It was no doubt a frightening site. Me in my clunky brown wooly clogs, grey Capri pants, and black leather coat maneuvering my high-quality $30 carry-on suitcase around the cracks and crevices of concrete called a sidewalk. Whatever I could not fit into my extremely non-functional luggage was basically somewhere on my body causing me to make quite the interesting fashion statement. Evidently, it is no easy task to travel into, out of, or around Boston. In fact many folks, including myself, consider it a major pain in the ass.

Walking beside me carrying my overstuffed book bag, my sister’s boyfriend poses the question: “So, did you have any enlightening moments on your trip?” I didn’t have the heart to tell him he caught me right in the middle of one: I am really glad I live where I live and that I was on my way home.

I like to consider myself a Colorado girl at heart; not necessarily the stereotypical armpit hair-growin’ granola gal, or hard-core rock climber chic. It’s an attitude thing—it’s what determines true quality of life for me. It’s a respect, appreciation, and gratefulness for what really matters: nature, a higher power, and relationships with other people. It’s a dose of simplicity injected into everyday life, because living in Colorado you are forced to acknowledge the majesty of the Rocky Mountains and the overwhelmingly bright and clear blue skies every single day. Just today in mid-October, the skies held not a single cloud and the temperature reached into the 80s. Even if you live in Denver you can’t escape nature’s skyline towards the west or the sun beaming down on you. It’s as if God is constantly reminding you to check in with yourself—to make sure you are staying focused and grounded on what is important in this life. And those things aren’t too complicated, they really are quite simple.

It’s a challenge to stay simple though. Noise pollution, traffic, crowds: these external stimuli make it that much more difficult to listen to God’s reminder to stay centered on the simple things that matter.

Visiting on the east coast forced me to ask certain questions: Where are nature’s reminders to help us stay focused on what really matters? Or challenging us to keep things simple? Well, that would be the understatement of the century. Nothing is simple. Nothing. Grocery shopping? Ha. Parking? Joke. Getting to work? Not without first encountering hundreds of strangers most of whom have their eyes glued to some newspaper sheltering their view and walkmans on to block out the noise—to block out their lives. And who can blame them? But, what a shame.

I did have many enlightening moments on my trip, all of which had the same underlining message: I didn’t even realize how in need I was of hearing that message until it nearly slapped me in the face. It was not to realize, “Wow, I live in a beautiful place surrounded by mountains under clear blue skies.” No, it was much deeper.

When you finally realize that you are right where you are meant to be on your journey in life and you are at peace in that place, it is not only an enlightening moment, it’s a huge relief. Phew. I remember not so long ago struggling everyday with who I was, where I was supposed to be, what I was supposed to be doing, and who I was supposed to be doing it with. What were the answers? And where in the world would I find those answers? It was exhausting.

Well, it seems I found the answers, although I can’t tell you what they are. It also seems I found out where to find the answers, although I can’t tell you where that place is. I just know I am finally okay with who I am, where I am, what I do, and who I do it with. It took a brief glimpse into another style of living to awaken me to this fact, but now that I am awakened, I can tell you this: I am so grateful. I am so thankful. I am so glad to be home inside myself.

My life is not even remotely close to how I used to envision it would be when I was doing all that troublesome searching for some sort of peace of mind. Owning a house in the mountains? Try renting an apartment in the burbs. The six figured salary? Uuuh, well, hmmm; can’t count that high anyway. The funny and sensitive husband with the nice ass? I guess a dinner date with random dude from the bar isn’t exactly the same. The two adorable and perfectly behaved kids with blond curls? I suppose the cute dog with the white fluffy tail will have to do. I’ll get there. But, until I do, at least I finally believe I’m right where I am meant to be, today.

-Erin Hopkins