Wilderness Trek

It's official, I'm now a resident of the beautiful state of Colorado. My mom drove out with me and flew back last Monday. I unpacked and organized as much as I could in one day, then we were off for a week long wilderness excursion. This week was supposed to stretch up to the limits physically, mentally, and spiritually...and that it did. I can honestly say that I've never been more challenged, especially physically, in my entire life! We slept out in the open under tarps (in case it rained), we carried all of our food, stoves, and gear on our back...we were crossing over rivers and streams on logs, jumping over, under, and around HUGE boulders. It was insane, but I loved every second of it...well, except for a few. :)
We learned how to use a compass and navigate from a topographical map...the terrain was crazy. We weren't following a trial, we were literally blazing our own. As I'm sitting here I'm trying to figure out a way to best depict how intense it was in words, but I don't think it's possible.
We got back to our home, even though it doesn't feel like home yet, on Saturday. So I've been trying to settle in here, but at the same time, explore my new surroundings.
We had some classes this morning, yes, on Labor Day, and thankfully have the rest of the day off. I know that this upcoming year is going to be crazy, no more, "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want" attitude. My life is no longer my own! :) They keep us extremely busy, which will be good. I'll try to do a better job of keeping this thing updated now that I have a home.
I miss all my Chicago peeps!

Sheryle