This past weekend I paid a little visit to one of my favorite places. I was in Denver to photograph a wedding on Friday, but I managed to squeeze in a visit to my college roommates and besties before and after. This means that I have seen Jenny and Bethany 4 times this year – definitely a record that we will be hard pressed to top, especially as the number of our friends that can get married and have us all at their party is dwindling. (Seriously people, we are totally good wedding guests that dance hard, participate energetically at all awkward activities, cry at toasts, and always stay to help clean up, so feel free to invite us to your wedding even if you don’t really know/like us.)
Originally, we had all planned on what we do best, which means eating and marathoning through some BBC miniseries (Bethany always picks because she has perfect knowledge about what we should all start watching) with a shopping run here and there to make use of Gap coupons and fashion opinions.
But then I got to Denver and saw the beautiful fall trees and the rising mountains and I begged them to go up in those peaks on Saturday. We did a pretty easy “hike” (more like a walk where we scrambled over some rocks) but it was enough to get us out under that big blue sky, breathing in that mountain air, and taking in those mountain views.
Plus, I have never been to Colorado in the fall and I LOVED it. Unlike the Midwest, South, or East Coast fall, CO fall was kind of a one note deal: YELLOW. Everywhere you looked across the horizon the scenery was punctuated with bright patches of my favorite color. I kept on wanting to stop and take pictures, even though none of them could do it justice. Jenny and Bethany put up with my giddiness remarkably well, even though neither of them seemed fairly impressed by the amazing beauty that was Colorado fall. They’re used to it, this endless yellow. Whereas I freaked out every time I saw mountains out the window and infuriated a whole bunch of drivers trying to take pictures as we inched through traffic (I know, I know… not safe), they can take the mountains for granted. They’ll still be there the next day, and the one after that.
Because that’s how it is with the beauty closest to us. We might have been impressed initially, but we get used to it, we stop letting it take our breath away. Maybe that’s one of the few perks about over obsessive picture taking generation: we take a little more time to stop and notice the normal beauty in our everyday lives.
My flight was downsized and I was bumped, making my trip home a lot longer and less fun. But when I got home last night, James and I still decided to take a walk to the Capitol. We like to go there at night and sit in front, gazing up at the dome and taking in the perfect stillness that descends on Capitol Hill at night. This week, they are building scaffolding around it for renovations, scaffolding that will be there for the next couple years, and we wanted one last look at something we take for granted all too frequently.
I don’t want to take the beauty of life now for granted. I want to be impressed constantly by what’s around me and marvel at the things I’m used to. Thank goodness that this beautiful season helps with that. 
The Art in Life 
Glad you had so much fun! 🙂 Miss you girls.
I feel like you were with us in spirit.
And oh girl we ate some good food… you would have been ALL OVER IT.
I’ve been thinking this exact sentiment in my head for weeks now and could never put it into words as well as you have. I get so accustomed to the desert landscape – the adobe style houses – the turquoise – that I hardly even see it. But it’s beautiful and it’s home. And I should take the time to SEE it.
Thanks for the reminder!
Sometimes it’s good to mix things up and then come back and revel in what we are so used to! I’m sure the desert has its own very unique beauty!
I am so happy you got to see Colorado in the fall- people hate the blanket of yellow, but I think it’s still beautiful in it’s own right!
It was so perfect!!!
Although I do have to tell you… I came back to find that DC has outdone itself with fall this year. You are missing such a good one!
Can we talk about how annoying it is that they are putting that scaffolding up??? Your pics of Colorado are lovely.
~Emily from The Orange Slate
@emilyamccord
http://www.theorangeslate.com
It is on my list of biggest First World Exasperations these days. BOO SCAFFOLDING.
That’s one reason I love living someplace with seasons. Granted, Texas has a very dominating Summer season, but with the change of season comes the refreshed thankfulness for the other seasons!
I LOVE seasons. As much as I love any one of them, I really only like it because it is temporal and thus must be savored!
Agreed and beautiful way to put that!
What I also love? The spectrum of hair color in picture #2 (because it means y’all were together!). It’s a constant struggle to fight the urge to be praying for a boyfriend *mainly* so I can have an excuse to have another wedding reunion . . . let’s just be honest.
I should be honest too… we basically decided that you were next and should get on it… and then we got distressed that you would pull a family thing and elope with NO PARTY. ; )
Ha! Oh, girl . . . you can’t have friends like I have an have NO PARTY! 😉
Hi Hannah! I just wanted to let you know that I adore your blog! You are a lovely writer and excellent photographer. I always look forward to reading your posts – they are marvelous. Thank you for sharing your stories with the blog-o-sphere! I originally found your blog from “my husband is not my soulmate,” but once I began reading, I was hooked! 🙂