S2E6: IRL.

Day 6: Sept 15 2023
Longmont, CO & Boulder, CO

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I’ve known Gino Zahnd via the internet for a long, long time now. We’ve never met in person, but our design and cycling circles overlap, and we share many mutual friends. We started chatting regularly during the pandemic, and I knew he was someone we absolutely had to meet on this trip.

Ozo Coffee Roasters is our rendezvous point, and around an outdoor fire pit, the three of us quickly ease into the familiarity of a tight-knit crew that seemingly has known each other for a lifetime.

After coffee, Gino welcomes us into his slice of life as we tour the home he shares with his wife, Starla. He introduces us to his two dogs, Abi and Angus, energetic and loving working dogs. The backyard garden is astounding — we eat ripened cherry tomatoes and take a melon for the road that I cut off the vine. We hug and promise to meet up the next day.

Downtown Boulder beckons, so we do the obligatory walk down Pearl Street. We visit my favorite smoothie place, Wonder Press, then wander the promenade, weaving in and out of some outdoor stores. It feels refreshing to stretch our legs after so many days on the road. Typically, our camp workout is in and out and up and down and moving all around, constantly getting something or putting something else away or avoiding harsh sun.

We also meet Caroline Wockner and Ty Brookhart, a couple we’ve gotten to know through Instagram over the last two years. Ty is selling his gorgeous custom ceramic pieces while a short film about his background and work is shown at the Arc’teryx Boulder store for their one-year anniversary.

We arrive and see Ty passing by who briefly gives a nod before he registers who we are. Caroline is just behind him, and we all hug and trade some conversation. Ty’s latest work is beautiful; the film is heartwarming and inspiring.

Everyone present gets a raffle ticket. If you purchase one of Ty’s pieces, you get five extra tickets. One of his mugs absolutely stands out to me, and I insist on adding it to our collection — we now own three. Five tickets are handed to me.

The drawings begin, and lo and behold, out of the seven tickets we hold between us, three result in prizes: Jen wins a hat; the first of mine earns a backpack; and our final score is a hooded jacket, the ultimate prize. We walk away with more than just a mug, but the people is what I’ll cherish the most.

As we drive back to the hotel a little past our normal bedtime, we talk about how it feels as though we live here. When you have locals to show you around, the sense of being a mere visitor erodes, and you feel like you’re a part of the local community, for as brief as it is.

The internet has given me so much — from a career to a wife to friends who happen to be some of the most interesting and inspiring people I can hopefully meet someday, in real life.