Starting Over After 50 | I Didn’t Expect Colorado to Feel Like This

I came back to Colorado expecting a day of off-roading and exploring. I didn’t expect being back in the mountains to hit me quite like this. In this episode of the Polzin Project, I’m finally introducing you properly to my co-pilot, Ylva, my White Swiss Shepherd. Then we’re heading back into the Colorado mountains for a day on Rampart Range—somewhere I haven’t been in years. After spending the last few years in Florida, getting Ripley back on a Colorado trail felt pretty incredible. There are bumpy roads, a camera that refuses to stay put, a little off-road trail etiquette, and—because apparently this is who I am now—I manage to get lost along the way. That wrong turn takes us toward Woodland Park and eventually through Manitou Springs, where this adventure becomes something I wasn’t expecting. Seeing those mountains again brought up a lot more emotion than I thought it would. We finish the day walking through Garden of the Gods with Ylva, taking in one of my favorite places in Colorado. This season of my life is about starting over after 50, saying yes to new adventures, and figuring out what comes next—one road trip, wrong turn, and unexpected moment at a time. If you’re new here, hi, friend. I’m Heather. The Polzin Project is my real-life diary of starting over, solo travel, road trips with Ylva, Jeep adventures with Ripley, and building a life that leaves room for whatever comes next. If that sounds like your kind of adventure, I’d love to have you along. Subscribe and come along for the next one. 📍 In this episode: Rampart Range, Colorado Woodland Park, Colorado Manitou Springs, Colorado Garden of the Gods — Colorado Springs, Colorado 🐾 Meet Ylva: White Swiss Shepherd and full-time adventure partner 🚙 Meet Ripley: My 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon EcoDiesel Follow the Polzin Project: Instagram: @polzinproject Ylva’s adventures: @ylva.explores #Colorado #ColoradoRoadTrip #GardenOfTheGods