Welcome Home, Part 2 (early September)

I always feel a little lost for a few days after a long competition season draws to a close. I get so used to the busy schedule of training, travel, and competing, the slow pace of vacation takes some getting used to. I love going home to Colorado though, especially in the fall. It'd been nine months since I'd been back and it was great to see my folks again. I was also excited to share a Colorado fall with Kara. We'd been planning a backpacking trip for over a year and were looking forward to actually going. Of course we'd need to get properly outfitted and there isn't much I like more than buying new outdoor gear (except for using it, of course) :) In addition to backpacking, I had plenty of camping, hiking, fishing, card playing, and road tripping planned for my time off. Eating too...lots of eating...