Waking up early in a restaurant, I shivered like a madman uncontrollably, twenty minutes away from the warmth that would really kickstart my venturing into the west. Beginnings to this could be traced back to when I sized up that bulky, elevated conglomerate that is the Rockies after stepping off the plane. I’d await a message from my host relative, it never came. Hues of white and gray, piercing and jagged, broke the skyline, dominating as I peered at the mile-high city from the train window. Becoming short of breath was something I’d been warned about, but the crisp mountain air was just too insatiable for my nostrils not to inhale. Regardless, I flew down famous Larimer Square, my longboard consuming the sidewalk’s history with every square foot of pavement covered. A magnificent mile in itself, the square with it’s large clay of the earth hued tiles, were dotted with sizable potted trees, dividing man and vehicular pathways. Scores of stores lined either which way, detracting away from the human focus and stirring previously unknown inclinations. Experiencing the west for the first time, I was drawn in by a long lost relative of nearly a decade. “Text me when you're here and I’ll pick you up.” he voiced with a subtle, yet composed excitement. His words reverberated within me the rest of the trip, during the Qdoba nights, the old western Wyoming dusk, even now. The Saturday sun’s rays broke through luminously, and feeling effervescent, stepped off my board, heel clapping maniacally like a dingledodie. Daytime was waning, and in my stubbornness thought 30$ a night for a hostel rather expensive. A Qdoba manager allowed me to sleep in a hallway between two businesses. As I laid strewn about and shrouded in the moon-kissed tinges of the frigid Denver night, my skin was riddled with goosebumps, the door's draft laying siege upon my three layers of clothing. Stoic approaches to difficulties marinated in my mind, brain and hand becoming yin&yang, synchronizing for penned ecstasy. For another day I'd endure the pains of nature, and the turbulent, yet euphoric prose to accompany it. I was gone before dawn. Having inherited the gift of gab from my grandfather, found myself Sunday bantering into the laissez-faire lives of the locals. Sailing through a parking lot, an azure tip of a surfboard protruding from a teal Jeep clamoured attention from my eyes. They say the energy you put into the world is what you get back; it was manifesting. My interest was piqued, and as I turned around sating my pupils, our circles of solitude subsided, giving way to our shared but unspoken wanderlust. Sarah and I sat chatting in the trunk of her jeep, nature giving our clothes slight tugs with her gentle zephyrs. We reveled at the highs and lows life brings. Discussing the nuances of being solo travelers, I realized we were all just global siblings equally zealous, hopping from our own backyards into those of others. Bidding her adieu, spontaneity struck thrice. Monday found me adrift to the Cowboy State. Boarding greyhounds, I’ve learned being inundated with sensory overload is likely inevitable. Quickly I fell asleep, awaking to the abundant vastness that is the plains. Cheyenne boasted no tumble weed in sight, but incessant winds with tenacity enough to make Rocky Balboa proud. Sources from Arby’s nearby mentioned a half hour trek into town; I sauntered onwards. Meandering tattered sidewalks, I surveyed dilapidated hotels and diners, reminiscent of a ghost town. I hemmed and hawed on a sense of direction; a lone cowboy, with the confidence to walk into any saloon. The day culminated in mingling with local socialites. I was taken aback and at the same time greeted by seemingly cascading niceness coupled with such carefree mentalities; the charms of the west are truly a gem shown through its relaxed residents. Twice I'd been given rides by complete strangers, who asked nothing in return. I hope to be in a position to emulate this someday. Monochromatic pavement is being treaded, heat waves visibly emanating from it. A screen is illuminating and buzzing vigorously, trembling the space many times the size of its own. Some things are better left unanswered.