a long weekend in keystone, colorado

Colorado averages almost 250 days of sunshine a year. If it weren't for being landlocked, it would be my favorite state. Even so, I've considered packing up and moving out there. When I was single, I joked I'd move there to find my dream man - a lumberjack, naturally. Now I'd do it for the hiking, rafting, snowboarding, and did I mention hiking, rafting, and snowboarding? 

Callie, my closest girlfriend from my JET days (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program) lives in Denver, and her father owns condos in the ski resorts. My new favorite tradition is jumping on a plane out to visit her in the winter and spending a day or two snowboarding (life knows how to make me feel downright charmed sometimes). This year we had a mini-JET reunion. Our friends Hozumi and Ryan came out, too, from North Carolina and Louisiana, respectively, and we all spent a long weekend in Keystone. 

Seeing them again was like coming home. We never tire of talking and laughing, and we definitely never tired of doing all of our talking and laughing in an outdoor hot tub while the snow fell on and melted right off of us. They're family-friends. You know those friends that know you so well and with whom you've been through something so significant and life-changing that friends just doesn't cut it? I could be lost in a desert with them, and it'd be a memory I never want to forget. 

It has been so cold in D.C. this March that it's starting to wear me down. My body and heart and mind are craving sunshine, craving that warmth on my skin and in my bones. But since Spring is playing shy, I figured I'd revisit some of my favorite photos from our reunion in Keystone, Colorado, where the sun shines 250 days a year, and great, old friendships make even the snow feel warm. 

if you go... 

Keystone day lift pass: $80-100

Snow tubing: $31 for an hour

Snowboard/ski gear rental: $30-40/day

We stayed at The Springs: check website for availability and pricing