Sailing | TravelMyBliss

It was quite a heave to leave our house and hand over the keys to the tenants, but we did it. The last few days were a whirlwind of mad packing, moving boxes to the garage, and decision making. I don’t make very good decisions late at night, but sometimes you have to suck it up and work with what you have. Our tenants are nice people, so our house is in good hands. At least we have that going for us, and that’s a lot!

Our farewell party with friends was terrific. We enjoyed seeing all “the usual suspects” from our gang and had a wonderful summer evening in our friends’ garden. Here I am with the hostess, my dear friend Machelle. You can also get a glimpse of some goofiness with my husband, Michael! A good time was had by all. Thank you Machelle for such a lovely send-off!

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The first leg of our trip started with a drive to Denver from Durango. This is a drive both of us have done many times, but it’s been a while since we went over that road. The views did not disappoint however, and we even saw a fresh dusting of snow on the very tops of some of the highest peaks. We arrived at another good friend’s house in time to enjoy some cocktails on the porch and breathe a sigh of relief. The decompression had begun! This process was helped along by some mighty fine Painkillers – a concoction of rum, pineapple and orange juice, with coconut milk and a dusting of fresh nutmeg. Delicious! And a reminder of other great times shared at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands, whence the drink cometh. Many thanks to our friend Art for hosting our first night!

The next day we had a full day in Denver to relax as we didn’t fly out until the following day. It was strange to shift gears so abruptly from having so much to do in a short time, to having no agenda! We spent some time at the REI flagship store where I used to work, and I really enjoyed seeing so many old friends and former colleagues. It was a blast to catch up after so many years. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 7 years since I left Denver and moved to Durango!

Late in the afternoon we made our way to yet another great friend’s house to spend the night. We were treated to a fabulous meal and a happy reunion. How lucky we are to have so many wonderful friends and what a great way to start this journey!

In the morning we flew from Denver, Colorado to Boston, Massachusetts on an uneventful flight and arrived to lovely weather. We spent the night at my brother’s house and enjoyed a leisurely evening catching up with my sister-in-law on their back deck. The next day we picked up a rental car and drove down to our family summer house on Buzzards Bay to join my mother, brother, niece and nephew. This is a house I spent many summers in growing up, but now that I live in Colorado, I haven’t been back very often. It is a lovely place in which to relax and unwind completely. There are beaches to walk on, swimming to enjoy, views to admire and all manner of relaxed or energetic pursuits to suit your pleasure.

We have spent this week basking in the fine weather and, as my husband would say, getting our slack on. Some highlights have included evening walks to the beach to enjoy the beautiful late light, watching the Wednesday evening sailboat races from afar, sailing my brother’s small sailboat off the beach, and a visit to the New Bedford Whaling Museum for a special event, which included a tour of the museum and wine and cheese on the deck with a magnificent view of the harbor. Here are a few photos that I hope capture the beauty of this place.