Winter 2024/25 USA

What a whirlwind the last few months have been. Arriving in Denver in Nov, and departing from Raleigh flew by. A fun coincidence in both locations we began by playing pickleball. Our families know what we struggle to find in Berlin :)

If you are just here for the photos, https://photos.app.goo.gl/6iNEEf8PvGMQZ46r6

Some highlights of our time in Denver

• Casa Bonita with family - Like many restaurants it struggled during the pandemic, but unique to the pink towered Mexican themed eating experience it was purchased by the creators of Southpark. They originally planned to do some small improvements, and shut it down for a short period of time. As anyone who has done construction projects knows these things are rarely fast, and never cheap.
• Jet lag from westward travel gives me superpowers - I was able to wake up before 6am rested and ready to start the day.
• Doing BJJ with friends - I got to attend two different BJJ gyms (almost three but the timing didn’t work out).
• Lots of driving - It is always surprising to me how essential to the American life a car is.
• Enjoying the power of regimented time block planning - I have been time block planning my days for about a year, but during this trip with the limited time I had it was great to make the most of it, and I credit time block planning for part of that.
• Playing thanksgiving football in the park
• ~4 Different thanksgivings - One with each of Randi’s grandparents, and a friendsgiving, and one with Randi’s mom.
• Eucher with Randi’s parents
• Learning backgammon - Randi and I hadn’t really played backgammon since we were kids. Over this trip we really enjoyed the opportunity to learn the game as adults. It is a bit more strategy they we had previously thought.
• Volunteering at Bikes Together - One of my favorite organizations is a nonprofit bikeshop in Denver. While we were in town I got to go there and volunteer once. I always wish it was more. It was mostly new faces, but there were one or two people I recognized from before.
• Getting together with friends and having deep laughs. - The thing that is hardest to come by in our travels is friendship.
• LAN Party - I have some great friends in Colorado, some of which plan LAN parties for when I am in town.
• Playing SKIP-BO with family
• Taking Nephews to BJJ
• Time with niece -Randi’s brother had a child and our time in Colorado overlapped with them.
• Going to Fairplay to see a friend’s property
• Getting to play Chess in-person with friends
• Riding Randi’s step dad’s dirtbike - I miss having a motorcycle, and it was fun to ride it around town and up to Longmont once.
• Christmas with Randi’s parents

Some highlights of Raleigh

• Pickleball with family - One of my sisters has gotten really into pickleball lately and it was really fun to play with her.
• Time with my siblings
• Lifting weights at a gym - I haven’t been to a gym in a while, it was great doing strength training
• A fun Gift exchange - This year we chose a letter and all the gifts had to be themed around that letter!
• Myrtle Beach trip - My parents treated the family with a trip to Myrtle beach at a fun resort this year.
• Polar Plunge - At the resort we swam in the ocean and in the unheated outdoor pool. January is quite cold for swimming!
• Lots of driving - It never ceases to amaze me how much driving is required in America.
• Euchre with family