If you live in Estes Park, the word “Impatient” should be eliminated from your vocabulary. There is nothing so important that you can’t wait an extra few minutes or hours or days for. We originally lived in the Northeast and “Impatient” was a common theme many times a day. Everyone was in a rush and they always thought that what they were doing was the most important thing at that moment and that what they were doing was more important that what you were doing. The faster that you were able to accomplish your destination or goal, the happier you were.
 
Unfortunately, we have witnessed instances where some people in Estes Park become exceedingly “impatient” with some of the situations that are mentioned below. We obviously can’t determine whether or not the people were from Estes Park or just visitors. But we do know that some of the situations we observed are not that important in the scheme of life when it comes to being impatient. For us, all we have to do is stop, realize what the situation is and just roll with what is going on around us. It makes for a much happier day for us.
 
For example: Driving into RMNP. We usually drive into Rocky Mountain National Park early in the morning and almost 100% of the time no one on the road… until one day when we start driving up Bear Lake Road. In front of us and probably the only car on Bear Lake Road is a vehicle that is taking in the majestic views on every twist and turn of the road… really enjoying the moment of RMNP. Maybe it’s their first time here, maybe it’s their second time here or maybe they live in Estes Park and just maybe they just can’t get enough of looking at the beauty of RMNP. It doesn’t really matter as they are not even driving the speed limit on Bear Lake Road… just barely creeping along. We have a destination and a goal as we wanted to start at a trail head at a specific time. And at this speed, we are not going to arrive on time. If we were in the Northeast and, if there was another car in front of us, that person would be leaning on their car horn, tail gaiting the car in front, making gestures to the car in front and finally passing the car in a no passing zone. Those were distinct possibilities of the situation in the Northeast. But we are relaxed as we know that when there is a place to pull over; these people will pull over and let us pass. That is the way of Estes Park, so we never become “Impatient.”
 
For example: Driving down Route 34 or Fall River Road, there are always cars stopped to let the Elk cross the road or maybe they have slowed down to view the Big Horn Sheep or maybe there are Deer nearby. Maybe they’ve never seen the wildlife, or maybe they’ve seen the wildlife yesterday or maybe they live in Estes Park and they see the wildlife almost everyday. Whatever the reason is, they are stopping to enjoy the moment. But unfortunately, we have observed cars speeding by on the right hand side of the stopped cars down the breakdown lane because they can not wait for the wildlife to cross the road. If we are in these situations, we just stop our car and enjoy the moment too. Wildlife does not have a time frame, so don’t expect them to move as fast as you would like them to. Some people would actually prefer if they didn’t move at all so they could really take in that special moment. So, we never become “Impatient.”
 
For example: While entering the Fall River Entrance (on the Beaver Meadow Entrance we can swipe our card), there could be only one car in front of us. As we watch six cars in the two other lanes pass by us where we are still waiting for that single car in front of us to move ahead, we are witnessing the ranger answer all those questions that the person in front of us is concerned about. Maybe it’s their first trip into RMNP, maybe it’s their second trip into the park or maybe they live in Estes Park. We want that person in front of us to have the best experience possible in RMNP so we start looking around for Deer or Elk and just enjoy that moment of entering RMNP. So, we never become “Impatient.”
 
So, before you become “Impatient”, sit back, experience the moment, take a deep breath and see the beauty that surrounds you. Time should be your friend, not your nemesis. Nothing is really that important to become “Impatient” with. Enjoy the moment. That is really all you have in life as you are never guaranteed the next.