Went Rocky Mtn. Climbin' & Found the True Meaning of "Live Like You Were Dying..."

As some of my friends would put it, I went to Denver to complete the "trifecta" in Tim McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying by adding "Rocky Mountain Climbin'" to my skydiving and bull-riding bucket list.  However, the true purpose for my trip to Denver this past weekend was to visit my friend Eleanor and her family for the first time since they have moved to Denver.  While the sightseeing was light compared to my other trips, the quality time I got to spend with Eleanor, Drake, and their 2 year-old tot, Mirinae, was far richer than any hike!  For those who know me, you guys didn't really think I'd exert that much physical energy to go climb a mountain, did you!? (True, I did "shock" people with skydiving, but that didn't entail physical exertion).  After this past weekend, the mention of "Denver" will always remind me of 3 things: (1) Coors Beer, (2) Korean BBQ, and (3) Eleanor/Drake/Mirinae!

Descent Size Glass for a Free Tour

The only major tourist attraction that I wanted to see on this trip was the Coors Brewery Tour in Golden, Colorado.  Even though I don't really like to drink Coors beer, I had to make this pit-stop given the beer-lover that I am, even if it meant dragging a pregnant Eleanor and 2 year-old Mirinae with me -- they were both such troopers!  While Eleanor took in all the historic facts along the tour, I made sure to enjoy the beer tasting part that is included in the tour.  For a tour that is completely free, they give you 3 free samples in relatively large glasses!  I'd definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Denver area!  Although I love beer, I must admit that beer-production isn't as sexy and glamorous as the wine-making that I got to see back in September in Napa Valley and Bordeaux....

Not as pretty as the Tanks for Wine

Wooden Barrels for Wine are Sexier

While I was expecting good Korean food on this trip, since I had previously heard Denver has a relatively large Korean-American population, I didn't expect to have the best Korean BBQ I ever had!  Eleanor and Drake took me to dinner at Seoul BBQ for Korean BBQ and it was soooo good!  I told Eleanor that I could visit Denver once a year just for Seoul BBQ.  Of course, having the presence of Eleanor and Drake made the food even more delicious.  Seoul BBQ - hands down best Korean BBQ.  One of the best things I ever ate at one of the best restaurants ever been to.  Probably takes top honors for dining experiences thus far in my 12 in 12 by 2012.

Even the non-BBQ dishes tasted great -- I know I've eaten most of the stuff before with Lisa (Eleanor's sister) in Boston or New York, but even these dishes below tasted better in Denver...

 

Of the 3 things I'll forever associate Denver with, I've saved the best for last -- that'd be Eleanor/Drake & Mirinae, of course!  For the first time in my journeys this year, I didn't feel like I had to go 100+ mph to get from point A to B, run between meetings, and/or rush to go sightseeing to put a check mark on some elaborate list of "to do's."  The highlight of my trip was seeing Eleanor and Mirinae -- that was the purpose from the start.  It was nice just to absorb and enjoy the presence of their company.  But, the unplanned part of the trip is that I left Denver with a very unexpected feeling -- a feeling that I had gained something that I didn't have when I landed in Denver.  The kindness that Eleanor and her family, including her in-laws, showed me in welcoming me into their home went above and beyond, and they made it easy to feel comfortable around everyone.  No matter how much I hate to admit it, who knew the laugh of 2 year-old Mirinae from allowing her to plaster my face with Pororo stickers could warm my heart as much as going snow mobiling on a glacier gave me excitement...  

An unplanned part of my trip was joining Eleanor at her church for Sunday service.  This was the first time I ever went to a church service, as my mother raised me as a Buddhist.  What was unexpected was how timely the sermon was, and how it has stuck with me through the plane ride home and even now in front of my computer.  As it was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, the pastor's sermon focused on being "thankful."  If we fill our hearts with the things we are thankful for, no matter how small, life is easier to cope with and we'll ultimately be happier.  It's common sense stuff I hear all the time from my friends and family, but hearing it in the context of a weekend where Eleanor and her family showed me so much kindness, along with a backdrop of a church setting where all these strangers were so welcoming with a niceness I hadn't seen before from strangers, I think that's why the pastor's message resonated with me on this day -- it was a timely message that tied-together my weekend with Eleanor.

So, that unexpected feeling that tugged at me when I had to say "good-bye" to Eleanor, Drake & Mirinae?  It was being thankful...Thankful that I've gained a friend in Eleanor (friend as in I don't need to keep referring to her as "my friend Lisa's sister").  Thankful that there's a two year-old out there (a.k.a. Mirinae) who calls me "Imo" (Korean for Aunt) even though I'm Chinese and not related.  Thankful for the incredible year 2012 I've had, and grateful that on this 11th month leg, the time spent with Eleanor around her kitchen table and playing with Mirinae in her living room showed me I don't always have to go seek out a snow mobile or set sail off the coast of Thailand to feel thankful and alive (just in time as my plane is about to be grounded as 2012 wraps-up, and I'm gonna have to cope)...

Sure, the 2012 I've had to-date is a testament that prescribing to the Tim McGraw Live Like You Were Dying trifecta of "skydiving, Rocky Mountain climbin' and bull-riding" spirit helps to heal -- I wouldn't give any of it up.  While I didn't go "Rocky Mountain climbin'" in Denver, this trip added an important layer to my year of healing -- by thawing out my heart enough so that I can remember all the things (small and big) that I have to be thankful for.  For that, there are 3 (soon to be 4) people in Denver who will always have a special place in my heart... 

3 Special People (horse not included, hehe)