I love the mountains. Every dream vacation for me includes mountains. I was so excited when my family started planning a trip to Winter Park, Colorado. Sam and I hadn’t been to the Rockies in over a year and it was TIME. We even decided to extend the trip for our little family and go to Boulder and then Estes Park for hiking. As we travelled and started glimpsing the mountains, I texted my mom and sister-in-law, “My soul needed to see mountains.”

In Winter Park, we stayed at a friend’s vacation house. It was soooo gorgeous! The house was nestled right on the side of a mountain with a creek running behind it. I loved hearing the sound of the water.

One afternoon we drove down the mountain to a little stone bridge to explore and take some pictures. 

The weather was perfect for me – I love cool days and needing to wear jackets and boots!

Water was everywhere in Colorado. When we drove in the mountains, we would see many random waterfalls coming down the slopes. Lots of snow melting, but do you see the snow on the right side of this picture? There was still quite a bit of white on the mountains, especially as you approach tree line. 

We weren’t able to do much hiking in this little spot, but we enjoyed the water and the views.

I had been looking forward to this trip for months. We were so excited to be with family and hiking in the mountains. We were in Winter Park for about four days with my family, then our little family travelled to Boulder. When we got to our hotel we noticed that Isaiah was not feeling well. He was running a low-grade fever and wasn’t his usual active self. I treated him for the fever and we hung out at the hotel for the rest of that day. Sam and I hoped that a good night of sleep would help him heal. He wasn’t any better the following day and we ended up coming home three days earlier than we planned. Essentially we missed half of our vacation – the half that was supposed to have beautiful hikes, loads of great pictures, and making memories for our family.

As we drove east and the mountains faded from view, I almost cried. Why do my vacations keep getting interrupted? Why hadn’t I savored the time I had in the mountains? If only I had known that those were the only days we would be there, I would have relished it more. I would have done more. 

Why? I don’t know why. I probably never will. But I do know what my soul truly needs.

“My soul looks for God, from whom is my salvation.”
Psalm 62:5

My soul did find refreshment in the cool air and majestic views of the mountains. But that will never be enough. The only thing that will truly fill my soul and satisfy my deepest longings is the One who created the mountains. In Him I find rest and salvation.