Social Famine Quenched Part I: Denver

Thursday, June 11th

About 13 hours later… I arrived at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. at 6:15am local time. It was seriously so nice to be on U.S. soil- weird I know, but I was just extremely happy! My flight to Denver was supposed to leave at 8:30am, but due to mechanical concerns they delayed the plane and we didn’t leave until 10:45am. So, I arrived into Denver at 12:30pm and was welcomed by a hail storm and heavy rain. It was pretty cold, so I am glad I had my jacket- it was completely zipped up!

I left the airport around 1:00pm and picked up my rental car. I have now learned my lesson to NOT accept a free upgrade unless they show you a picture of the vehicle first. I don’t really know cars so when I was told I get a Mazda 5 that meant nothing to me. I walked out and as soon as I saw it I said to myself, “You have got to be kidding me.” Yep, I was driving a mini-van! At least I could get around, right?

It was off to Qdoba where I met up with a previous co-worker and I enjoyed some delicious chicken nachos while we visited. I’ve been craving chicken nacos for a few months now, about 6-1/2 months to be exact! Anyway, it was fun to visit with Nicole and meet her husband.

After lunch I headed to Buckley where I was able to visit with some previous co-workers. They are such good people who I miss a lot. It was sure nice to see them and have the chance to visit for a few minutes.

Around 5:15pm I finally left my old stopping grounds and headed to Jared and Katie’s place. After a quick shower (since I felt super gross from traveling for 24+ hours), we were out the door and headed to a birthday barbeque for Chris. Good times! That night I crashed around 10:00pm- traveling wears me out!

Friday, June 12th

I woke up at 5:30am and was out the door in time to make the 9:00am session. It has been hard not having the opportunity to go to the temple these past 6-1/2 months. I guess I was spoiled since I worked there and went at least every other week and attended quite regularly with my ward. Annie joined me and it was so nice. We got to visit afterwards for a few minutes while we enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria. Thanks Annie for joining me and for lunch!

Jared didn’t have to work that day, so when I got home from the temple Jared, Katie, Cayden and I were able to go to Southlands where I was able to do some clothes shopping! It was great fun and nice to finally find some clothes that were my style and in my price range! Friday night was Relay 4 Life (the fundraiser for American Cancer Society which turns into an all night party). It poured on us as soon as it started, so I hid in a tent until the rain stopped. I knew that if I got wet I would be super cold and would probably not make it the entire night. So, I waited out the storm and about an hour later it was safe to come out. Jared, Katie, and Cayden joined us for a little while. Thanks Katie for letting me wear your Winter Coat- I definitely needed it! It was great fun to visit with people and see them again- such awesome friends I have! We went to IHOP at Midnight to use their bathroom, warm up a bit, and get a bite to eat. I got about 45 minutes of sleep that night and that was while sitting in a chair so it wasn’t the most quality sleep. It was well worth it though- good times! Here are some pictures from Relay:

Every year they have a closing ceremony where they have a nice speech and then release doves. It is nice, but we’ve seen it and it typically lasts about 30 minutes too long. So, this year we opted to hold our own ceremony and then go enjoy a nice breakfast at the Egg and I.

Saturday, June 13th Once I got home from Relay and got showered it was off to Southlands again. I was looking for a straw hat and Katie knew of the perfect place for finding such a thing at the Farmer’s Market. I had never been to the Farmer’s Market at Southland’s before so I guess it was time that I experience that after having lived in Denver for 4-1/2 years.

From there we went to a Disney story in Westminster. The selection was pretty picked over by the time we got there, so it was kind of disappointing. We didn’t want to waste our trip out that direction so we stopped at the Westminster Mall. I had never been there either and was amazed to see 31+ empty stores there. I think that mall was struggling before, but especially now that the economy is so bad- yikes! That really hit home for me since I don’t see it in Kuwait- they haven’t been affected by the world economy crisis. There is a cute playground in that mall, so we enjoyed watching Cayden explore and have a good time.

That evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner and then threw on a movie. I typically cannot fall asleep in movies even when I want to, but I only lasted about 10 minutes before I was completely out. I guess a combination of jet lag and only 45 minutes of sleep the night before caught up to me and won! Sunday, June 14th I slept in on Sunday… clear to 6am! I got my 8 hours, it was so nice! We enjoyed a leisurely morning and had Scooby Doo Waffles for breakfast! I haven’t had homemade waffles for 6-1/2 months so that was what I requested. (Note: I have a waffle iron, but I can’t use it since the power is 240 versus 110. I haven’t bothered to buy a converter either- they scare me!) The waffles were delicious!

I went to Maplewood Ward and while Jared, Katie, and Cayden attending their own ward. The good part is both wards meet at 1:00pm, so the timing is perfect. It was nice to go to church in Maplewood again and say hello to some good friends there. After church we got to spend the evening with the Showell clan. Annie is too good to us and always makes great dinners and desserts. Thanks Annie! I love hanging with the Showell clan, they are very entertaining and it is just fun to be there. Check out the “Carpet Sliders”- it is like ice-skating on the carpet.

Annie is tending my plants for me and my roses were in bloom!

Monday, June 15th Monday was another fun-filled day. Jared had to go to work, but I got to hang with Katie and Cayden all day. We began our adventure at the Aurora mall- who knew that none of the stores opened until 10am? Luckily there was a little playground where Cayden was able to run around while we waited for the stores to open.

Our shopping excursion was definitely successful. I love going shopping with Katie, she finds all sorts of cute clothes for me- thanks Katie! Being at Aurora mall I was able to meet up with a few co-workers from Buckley and have lunch. I feel so loved that Bob, Kevin, Ron, and Dave would come spend an hour with me- they’re great! I am sad I didn’t even get a picture. I was also very happy that I got chick-fil-a for lunch. 6-1/2 months without my chicken nuggets is a long time!

Once lunch was over we got back in the car and headed to the Denver Aquarium where we met up with my good friends David, Lisa, and Skyler (their cute 2 month old baby). It was a raining sort of day and I had never been to the Aquarium before so I thought it would be fun. I enjoy looking at all the color fish and the variety of animals that inhabit the waters. I was a bit disappointed with how short the tour was (especially with how expensive tickets are) but overall I thought it was fun. Cayden enjoyed it and that makes me happy!

After the aquarium we headed to Jared and Katie’s where we were able to just relax and enjoy the evening. It wasn’t too long before Jared got home and was able to join us as well. Also, our friend Katie was able to come over so it was a fun little get together. We ordered pizza, ate ice-cream bars, watched Nemo, and had a wonderful evening.

Once everyone left it was time for me to pack and get ready for part two of my vacation. I had to leave super early in the morning, so I was up until about 1am getting everything ready to go! For some reason it seems I never get more than 4 hours of sleep the night before I fly somewhere. Crazy!