up with Erin's parents.  Since no one else was in yet we took a walk around some woods not too far from where we were staying.  After that things got busy.  First Erin's sister and brother-in-law showed up with their baby, Nora.  Then we went out to lunch at a Pita Inn, Erin's favorite restaurant in the area.  We met up with the engaged couple.  They were busy with some last minute details, but we got to catch up a little before heading out to help with the preparations.

Our next stop was at the church for the rehearsal.  The wedding was to be held in the church on the Northwest University campus since Andrew and Sara (the betrothed) both went there.  It was also where Erin had gone to school.  The rehearsal went smoothly with everyone working out when and where to speak and stand.

Before long we were heading out again to help with more details (getting last-minute items at Walmart, making sure the rehearsal dinner place was ready, etc.).

That night we all went out to a nice Italian restaurant for the rehearsal dinner.  It was nice to meet all the family members.  Erin and I talked mainly with the relatives on her and Andrew's side of the family.  As was true with most of the weekend, most of the attention was aimed at baby Nora who is now walking.  Erin appreciated how Nora would walk from the table her Mom was sitting at and walk over to the table we were sitting at to be with Erin and Nora's grandmother, Susie.  Erin and I finished the night talking back at the bar of the hotel before going to bed.

On Saturday there was more frantic preparations as people were coming and going.  We made it out to the church all dressed up for pictures.  It was soon time for the ceremony and with a little help from everyone it went beautifully.  After the ceremony we went out with the bridal party to take some more pictures around the Northwestern campus.  Fortunately the rain from the previous day had passed and we were treated to sunny skies.  However, it was still on the cool side and the two of us were realizing how accustomed we had become to Taiwan's heat.

After pictures we made our way to the reception a short drive away.  Along with the usual reception staples of dinner and drinks we were treated to a candy buffet and a photo booth.  Erin and I went through the photo booth several times with a variety of funny hats and other costume pieces.  As the night danced on we began to get tired and took our leave as we returned to the hotel.

The next day we got to spend a little bit more time with the newlyweds as they joined us for lunch near where they live.  At a Korean fried chicken place we recounted the events of the weekend and talked about their plans for their honeymoon in Hawaii.  They were then very nice to give us a ride back to the airport for our flight back to Colorado.  It was a very nice weekend and we are very happy for the two of them.  We look forward to hearing all about their trip when they get back.

Car From a Broker

For the last two weeks I've been riding my motorcycle to work every day. After searching for the best route I settled on a scenic drive by the foothills that takes about an hour. It's better than the more direct route that has enough traffic to make my commute even longer. Riding for two hours each day though has been tiring. Now as the mornings have grown colder and the winds have picked up I decided it was time to get a car. I had researched cars before starting work, but I ran out of time to actually get one.

Then Erin showed me the car broker she and her parents had used in the past. I called up Phil Martin at H.M. Motors on Tuesday afternoon and told him what I was looking for and my price range. A few hours later he called back with a car that fit what I was looking for: a 2009 Suburu Impreza. I took a day to look over the details and called him back on Wednesday. By Thursday we had arranged a test drive after work and I thought it felt and sounded good. So on Saturday Erin drove me over so I could fill out the paper work, pay the down payment, and drive home with the car.

I was very impressed at the ease and efficiency Phil gave me through the experience. I might have been able to get a better deal if I had negotiated with dealers or private owners, but it would have taken far longer. I would recommend anyone looking for a car to contact Phil.

New Apartment, New Jobs

Moving is rough. There's so much that goes into it. It started the week after we got back to the US when Erin and I started looking for places to live. We weren't exactly sure what we wanted or where we wanted to be. There were so many uncertainties. I didn't have a job yet and we wanted to get a dog at some point in the future. As we saw different places we started to narrow in on what we were looking for. After two weeks of looking around Erin had a class up in Fort Collins which would keep her out of the search for a week. Before she left though she wrote down a place that sounded promising.

After looking at it on my own I decided it would be good. It was in a central location, had a lot of space, and nice amenities. I put down an initial payment and contacted Erin to talk about it. There were several things that turned us off from completing the process though including a sales person that was inexperienced, the loss of an included washer and dryer, and an unexpected deposit. We finally decided that we were ready to stop looking and move in before Erin started work though, so we signed the papers and moved forward.

We arranged for movers to move our stuff out of storage in Castle Rock along with some furniture from my generous aunt and uncle out of their Littleton storage. We had decided on movers since the place we got is a fourth floor apartment without elevators. I'm glad we did, but the day was still difficult as I was meeting up with the movers on my motorcycle while Erin was at the apartment cleaning. Unfortunately that turned out to be a day with heavy rain and even hail as I was riding my motorcycle.


Over the next week we unpacked and arranged our stuff. It was an exhausting process. Fortunately everything fits and looks great. The only thing that wasn't working was our bed which wobbled and swayed incredibly anytime one of us moved. My aunt and uncle came to the rescue again with a bigger bed that they weren't using. The final piece of moving was getting some friends to help my uncle and I move the king size mattress up all the stairs. It was worth it though as Erin and I are getting much better sleep now.

It seemed to be just in time as Erin started work at Highlands Ranch High School the following week. This past week has been her first full week with students. Teaching around 180 students spread between 5 different classes makes this one of the hardest years she's ever had to do. It includes a combined Journalism/Newspaper class which she is teaching for the first time.



As for me, I've accepted an offer to be a Project Manager at Markit on Demand, a web development company focusing on financial companies around the world. I'm excited as the position combines my interests in software development and financial management. I'm not as excited about the 45 minute commute, but I'm stocking up on audiobooks and voice apps for my phone to help the time go by. I start work a week from Monday.


