I’ve put off writing this post because I had TONS of photos to sort through.  Time to dive in and finish it.

Last fall in October, we took a weekend trip to Georgetown, CO for some R&R.  Kenny rented us this cozy little house rather than a hotel room and it was just perfect.  So nice to have a little more space than cramming into one room.

We went specifically to ride the Georgetown Loop Steam train and this was the highlight of our trip.  Completed in 1884, this track was designed to bring gold out of the mountains.  It is the only railroad that creates a spiral to ascend the steep mountain terrain.  It was a beautiful, crisp fall day and was such a spectacular mountain scene to experience.  The train ride was 45 minutes one way, and at the other end, a small fall carnival was set up for kids. We spent some time there playing games and then headed back.  We all had a such a great time!

Georgetown is a very small, mountain town, so we were able to walk everywhere we needed to go through the weekend!  That was such a fun perk and definitely helped us “slow” for the weekend.  We tried a few local restaurants and found an AMAZING park for the kids.  We visited it twice and easily spent a couple hours there at a time.  James and Anna loved it.  I brought my journal and spent some time sitting on a bench and writing.  It was wonderful and relaxing, and just what we needed.

I spent some time processing this slowing down and how to take it home with us…

“I’m sitting on a bench by a gorgeous tree, writing while the kids are playing.  I smell a wood fire burning, the light is low in the sky this afternoon – about to head behind the mountain.  There is a gentle breeze through the trees – leaves falling everywhere.  A squirrel behind me keeps darting up and down the tree, trying not to get too close.

When I travel away from home it is so easy to see beauty, to slow, and to enjoy.  I know that’s because I’ve removed all responsibility and To-Do lists.  My house isn’t screaming at me to come love it.  My job – what I’ve been working on for awhile now – is spotting beauty in the day to day.  Learning how to slow in the midst of busyness.  Most of life can’t be a vacation – as escape to the mountains.  So it’s imperative that we learn how to take this ‘vacation mode’ back home with us.  Will I be overwhelmed when I arrive home and see all there is to do?  Or will I slow now and then to enjoy life to its fullest?  So many blessings right in front of me on a daily basis – will I have eyes to see them when I leave this beautiful place?”

The kids talk about Georgetown with fondness too.  They loved that trip – the house, the train, the park – and want to go back again.  Definitely a favorite of ours.