The Last Week
When it comes to the seasons, people have strong opinions. Many declare themselves to be ‘summer people’ who love the heat and the sun and despise the cold – winter.
I, myself, am a “four seasons” kind of person. I enjoy them all in their own way and I don’t know whether I’d be happy living in, say, Darwin, where the weather stays pretty much the same year-round.
So spending a winter in Colorado definitely has its ups for me. Yesterday, the temperature dropped to -17 degrees Celsius, which is pretty uncommon in Germany. This was not my first time in such cold weather, having spent a year in Michigan where temperatures would commonly drop below -20, but it still necessitates a certain way of dressing. Luckily I have my gear in place – hiking books that go above the ankle protect me from snow, Yaktrax Pro on them keep me from falling flat on my face on the packed snow and ice in the streets, a Mammut jacket with a Softshell inside keeps me toasty and whatever is not covered by the jacket will be wrapped in a Pashmina and a hat. Only my gloves present a problem: they are utterly useless. I bought them here and they were supposed to be waterproof, windproof and very warm. They are none of those things. But of course I didn’t keep the receipt and can’t return them with a smirk.
My last week in Boulder starts today. This time next week, I’ll be packing up my room, deciding whether to take my towel home or not (it’s the only one I have that has my name stitched onto it and I really like it – but it is too bulky..) and trying to fit everything into my backpack. I did a practice run yesterday.. well.. let’s just say I need to make some hard decisions. Discovering the Boulder Bookstore was definitely a problem. I vowed to only buy books on my iPad this time, but I couldn’t resist. Their Travel section is huge and they have many used books. My remedy is to read as many as I can before I leave and then sell them back to the bookstore. Some will have to be left behind. Ah well.
Leaving will be no easy feat. I’m making last-minute purchases, buying souvenirs (this also adds to my luggage problem), running around trying to eat everything I love.
But all things come to an end. I remember all too well how I felt the last times I was about the leave a country or city that I had come to love. Luckily, memories and experiences never go away!
