Our 2019 Newsletter

Holiday greetings! This newsletter is brought to you from New Castle, Colorado, where the Nelson-George household is upholding our second-annual tradition.

As we move into 2020 (and into a brand new decade), we would like to extend our warmest thoughts and well-wishes to our family and friends that make these holiday good-feelings worth sharing.

Thank you for being an important part of our lives! We’re filled with love and gratitude for every single one of you.

2019 in Review

Our year started quietly in our home in New Castle, counting down to midnight with our best friends Alexis and Jessica. Winter was fairly low-key for us. We jumped into Marie Kondo’s tidying up craze, visited Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs, did a little cold-weather hiking, and tried cross country skiing for the first time.

Though we lost my childhood dog Caesar, I was able to see him a few times and enjoyed every moment I had with him. A few months later, we also said goodbye to my other pup, Olive. These were two major losses back-to-back, but it was comforting to have so many childhood memories with those two yorkies.

I was also able to spend some quality time with our nephew, Everest, as he sought refuge from India’s high pollution. During his visit to Colorado, we went hot springs soaking, blew bubbles, read many books, and shared some laughs.

Chad became a regular member at a local board game meet-up, while I nestled into a hefty goal to read as many books as my schedule would allow.

As the snow thawed, Chad and I found ourselves longing for some adventure. We packed up the car for our first extended road trip. Our first stop was the Grand Canyon, followed by Scottsdale, Arizona, for some spring training baseball. We crossed several items off our travel bucket list, and had an amazing time along the way.

For my birthday (cheers to 24!), I got to spend quality time with my parents and Chad in Grand Junction, followed by a quick trip to Gunnison to see the George side of the family and my visiting best friend Laura.

Later in the spring, I house-sat for my parents for several weeks. It was a blast getting to know Grand Junction a little better.

Work also presented some cool opportunities. I stayed at the nearby Redstone Castle, hiked Hanging Lake, and spent a day interviewing disabled veterans; each were memorable and special.

The season ended on several high notes: we threw a party, I got a new tattoo, and we spent as much time as we could outside.

Summer 2019 was a total whirlwind. I kicked off the season with a quick trip to Washington, D.C. where I was able to spend time with family and celebrate my cousin Ava’s high school graduation.

Shortly after, Chad and I traveled to Steamboat Springs for Chad’s 25th birthday. While we were there, we enjoyed the Reds, Whites, and Brews beer festival, soaked at Strawberry Park Hot Springs, and couldn’t believe our eyes when there was snow falling on the first official day of summer. 

Chad and I also made two pilgrimages back home to Gunnison. Both visits were a ton of fun and involved hiking, family time, and reunions with friends. During Cattleman’s Days, I played in an alumni softball game, we went to the rodeo, and we caught the parade, which Greg and Anna (Chad’s dad and sister) were in. We especially loved spending some quality time with our nephew Phillip and niece Kay, and it was great to see the George clan watching my softball game like old times.

Our summer was also full of made several quick visits to Denver. There was an Ariana Grande concert, a surprise birthday party, and a housewarming celebration involved. When we weren’t on the road visiting friends and family or working, Chad and I did our best to explore the trails within the Roaring Fork valley.

A definite highlight of our year was Banff, Canada; Chad and I joined my parents on a wonderful vacation. We spent five days staying in a castle, walking through town, hiking and exploring Lake Louise, and enjoying the stunning 365-degree views around us.  

On the personal side of things, Chad and I made new financial goals and reassessed our necessary budget for house-saving. I changed my side-gig freelance job; now, I write for a grooming website and a travel agency. For my regular PR job, I started working from home full time.

The fall season started with a quick trip to Montana, to see visiting family from India. I flew into Spokane before spending the rest of the time crashing my parent’s Airstream vacation. Meanwhile Chad was able to have a solo visit home to Gunnison, with some of his favorite things: family corn hole tournaments, fall colors, breakfast at the W Cafe, and Friday afternoon club at his grandma’s.

Chad and I celebrated our second marriage anniversary and eight years of being together. Later, we enjoyed a super fun weekend at Palisade’s wine fest with my parents.

Once the colors changed, Chad and I made it a priority to do some local exploring; we visited Maroon Bells for the first time, hiked in Snowmass, and drove through Glenwood Springs’ 4 Mile. We vowed to add the Crested Butte – Aspen Hike to our bucket list.

At work, Chad started overseeing a construction project in Craig, Colorado. This ongoing project has required several days and nights spent in the town, where he’s been gaining invaluable experience as an engineer.

In the beginning of October, I did some more pet-sitting for my brother Tyler in Denver. For an entire week I pretended to be a local—catching up with my best friends, going to breweries, and attending a freezing Red Rocks concert.

Soon after, Chad and I made a quick one-night trip to Moab, where we did some tent-camping. It was a blustery 15 degrees that night, but we made it through. A day later, I was on the road to California, for my work’s second-annual Hot Springs Connection—the first-ever conference for hot springs in the US. I had a great time catching up with and learning more about hot springs across the nation (and even the world).

We spent Thanksgiving in Denver, and enjoyed spending time with Tyler, Natalie, our adorable niece Nora, and my parents. We also got to see my visiting grandparents and spend some time at my parent’s new home in Grand Junction.

As 2019 comes to a close, we’re headed to Gunnison and are excited to be home for Christmas.

On to 2020

Overall, 2019 was a both rewarding and busy. Our year was filled with growth, travel, and the pursuit of new and exciting chapters. Chad and I tried new things and experiences, reconnected with many friends and family. As we move forward into 2020 and a new decade, we hope to continue crushing goals and having as much fun as possible while we do. Cheers!

Lots of love and light,

Savannah and Chad