I never thought it would take me this long to tell my story, especially since the whole purpose of this is getting to 2024, but patience is a virtue (ironically enough I don't have any). Going back to where we left off in 2021.It took a whole month to get my passports and ID sorted in order to travel to Colorado for my cousin's wedding. I was ready for a very well-deserved vacation after the shit show that was the 2010s for me. Getting all my documents, in order, and packing was a nightmare. But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
The weeks before my trip were pretty chill. After getting my last paycheck, which also comes with some extra money you get when you leave a job, which really helped to pay for all the paperwork and also the cute outfits I needed for my trip. I had so many conversations about where to go, what to see, and what to get my friends for when I got back (lol). But also I went on my first date in a long time and it went amazing. I'll always wonder what would´ve been if I had gone back to Peru, but we already know how I feel about that.
I should also mention, this was my first time flying as a full-grown adult, and let me tell you, it sucked ass. And not in a good way.
Starting with the airline adding another layover, so I ended up doing Lima - Miami, Miami - Dallas, Dallas - Denver. A total of around 20 ish hours just flying and running around airports. When I finally landed in Denver I felt so much relief. But at the same time I was feeling a little exhausted and for some reason I didn't know back then, I couldn't breathe properly.
There are a few things people should warn you before coming to Colorado. Unlucky enough I never got the warning so I had to learn a couple things the hard way, as usual.
- Altitude sucks. The lack of oxygen is probably the worst feeling ever and I have asthma. Ain’t nobody got time for that. I'm a sea-level girlie, I used to be walking distance from the ocean, so this hit me the hardest.
- The lack of humidity will make you feel like SpongeBob the first time he went to Sandy’s house. It did a number on my skin and hair too. I guess going from 87% humidity to 40% ish can really do a number on you.
As soon as I got out of the car, right in front of my cousin's house, I got hit with an overwhelming wave of joy and relief. Seeing a lot of my relatives I haven't seen in years, especially after the pandemic, was beautiful. One of the little ones came up to me and asked if I was a boy or a girl, but I didn't feel like explaining "genderfluid" to a nine year old, so I just said "Great question kid", and proceeded to run to the bathroom because, even though I was happy, I also felt like I was going to pass out, and I didn't know why.
Turns out everyone was waiting for the family to be all together in order to go to Leadville (at an even higher altitude), where the wedding was going to take place. The drive there was rough. A couple of us sea-level queens almost passed out. It wasn't until we got to my grandma's cabin that I had a whole breakdown because of how bad I was feeling physically. After a hot bath, and the comforting sight of an air mattress ready for me to pass out, I came back to life. But only for an hour, after that, I passed out for at least 9 hours. The rest of my experience in Leadville is kind of a blur. To be honest I think I was so overwhelmed by how bad my body was reacting to all of it that I dissociated for most of it, except the actual wedding.
That day of the ceremony was chaotic. Everyone was getting ready, doing their makeup, getting dressed, planning transportation to the venue, and then I was told at the last minute that Ms. Bride wanted me to do her hair, which I did pretty well if I do say so myself. After that, I did a quick touch-up of my face and it was show time. The road there was bumpy but fun, and the venue was beautiful, with a view of the mountains. I would've enjoyed a lot more of the view and the pre-party if I hadn't chugged two glasses of champagne that hit me like two bottles. Again, I had no warning that alcohol hits harder when in altitude. But damn I looked great. The ceremony was beautiful, the dinner was delicious and the party was so much fun. We ended up in one of the cabins drinking and some people doing shrooms. What a night, what a night.
The morning after was rough, and the drive back to Denver was even worse considering I was in a packed car with a couple of dogs that were shedding all over and my allergies were not having it. But we eventually made it back to Aurora, and my "vacation" could finally start. You know, after getting vaccinated and fully acclimated.
No comments:
Post a Comment