I am happy. I walked outside yesterday evening, like I do on any day I leave work, and I looked up at the sky and couldn't help but smile. The mountains are beautiful and it's hard to have a mediocre sunset where I live. Even on days when you can't see the sun, the way the clouds wrap around the peaks and drift into the valleys is truly inspiring. Last night, though, the clouds were the color of bright coral and the sky behind them like tropical waters. I wish I were a poet so I could make you see it with me. I called Michael and the only thing I had to say was "isn't that an amazing sky?" It made me slow down a little bit and remember why I'm here. I'm here so that every winter my kids can hop on a board and fly down the mountains on blankets of snow... and maybe one winter soon I can go with them. I'm here so that when I take a walk on a perfect summer day, which is every day in summer for me, I can be surprised by a random deer strolling out of the brush in front of me. I'm here so that I can sit on my couch and read a book and be distracted by the humming birds, chickadees, and magpies out my window instead of being distracted by the tv. I'm here so that every morning when I wake up I appreciate how warm the blankets are... and every night when I go to sleep I appreciate how warm Michael is. I'm here for the slower pace of life, for the appreciation of simple things, for the nice people in my world. I think back on my life in Las Vegas and I feel... happier. So what if we don't eat at Olive Garden on a regular basis? So what if we can't go to the supermarket after 11pm? I don't miss the conveniences that really just add to the stress of every day life in the city. Those sad ghosts gambling their money away in the grocery store at 3am. Driving 15 miles over the course of an hour because of construction or accidents or just an influx of people into a small space.

In real news, the boys picked up their snowboards and gear for their season rentals last night. They're all set to hit the slopes. I get my season pass soon... one of the girls here is a certified instructor and offered to teach me to snowboard. I need to get new pants... but other than that I think I'm ready to go.