In September 2024, after four and a half years of working remotely, I returned to the office full time.  Well, not quite five days a week, because on Mondays and Fridays we were still able to work from home.  But it might as well have been full time, insomuch as it put a full-on hard stop to our nomadic lifestyle.

Nearly a year on, and not to be deterred, Darren booked an Airbnb in Colorado for a month.  I was pretty sure I could swing two weeks holiday.  As for the other two weeks, it’s only really six days worth of in-office-ness.  Surely they’d bend the rules a bit and let me work remotely?  

Err… nope.  

Not a chance.

That’ll be a no then.

So that’s how I ended up commuting from Colorado to California for two weeks…

Starting with the 1,000 mile road trip portion. Me and Darren up front. Two bikes in the back of the cab. Two bikes on the bike rack. You can never have too many bikes.
Kolob Canyons (part of Zion National Park). A nice little hike and diversion along the way. Delayed us long enough so the ice cream shop was open by the time we were passing. Can’t beat a bit of Jolted Cow from The Creamery, Beaver, Utah.
Summit County, Colorado. First stop: Whole Foods for provisions. The world’s highest Whole Foods at that.
View down to the Airbnb from our very own hill. Home for the next month (minus six days – I’m not bitter).
All sorted out the back of the Airbnb. Two e-bikes, tick. (Two other bikes inside.) Grill and pizza oven.
Pet squirrel standing by.
We got the mileage in on Friday evening and Saturday, leaving us all day Sunday to play tourist. Perfect opportunity for a 50+ mile bike ride up Vail Pass.
Bike ride not complete without stopping at the Tiki Bar for a cheeky margarita on the way back.
Not a bad view from the Tiki Bar. Typical mixed mountain weather, stormy and sunny.
Well this should keep us busy on an evening. Spoiler alert – it did.
Come Monday morning and we squeezed in a little pre-work hike on the peninsular. Loving the summer wildflowers, the clear mountain air and the lake view back to the Frisco marina. Making the most of it before a frantic week ahead.
And just like that, the road trip/Colorado weekend was over and Darren was driving me to Denver airport on Monday evening. One of the craziest flights I’ve been on, where in order to stop the passengers going stir crazy with the 2+ hour delay, the air hostess started a singalong and a Mexican wave on the plane. Yes, really.
The unfortunate timing of my birthday meant it fell during my three day Billy-no-mates stint in California. I rustled up a not too shabby celebratory dinner of lamb cutlets with mint sauce and one of my fave bottles of pinot noir.
Thursday night had me back at the airport to begin the return trip to Denver. I absolutely felt in need of a weekend away having realized I just spent a whopping $30 on a gin and tonic at Burbank airport!!! All worth it when I can get a Friday lunchtime bike ride in, with this view.
The ride took me up to Montezuma, where the little green man with a tambourine was on hand to make sure I wasn’t speeding…
… And if that didn’t work, there was back up in the form of his friend with an electric guitar.
Friday evening and the local town of Keystone obligingly put on a free gondola from River Run up to the top of Dercum mountain, at 11,640ft. Amazing views over the Ten Mile Range and down to Dillon Lake. Time out with Aaron, Emily and a few beers. Emily starstruck at the opportunity to be in the 1SE video. Darren and Aaron oblivious.
There’s worse ways to spend your Friday evening than with a beer up a mountain.
A new-to-us walk on Saturday morning round Tenderfoot Mountain. Don’t get me started on the Aspens and the lake views.
Larking around on Aaron’s boat. Because no trip to Frisco is complete without a little jaunt on the boat.
My Colorado work colleague Jarrod and his wife Jess came over to visit. Would be rude not to start with a beer.
Back to ours for fun and merriment. And a walk up ‘our’ hill for the view…
… this view.
And the first (but not the last) appearance of the pizza oven.
Roll on Sunday. Up bright and early for a bike ride up Loveland Pass.
Me on my e-bike, Darren on his road bike. I made it to the top with time to spare to get into my official photographer mode. Here comes Darren.
Come on Darren, nearly at the top!
Proof we made it. The ride back down was so chilly we had to recover with a steaming mug of hot chocolate back in the village.
One last walk at Windy (not windy) Point before it was time for me to haul my sorry arse back to work in California.
Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go…
Three days back in the office before it was time for yet another flight back to Denver. Only this time, I would get to proper wind down, with a whole two weeks holiday. No more work hard, play hard. Just play hard. And… relax!