Champagne Celebration in the desert

Celebration in a bottle

It starts with removing the foil cap, like carefully unwrapping a special gift. Next comes the anticipation of the cork flying out of the bottle, the sound of the “POP!” when it releases, the bubbles that rush up the glass… The celebration has begun! When you take a sip, the liquid filled with thousands of tiny bubbles rolls over your tongue and dissolves into a smooth, silky texture. If you listen closely it sounds like a far away round of applause in a filled opera house. Your mood is immediately elevated and your feel both sophisticated and giddy at the same time. Champagne! No other beverage evokes such a celebratory state of mind!

Why we’re popping open the bubbly in the desert…

All this talk of Champagne brings me to our own celebration, and reason for popping the cork. We have just closed a chapter in our lives and are now starting a new one. We sold our cafe in Durango, Jarrod’s baby that he opened over 11 years ago at the ripe age of 25. It’s hard to believe that we met 10 years ago, when the cafe was still in its infancy.

Since then our passions and skills have developed, and pursuing them has brought us closer, while at the same time pulled us apart. He has been invested in the cafe while I have gone off to faraway places to work as an active travel guide. He has elevated the cafe to more of a ‘farm to table’ concept, something that he is very passionate about. My job has given me opportunities to travel and learn Italian, as well as time to pursue my Sommelier Certification.

 

As much as we support each other in pursuing our individual dreams, the distance between us has never been easy. Each of us felt that we were outgrowing our careers and we found ourselves seeking more.

The Road Of Endless Possibilities

We have a burning drive to discover more of the world together. Without the reigns of the cafe holding us back, and with nothing on my schedule for guiding, that’s precisely what we’re doing! We’ve rented out our house for a year and hit the road of endless possibilities with open minds. One of our goals during this “gap year” is to find inspiration to steer us toward our next venture. We’re excited to not only have this time to explore together, but to ultimately create something together as well.

Desert Recharge

Our first stop was the desert landscape outside of Zion National Park. It gave us just what we needed: A week of sunshine, solitude, dry trails and desert sunsets. It was the perfect recharge for this new beginning.

Champagne and Desert Pairing

Our first discovery: Champagne and the open desert make a beautiful pair! I’m so glad we brought the wine glasses! It felt symbolic to pop the cork on this bottle of Champagne. This was a special one that I brought to commence our journey: Pascal Doquet blanc de blanc Grand Cru. It aged on its lees for 10 years, which seemed fitting since that was the same amount of time that we had the cafe together.

I’m so proud of Jarrod for putting his all into the café up until the last day. I’m even more proud that he is taking this chance with me and diving into the unknown. I’m seeing little changes in him already. He seems more carefree, less attached to his phone, and he isn’t so concerned with the time or squeezing things in. Even his gait seems lighter without the burden or responsibilities of owning a business.

Desert Allure

The desert is such a magical place. The open landscape quiets the mind of unnecessary thoughts and preoccupations. The massive cliffs with multicolored geologic layers capture your full attention. The contours and canyons beckon you to stay longer and explore further. We would have too, but rain in the forecast pushed us along to head west and continue exploring. Also, we ran out of Champagne!