walking the edge of the city i never planned to love

the first thing i noticed was the air-it felt like someone had cracked a window into january and let the whole world in.

i just checked and it's 5.76°c there right now, feels like 3.36°c, hope you like that kind of thing. i didn't, not at first. i was wearing a hoodie i thought would be enough, but the wind cut through it like a bad breakup.

i ended up here because of two numbers: 5417041 and 1840018825. no clue what they mean, but i like to think they're coordinates to something no one else remembers. maybe a diner, maybe a ghost town, maybe just the spot where i dropped my phone in a puddle.

anyway, i'm a *freelance photographer*, so i'm always chasing light, even when it's hiding. and here, it hides behind low clouds and long shadows. but that's the thing-sometimes the best shots come from the worst weather. someone told me that the locals call this time of year "the blue season," because everything looks like it's been dipped in cold steel. i heard that from a barista who also said the best coffee in town is at Brew & Breathe, and honestly, she wasn't wrong.

"if you're looking for something real, skip the tourist traps. go to the record store on 4th. the guy behind the counter will talk your ear off about jazz."

i did that. spent two hours listening to a man named gary explain why vinyl sounds warmer than digital. i didn't understand half of it, but i bought a record anyway. it crackles like the air here.

if you get bored, colorado springs and manitou springs are just a short drive away. but honestly? i'd stay here. there's something about the way the light hits the brick at golden hour, even when it's freezing. someone else told me the best view is from the abandoned water tower on the east side. i haven't been yet, but i'm going tomorrow. maybe i'll finally figure out what those numbers mean.

for now, i'm just walking. and shooting. and trying to remember what it felt like to be warm.

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