Drive to Denver

I left Texas on July 29. Two days later, I arrived in Denver. This post is just to document the drive. You'll see in posts to come that Colorado is a magical, colorful, mountain-filled state. In a strangely comforting way, I feel as if I belong here. At least for now.

I crammed all that I didn't throw out of my tiny Texas apartment into my trusty Camry and hit the road early on a Monday morning. I got as far as Amarillo the day I left. I got up early the next morning to visit two of the city's landmarks: Cadillac Ranch, a self-explanatory modern art installation, and the Helium monument. Amarillo, after all, is the Helium capital of the world. The monument doubles as a time capsule and sundial.

A little further up the highway after crossing into New Mexico, I stopped once again at Capulin Volcano National Monument. I'd stopped at the beginning of my summer road trip a year ago. I hiked a lap around the rim of the shapely cinder cone, taking in the majestic views of distant landscapes and lava fields, then continued on my way.

A few hours (and a few thunderstorms) later, I had arrived in Denver. My new home.