The final journey of the year began in Colorado, a place that felt instantly expansive. Denver was the entry point, a city sitting wide and open beneath the Front Range, where the sky seemed to stretch endlessly. Downtown carried a relaxed confidence, a blend of old brick buildings, new developments, and a sense of space that felt very different from the coast.
Time was spent nearby in Boulder, wandering its streets and taking in the mountain backdrop that feels permanently present there. Red Rocks followed soon after. Standing among the natural amphitheatre, carved directly into the landscape, it was impossible not to imagine the music that had echoed through those rocks over decades. The place felt powerful even in stillness.
A drive south led to Colorado Springs, reached after being picked up by my cousin Jeff in Denver. The shift in scenery was subtle but noticeable. The city sits closer to the mountains, quieter in tone, framed by dramatic rock formations and wide plains. Garden of the Gods left a strong impression, towering red stone rising sharply from the ground, the scale both humbling and cinematic. It felt like the kind of place where John Wayne might appear riding over the hills at any moment.
Nearby, the Royal Gorge carved a deep line through the land, the Colorado River cutting far below. Standing above it, the sheer drop and vastness of the canyon reinforced just how enormous this country can feel. Colorado Springs also offered a quieter moment at the Air Force Academy, where the chapel stood sharply against the sky, its design striking and solemn, built to serve people of all faiths.
Travel turned south after Colorado, shifting pace again. Texas welcomed me back in familiar ways. Austin came first, this time spent solo. Days and nights unfolded between bars, live music, and wandering streets without much of a plan. Austin has a way of encouraging that kind of movement, letting time stretch without needing structure, and it felt good to experience the city entirely on my own terms.
Dallas followed, grounding the trip again. Time there centred around family, shared meals, and slowing down after weeks on the road. Familiar routines and conversations brought a sense of steadiness, balancing the constant motion that had defined much of the year. Houston rounded out the Texas portion of the journey, sprawling and industrious, its scale always surprising. Days passed quietly, shaped by family time and everyday moments rather than sightseeing.
Oklahoma marked the final stretch of the journey. Stillwater, where my cousin was born just before I left, gave the trip a deeply personal ending. Being there during that moment shifted the tone of everything that came before it. Travel often leaves room for reflection, but this felt grounding in a different way, a reminder of how movement and stillness can exist side by side.
Shortly after Christmas, the journey came to a close. Plans turned back toward Vancouver, work, and routine once again. The road had stretched across states and landscapes, but the year ended not with distance, rather with connection, pause, and the quiet sense that the next chapter was already forming.
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