Taking a long trip by car can be disorienting enough, but when I come out of a series of airports and flights I feel totally placeless. Air travel has become like time consuming teleportation that involves a lot of bureaucracy. Quick fix. When you get to your destination, walk up a hill and look around.
That's what I chose to do with my first day in Colorado. I was antsy to hit the slopes but It was a very busy Saturday at Monarch and I wanted a little time to catch my breath at 10,000ft. So I took off to a nearby valley with Jackie and Nate, asked for a trail at a local sandwich shop, and hoofed it for a while.
I've never thought about it explicitly before but I've been doing something similar for years and it always jumpstarts my connection to somewhere new. Part of traveling is understanding and creating your own story of a place and it helps me to first find an "establishing shot."
I get to know the place, get a little exercise, and life is good again. Time to hit the hot springs. Nate has a post covering those magical places. Check it out.