Getting Settled in Colorado
This post highlights weeks 1 and 2 in Colorado, and Reed and I have done so much in just the first weeks to get ourselves settled into our new home. All the pictures are from our first weekend spent checking out some of the nearby sights. You’d think we would have been unpacking, but we still have no furniture to unpack (more details on this below). Moving has all kinds of ups and downs lol.
First hike together, Green Mountain West Trail near Boulder.
Getting a Rental Place
Our biggest and highest priority obstacle was figuring out where we could sign a lease that allowed large dogs and had at least a small amount of yard for bear. You would think that we would have plenty of options, but finding a place that would allow our dog really limited our search. We also discovered that some property management companies were slow to return calls, making us wonder when and where we would find a house.
We were excited to find one home in Lafayette, CO that seemed to meet our needs and the landlord called us right away to get things moving. We ended up only touring the Lafayette home and found it to be exactly what we were looking for. We’re so happy to be living right near the Coal Creek Trail. We can go out an jog or bike whenever we want, all while looking at the Rocky Mountains in the distance!
This dog makes life a little more difficult, but we love him!
Obtaining our POD
Getting our POD delivered has been another obstacle. While we thought that we could get the POD delivered right when the lease began (or at least a couple days after), the POD could not be scheduled for delivery until 10 days after we acquired the lease. Reed called to schedule delivery the day that we signed our lease, but PODs said that they are short drivers and the soonest they could schedule was over 2 weeks out. How disappointing!
We didn’t want to stay in the hotel for another week, so we decided to go ahead and “set up camp” in the rental. We bought a queen-sized mattress which was something I was hoping to get for guests eventually. I also got us 2 bar stools that fit the kitchen Island so we can use them as our table and chairs for now. Reed got our internet setup and TV connected. All the extra costs for the furniture and necessary home items have still been cheaper for us than staying in the hotel for another week. I’m so looking forward to getting all our furniture back!
Reed’s Job
Reed has been doing a great job of balancing work with moving. His schedule involves him only going into the office a couple days a week and the remaining weekdays are work-from-home. It’s an awesome schedule, but with all of our things clogging up the hotel room, Reed could only work from the bed. It was so cramped. The rental house has a desk area, so we got him a cheap office chair and he’s now able to work in a comfortable space. Eventually, we will tidy up the desk area so he can really feel like he’s in an office.
Wildflowers in bloom near Boulder Falls
My Job Search
I had two interviews lined up for my very first week in Colorado. I was excited for both, but also very nervous because I’d only been through phone interviews and hadn’t had an in-person interview in a few years. My first interview was not great, and as I learned more about the job it sounded like something I wouldn’t enjoy. The overall mood of the interview just felt dismal and I didn’t seem to fit well with the people.
The first interview left me feeling very nervous about my next in-person interview. I was also feeling the pressure because this next one was for the job that I wanted most, so I put as much effort as I could into preparing for it. When it came time to visit the office, I felt comfortable during my interview and felt that I could easily see myself at the company.
I’m so happy to say that a couple days after my interview for the job that I really wanted, I was offered the position! My start date is 1 month away so I have all the time I need to unpack and get situated in our new home. It’s an awesome feeling to not have to worry about job searching or interviewing anymore!
A huge weight has been lifted by me getting the job! Now I can’t wait to start. (more of Green Mountain West Trail, Boulder).
Update on our Texas House
This Saturday (8/4) we got our first offer on the house! To our surprise, another offer came in the very next day! We negotiated and are officially in the Option Pending stage on our house. Hopefully, the sale can go through so that we can close by mid-September. This was really the icing on the cake after us getting the lease signed and me getting my job!
Exploring Colorado
On Monday, Reed was at work and I needed to be out of the hotel room so the cleaning service could get in the room. I decided to take Bear to Chautauqua Park in Boulder for our first hike. We didn’t go very far, but it was a great way to start out the week.
On Tuesday, Reed and I were still stuck in the hotel but decided to take Bear on a jog at the trail by our rental house. I found out that the tail makes up a 27-mile loop. We are going to love using the Coal Creek trail!
After we got into the rental house, we decided to go on our first hike together. We chose Green Mountain West Trail since it was a nice 2.5 mile out an back trail that takes you to the top of an 8,000 ft. peak. Bear got pretty tired going up, so we are going to keep him limited to short distance hikes for now. He does much better when it’s cold outside.
We also visited Boulder Falls, and the entire area driving up to the falls was gorgeous! I’m already searching for some good hikes near there since it’s not that far from our house.
Boulder Falls
Still in a Stage of Disbelief
I’m nervous but also excited to start my job and It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m actually living in such a beautiful area. I really hope that everything goes smoothly with the sale of our Texas house and that we can really make a home for ourselves here. I am most hoping that my new job and company end up being a great place for me and that I can meet lots of people through work. I’ll continue to share updates and hope to get our furniture in the house this coming weekend!
