I finally finished school and graduated from CSU with my B.S. in Chemical Engineering last month. I didn't think it I would feel that much different after graduating, but it has really instilled a sense of accomplishment in me and I am glad I was able to stick through and finish. It is not something everyone does and as I come to find out a college degree is something a lot of people do not have. Please do not look at my writing in this blog as a reflection of my degree, it is in engineering not writing.
After graduation I decided to take some time off before entering the "real" world and just relax, sort of. In my time off Amanda and I had to pack our apartment and move to the Northglenn area, because of my job. Although packing and moving kept me busy it was nice not having any homework or other school things to worry about. A few days after our move Amanda and I headed off to Mexico.
This was our graduation present to each other. She graduated last May and since I just did we needed to take a trip to celebrate and relax!! We vacationed in Tulum, Mexico, which is about 1.5 hours south of Cancun. I had never been to Mexico and it was amazing. The water was so clear and the sand was so white, it looked just like the movies. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort, which I liked because I could eat anytime and not have to pay extra for it. It was a Dreams Resort and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a nice quite vacation. It seemed like there were a lot of couples and families, not a whole lot of places to party though if that is your purpose in Mexico.
Our plan in choosing Mexico was we wanted to go some place where we could do nothing an be okay with it. However, it is our nature to stay busy so even when we just wanted to relax, we had to do something. Amanda was good at just reading a book but I could not sit still very long, so I developed a liking to swimming in the ocean, and especially snorkeling. Also while in Mexico we rode some bikes from our hotel, to the Tulum ruins and got a chance see them, and swim at the amazing beach there. Also at our hotel we had a chance to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 2 on the beach in between palm trees one night. It was great being on the Caribbean and feeling the wind and hearing the ocean while watching a movie. It was like natural surround sound!!
We also had a chance to go on a Mayan Adventure. There we were able to see the Mayan ruins at Coba and learn a little about the culture there. We also got a chance to climb one of the tallest Mayan temples, that you are allowed, and got to see great views of the jungle. During this adventure we also were able to walk through the jungle, swim in a cenote (under ground river, very cold but refreshing), rappel down a cliff, and zip-line through the jungle. It was a very busy day but very fun!! The rest of the time in Mexico was spent on the beach, or doing shopping. It was a great trip and we can't wait to go back!!
After returning from Mexico we came back to reality and began working. Amanda still holds her job as an assistant wellness coordinator at a corporate gym in Fort Collins. She has a good work schedule that makes the commute from Northglenn bearable. I am working for Washington Group International in the tech center, in the industrial process department. For anyone who knows Denver this too is quite the commute from Northglenn, but I found the bus system works very well for me. I can hop a bus and sleep all the way to work, I could never do that driving. It only takes me about an hour so it is not too bad.
So far at Washington Group I have been doing random projects here and there and lots of training. I have yet to receive an actual project but that will come with time. I like it there and the people are good to work with.
So far living in Denver isn't too bad. Fort Collins is still my favorite place to live but it is nice to be able to catch a Rockies game whenever I want instead of having to make a special trip. Look to see more frequent posts and here are some more pictures of our last few months.
Amanda and I after Graduation
An old pier on the beach
A bidet, you just don't see those every day
Our hotel lobby at sunset
The Tulum Ruins
Amanda descending the temple at Coba
