I moved to Colorado in July of 2012 and moved away in December of 2013. I quickly fell in love with this state. From the hiking, to the people I met, to snowboarding, to my church … There was just so much to love about that state! Read on to recap my favorite “Colorado Moments” with me.
Ah, man … I don’t even know where to begin as I write because there are so many things I want to tell all of you about this spectacular state. For any of you who have traveled to or through Colorado you may understand how hard it is to describe the beauty of this state.
First off, the Rocky Mountains run right through it. In my opinion these are some of the Lord’s most beautiful creations. I can’t even begin to tell you how beautiful and majestic they are. And when you really get to know the mountains and spend time with the Lord hidden away in His beauty you are able to experience him differently. Colorado has taught me that the world in which we live in is BEAUTIFUL. At the surface and to the naked eye it may not seem that way, but when we explore, when we take adventures, when we take risks, go out there and get our hands a little dirty the world has all types of beauty to offer. The Lord has allowed me to experience this in a very real way here in Colorado. Being able to explore, climb and hike through the Rocky Mountains has shown me a part of the Lord’s heart I have learned to appreciate much more than before. While living in Colorado I was fortunate enough to be able to hike and snowboard through the Rocky Mountains on numerous occasions. Take a look at my pictures below to get a glimpse at some of my favorite days on the mountain.
When I moved to Colorado I had no idea where I would go to church, and after about four weeks of not connecting with a church in Denver on the level I so badly yearned for I started getting a little hopeless. Then I attended Red Rocks Church in Golden, Colorado and that feeling changed. I was able to connect with the Lord through worship and prayer during the time I spent there. I found an awesome young adult ministry called FUEL and I was able to meet people who drastically impacted my life for the better. I attended two retreats with FUEL where I experienced lifechange, transformation and healing. I found a home in their Children’s Ministry and was a regular volunteer for their first grade Kid’s Rock activities. More often than not the messages at the church brought tears to my eyes and opened up my heart to freedom, healing and restoration. This church has molded me and changed me, allowing me to be in closer relationship with the Lord. Red Rocks Church, I miss you dearly and thank God for you continually!
Colorado also taught me that friends are important. I’m not just talking people you feel comfortable saying “hi” to at the grocery store or someone you have met a few times. I am talking real, genuine, invested-in-your-life friends. Moving to a place where I had no friends or immediate relatives definitely helped me learn this lesson. I learned that some friendships weren’t as “real” as I had thought and I learned that people I hadn’t appreciated in the past were really the ones who came through for me when no one else did. Friends aren't just people you go to the mall with or drive a few hours with to see your favorite band. Friends are people who genuinely and wholeheartedly care about your well-being. Friends are people who hold you accountable and aren’t afraid of hurting your feelings when they call you out on the fact that you’re dating a guy who isn’t worth your time. Friends are people who will keep you company on your bad days and remind you that regardless of the mess things will get better. Friends are there for YOU. Not for what benefit you might bring them, they’re there because you matter. Find people who matter. And then don’t let them go.
I think the most important lesson that the last year and half has taught me was to be myself. Moving to a place where I knew no one was definitely hard and a real challenge. But it also gave me the chance to establish myself in a way I never had before. I had the chance to just be me, not the person I used to be and not the person people expected me to be. No one knew me, no one knew my story and the dark places I had been, no one knew where I went to college or what I majored in. I was just Victoria. I wasn’t “social worker” Victoria. I wasn’t “only child” Victoria. I wasn’t “party girl” Victoria. I was just Victoria. Having the ability to establish myself for ME and for the things I wanted was exactly what I needed during the last season of my life. I went through some really tough days with the Lord trying to figure out who I was without all those labels from my past. It was hard to decide on my own what kind of friend I wanted to be, what kind of working professional I wanted to be, what kind of anything I wanted to be. The last 18 months really taught me that it’s okay to just be me. To just be who I am and not what others expect or encourage me to be. People like us better when we’re ourselves, not when we’re trying to impress them. Trust me.
If you were a part of my Colorado experience, THANK YOU. Whether I met you once or hung out with you on a regular basis, thank you. You Colorado folk have no idea how influential you were on my life and my walk with the Lord. I pray and trust that the Lord will lead me back to you someday. Know that I miss you all dearly and wish I could be spending 2014 with you.
Colorado, you are my beloved. You accepted me as I am and you taught me many valuable lessons I may not have learned on my own. Always and forever a Colorado girl.
Con Mucho Amor,
-V
Joshua 1:9
PS: Last thing I promise. Colorado also taught me that I could be a nanny for the rest of my life. I mean I’ve known my whole life that I loved working with children and that it was a necessity my future job be in some way related to the well-being of kids. But after spending time with the ridiculously, magnificent Troyer’s in 2013 I have come to the conclusion that I could be a nanny forever and be perfectly content. Thanks Joe and Katy!