5 Things I Learned About the Road of Life: Colorado Hwy 149

Ahhh…road trippin’. Whether across the Kansas plains or through the California mountains…each time I’m in the car (and preferably outside of a city), I have the opportunity to step out - mentally. I can choose to take several deep breaths and call my mind to notice things. As I notice things, the deeper aspects of my thought-life bubble to the surface.

On a recent road trip through the Rockies, I found myself on Colorado Highway 149. This is a lonely, but beautiful stretch of road. It’s the kind of road you never want to attempt before sunrise or after sunset, because of the hundreds of deer and elk who believe all of the San Juan Mountains is their home - even the towns, ranches, and roads. (And they are not wrong.) With each passing sign, my thoughts went deeper and deeper. Questions I rarely ask myself. Fears that I wish would go away. Symbolism and metaphors that I want to unpack. So, thanks for enduring with me here and listening in.

This stretch of road holds deep meaning for me personally. I’ve been traveling this particular road since I was a child. My family never went to Disneyland or the Texas coast on vacation. We came to the mountains. Whenever our van (think old school) turned onto Hwy 149, it meant we were almost there. Hiking, splashing in freezing rivers, sitting in deep peace, watching the sun set over the ridge, horseback riding, playing board games, and laying in the shade of the aspen. I might not remember much from certain seasons of my life, but I remember every detail of those trips. It was in the quiet moments of these trips that I learned not only about wonder, but also about the power of observation.

Some of these observations below seem, well…obvious. There are so many opportunities to notice the beauty around me. Yet, on this particular day, the highway signs led my way into the wild - of my mind. Perhaps the beauty in blades of grass and falls of water and purple mountains provided just the perfect backdrop for this to take place.

Signs are there to help us navigate unexpected obstacles in the road. Signs are necessary. If you’ve ever traveled on a poorly marked road, you get it. Physical road signs still have their place even when navigating with Apple or Google maps. These signs show us obstacles that the digital map might miss.

Avalanche area

This sign is so rare, that it always catches me off-guard. “Avalanche?? What in the world??” Even though I don’t live in the Himalayas and rarely even hike in avalanche conditions, there are public roads that cross into vulnerable spaces. Basically, these vulnerable spaces are right where I want to be. Beauty and danger often go hand in hand. Adventures abound on hiking trails and on the Trail of Life, if I will just take a risk now and then. As we say in trauma-informed circles, we are both hurt and healed through relationships. (Karen Purvis, et al.) How willing am I to step into danger? What if the shift of the earth beneath me feels so scary, but actually, it could lead to new nourishment in an area of need?

Deer Ahead

The fact that a deer is the exact same color as every bush along the highway is no accident of nature, but instead, God’s design to protect the deer from predators. As I drive Hwy 149, I am not hunting, but just driving in a car. How do we stay alert to the ways that this unexpected obstacle might become a problem? The better point here might be: how do I stay alert to obstacles of beauty and grace in my path? How do I perceive them - as beautiful or as an obstacle? How do I experience them - in fear or just simply staying alert?

Falling Rock

What would I do if a rock fell on my car? How could I possibly prevent such a thing from happening? When I see this kind of road sign, I tend to think, “Well, thanks for the warning, but there’s really not much I can do to prevent this from happening, lol.” If it happens, it will happen unexpectedly. The Falling Rock sign is basically the “bad-things-happen-in-life” sign.  How do I prepare my heart for bad things that may or may not happen? Why does my heart-rate go up when I encounter certain situations or people? Is this a trauma-response, or just unmerited fear? Where do I feel that trauma-response in my body?

Curved Road Ahead

When this sign is encountered on the road, it usually is a call to slow down. Not doing so could put me at risk. Why do I not heed similar signs on the Roads of Life? When I start to fall asleep while writing an email. When I am extra grumpy with those close to me. When I double book appointments and don’t realize it until 20 minutes before. (All hypothetical, of course.) I was born in the United States. And we have a mindset here that says, “Do more! Be more! The more productive you are, the more value you bring!” I want a broader perspective than this. Instead, I pray for clearer vision to see the Curved Road Ahead signs-of-life, and heed the warning to slow down.

 No Snowplowing 7pm-5am

The first time I saw this sign on 149, I was a little stressed. I’ve been on this highway during snow storms so thick we could barely make out the road. Since that experience, I carefully watch the weather, and I probably will avoid the road altogether after 5pm…but not everyone who hits this road has had these experiences. This sign meets the less-experienced driver with a warning: sometimes, on this road, resources are limited. When I think more about preparation for this journey, this realization can actually reduce my stress. What are other times on the journey where resources are limited? Nighttime? When I am extra-tired? When I am sick? How do I give myself grace in situations when resources are limited?

Hinsdale County Trash Transfer Station

Hinsdale County is the least populated county in Colorado. It. Is. Beautiful. It  is wild. It beacons to be explored. And yet - the Hinsdale County Trash Transfer sign points to the place in this region where trash is collected. Sounds like an ugly scar in the middle of this gorgeous landscape. This makes me long for a place I’ve heard of where there is no sadness, no crying, and no trash. A pristine landscape replete with the presence of the Creator. As wonderful as Hwy 149 is - it’s definitely not heaven. Small reminders like this sign draw me in and say, “If you think this is great - just wait!”

Point of Interest

I find this world fascinating. I am intrigued by both a tall building, a cave underground, and everything in-between. So, why have I not stopped at a Point of Interest sign since 1985? Because I am very destination oriented. I am so focused on the ETA that I’m fully ignoring any chance that could lengthen the trip (unless it’s a stop for gas and a Topo Chico). Points of Interest on the road offer opportunities to grow in our understanding of the area. And there are so many points of interest along the road of life that I so readily miss because my focus is on the arrival…and alllll the things I need to do once I arrive. Instead, I want to embrace the points of interest that draw me into wonder and observation.

If you join me in asking, “why does any of this even matter??” —then I have a response for both of us. It matters because the true joy and growth in life comes not in completing tasks on lists or ETAs. It doesn’t come from closing my rings (see apple watch blog) or sending emails. True joy and growth in life comes in the wonder of creation, the journey of faith, the freedom to ask questions, and the community that comes around us when we step in.  Let’s step in together.