Picture this: You’re sitting in a hot spring in the middle of August, and it’s night. Because you’re so far from any city, the stars above you are vivid against the night sky. There are so many, in fact, that you can hardly make out any constellations besides the Big Dipper.

You’re leaning against the rocks that jut out of the hot water as a group of people begin to sing…Christmas carols. Turns out they’re an opera choir from Denver and they’re performing in a small nearby town the next day. They sound incredible.

It’s also a new moon, and there’s a meteor shower. You lay there, in the steaming water, a little heady from the heat, as a choir sings “Carol of the Bells,” and so many meteors pass through the night sky that you run out of wishes. In that moment, what’s there left to wish for?

Matt and I went up to Strawberry Hot Springs just over a week ago. If you live in Colorado and you haven’t been there, you must go. We stayed in a covered wagon that we think was an actual wagon updated with some fresh canvas and other accoutrements.

The Wagon

The landscape is beautiful, with aspens and evergreen trees covering the mountain slopes. Anyway, we had a wonderful time there, though I’d definitely say that the private operatic performance during a meteor shower will go down as one of the most sublime moments of my life.