Moving is never fun, but like pulling off a bandaid we seem to have completed it in as short of an amount of time as we could. It's still going to take us some time to get used to our new lives, but a rhythm is starting to develop and I think it will be a good year.

Back in the USA

It has been busy the last two weeks for Erin and I as we've returned to Colorado.  We celebrated a subdued 4th of July without fireworks due to the recent fires.  We were able to pull the motorcycle out of storage and take it up to the mountains for a ride and a hike.  We've also enjoyed spending time with friends and family

Most of our time has been spent looking for a new place to live.  It has been difficult as we want something that's centrally located, has a washer and dryer, and allows dogs.  I think we may have finally found something and we've filled out our applications.

I've also been looking for a job.  The scanning, applying, and interviewing is not fun, but I'm optimistic that I'll find something that will be good.  This week Erin is preparing to teach Journalism/Newspaper next year with a week-long class on the subjects up at Fort Collins.

It's nice to be back, but we are experiencing some reverse culture shock.  The food and food options are awesome, but traffic and gridlock are something we're still getting used to.  Things are a lot easier to accomplish as I noticed when I picked up our household goods from a warehouse.  Being able to speak and understand the local language is something we tend to take for granted.

We'll probably struggle as we continue to adapt to life back in the US, but it makes us appreciate the different styles of life that are possible here and around the world.

Croatia

The last three days of our trip were a blur as we tried to take in as much of Croatia as we could.  Our night in the castle at Motovun had been nice, but not what I had expected.  From the outside it looked like a typical castle, but the inside looked like a typical motel.  I was expecting stone steps and walls.  Well, at least it was comfortable.

We next drove out to the town of Rovinj on the coast.  It was nice to wander through the tiny pedestrian streets gazing at the different artists shop on our way up to the main church.  Once there we walked up the bell tower on incredibly tiny, potentially dangerous stairs.  The view of the area from the top was worth the climb as the clear blue day showed the calm Adriatic sea and surrounding islands.  Later, as the sun was setting we found a nice seafood place with tables out by the harbor.  The church with lights provided a beautiful backdrop to our meal.

The next day we drove down the coast to Pula, an large city on the tip of the Istrian Peninsula.  It is also the site of one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters.  After looking around marble columns, stairs, and underground rooms we made our way to the old part of town.  There were plenty of historical sites and local vendors, but it was also getting hot.  We found a cool place to get lunch before heading back to the car and moving on.



We had a long drive ahead of us as we went away from the coast to the Plitvice Lakes.  Our drive was made longer as I blindly followed the GPS leading us through a road that started okay, but narrowed down to a twisty, one lane trail through the woods.  We finally found the guesthouse we were staying at and then took some more time to find one of very few restaurants in the area for dinner.

For our last day in Croatia we got up and joined the crowds of tourists at the lakes.  The geology and nature of the area helps the water form several small, clear lakes.  The area was very beautiful with several paths and wooden walkways.  Unfortunately there were also alot of people.  It was often difficult to get a picture without others in it and walking along the narrow trails was frustrating at times.  By lunch we had seen all we wanted to see and were back on the road driving to Slovenia.

We're glad we saw Croatia, but we wished that we had taken a slower pace.  By the end we were getting tired of traveling and ready to be home.  It didn't help that the following day we had to return the car, get on a train to the border, take a taxi over to Trieste, take another train to Venice, get on our plane to Paris, and finally catch a shuttle late at night for our hotel.  We were rewarded the next day though as we somehow got upgraded to first class on our flights back to Denver on Icelandair.

Altogether it had been a wonderful trip and I'm glad Erin and I could share the excitement and adventure of Europe together.

Julian Alps and the Karst

After spending three great days around Lake Bled, it was time for Erin and I to move on. Taking advice from Rick Steves we got in our rental car and left for a drive through the Julian Alps.  Named after Julius Caesar who founded the region at the base of the mountains they' form beautiful vistas with their limestone peaks.  After driving up twisting switchbacks we stopped at the top of a pass inhabited by sheep. 

We then took many more switchbacks down the other side stopping to view turquoise waters and old suspension bridges.  The end of our drive led us to Hisa Franko in Kobarid where we would have dinner and stay the night.  The fancy meal with vegetables and herbs from their own garden paired deliciously with locally made organic wine.  It was a great place to celebrate our third anniversary.



The next day was our caves and castles day.  We started by driving down to the Postojna Cave.  While the area was very touristy it was hard to get over how cool it was to ride a train through the cave.  It was like a ride at Disneyland but longer and without the ups and downs.  Then, after riding the train there was still so much cave to walk and explore.  After walking through the cave and learning about it.for about an hour we got back on the train and went back to the surface.  See video from the train ride here and imagine 15-20 minutes of this.

After the cave we took a short drive up the rode to Predjama Castle.  Built into the face of a cliff it is an impressive structure.  We did not go inside though as we had more to see.  After an hour drive South we came to another cave system.  The Skocjan Caves are less touristy then our previous caves, but also incredibly impressive.  While there was no train, there was an underground river and a much more comprehensive guide.  With a slew of bats and other creatures we were not allowed to take photos.  After a long hike we came to the end of the cave and were soon back on the road.

After a brief stop for immigration we drove down in to Croatia and our final castle for the day.  Perched high on a hill was the castle and town of Motovun, Croatia.  We had made arrangements to spend the night in the castle...we just had to get up there.  After a long day of driving and cave walking the steep drive up the narrow cobblestone lane was a final test.  With pedestrians and cars coming down the ancient lane we successfully made it up without hitting anything.  It had been an exciting and very tiring day.