What I learned in Denver

“Don’t look back ‘cause you know what you might see.” – Oasis, D’you know what I mean?

Allow me a moment to be sentimental and reflective, I’m less than 72 hours from leaving a city that has challenged everything I thought I knew about myself. I’m not even sure how to put my time here into words, my soul has aged so much the last eight and a half months that sometimes it feels more like eight and a half years. Other times things have happened so fast that it feels like a dream, those moments that you savor. The ones you play back in your mind over and over just because you have to remind yourself they were real and you don’t ever want to forget that and the rush that came with them.

Things like:

Your first night in your own apartment on your own 1000 miles from everyone you know.

Helping a friend film a movie all over the city.

Staying up 38 hours just because you don’t want the night to end.

Drinking coffee, lots and lots of coffee. Not because you like it, but because you love the people on the other side of the table.

Watching Brad get out of a parking ticket.

Parallel parking on a hill.

Poker nights with the guys.

The drive to and from the Men’s Advance. (As well as the event it’s self.)

The crisp cutting chill of the morning air as you watch the sun rise over Garden of the Gods.

The joy of having Spanish class cancelled by snow.

Helping Katelin hunt for a phone.

Learning you’re capable of doing more than you thought.

Understanding that being mature doesn’t mean you’ll ever stop being a kid at heart.

Friday mornings with Owen at the office.

Going site seeing with the Denver 2011 church planting team.

Spending New Years with people you didn’t even know the year before and loving every minute of it.

Wearing a wig and dress for history class.

Going to bed exhausted but thrilled about the idea of getting up in the morning.

Moving furniture with Brad, multiple times.

The site of the Front Range covered in fresh snow.

Getting signatures to start a student group.

Standing at Red Rocks and looking out over the entire city.

Being on 17th Street facing the TIAA-CREF building, my favorite view in the entire city.

Riding through downtown on the back of Mau’s scooter.

Riding RTD.

First Friday’s in the Santa Fe art district.

Driving to and from Colorado Springs at least once a week.

Every Sunday I spent at High View.

All these things impacted who I am, and left a permanent mark on my soul. I can’t explain how or to what extent, mostly because even I don’t know the full answer to that question, but I know they did and I know I’m a better person for it.