For the final step of this female balancing act, today I put off housework and work-work for something else: Trevor and I both cleared our schedules and spent some time together. We braved the outrageous Denver heat and had breakfast at Denver Biscuit Company on Tennyson, popped into a few shops, had an extra cup of coffee. Then we meandered into downtown Denver to visit the McGregor Tattered Cover, which I hadn’t seen yet. Of course, I bought a book.

Denver was sweltering, but more than that, it feels foreign to me. I don’t know how much of that is because it has actually considerably changed and how much of that comes from no longer living in a city anymore. The humanness of city spaces is palpable, yet everyone also seems disconnected from it. Maybe you have to be. Maybe that’s how you survive there, and I’ve forgotten.

We visited some thrift stores in the suburbs on our way back up the hill. I scored lots of graphic tees for the girls (okay, and for me) and a few extra glass jars for pantry items. It felt lucky. I love getting lucky at the thrift store, and I think it’s anthropologically interesting to visit thrift stores in different areas, feeling the vibe change, uncovering totally different treasures.

The day didn’t even end there. We raced home after our final errands and packed snacks and a picnic dinner. I picked up the girls and, with a little time to kill until piano lessons, we rested in the park reading and chatting. After piano lessons, we joined our friend Dan and his daughter Maya for a classical concert at the Evergreen Lake House, put on by the Conservatory of Music. It was completely delightful, and I hope Evergreen puts on cultural events like this in the future. That is definitely something I haven’t forgotten about the city, and it’s something I miss desperately.