ESTES PARK - After I returned home from Hygiene, Colorado, I spent time self-reflecting and contemplating the ways I could find true happiness once again. I considered the red string theory, a theory that suggests there's an invisible red thread connecting individuals who are fated to be together. I contacted a few of the beautiful women in my life to share what was happening with them.

Luckily, one substitute mother of mine had advice to offer my longing heart. I wrote down her suggestions and read through them several times. I cried and laughed, I even skipped around my living room with excitement.

As I read the motherly advice before me, as much as I was grateful to have a substitute Mom to turn to, I missed my birth mother. Nonetheless, with many changes ahead of me, I reached out to another friend, DB.

DB and I made plans to catch up over brunch. She picked me up at my cabin. We headed to the Mountain Home Café in Estes Park. The same owners have been operating the café for about 30 years. The café serves delicious breakfast and lunch daily.

Aside from the laid-back atmosphere, the impressive menu at Mountain Home Café makes it challenging to choose something to eat. I opted for the Santa Fe Chicken Wrap, which is making me drool as I type its name. The tomato basil wrap filled with homemade goodness stood no chance.

The owner wasn’t lying when she said, “We put lots of love and careful attention into everything that we serve.” The ambiance in the café made it easier to open up further, allowing me to confess my hopes and anxiety to DB.

I’m excited about the changes occurring in my life, but I also have fears; not out of doubt, but concern that maybe I will do something wrong. It’s natural, I guess, to fear messing up, especially when you’re finally given something you’ve been dreaming about for half of your life.

I confessed, as I did to you in my last “Discover Colorado” column, that I was still very much in love with someone I met in my 20s. I shared details about my feelings and how those feelings are changing my near future. I didn’t care who was listening.

I couldn’t believe half the things that were coming out of my mouth. I was an open book, reading aloud words I had once decided never to speak or feel again. But after everything I said, I had one more thing to confess to my friend.

I could no longer deny that the love of my life and I have been living thousands of miles apart, yet feeling the same way about each other for the past 22 years. DB offered more great advice as we bonded over life’s surprises and miracles. It was just what I needed.

That day, I didn’t just discover another great Colorado destination. I realized the red string theory isn’t a theory at all— not in my life, at least. My red thread has been tied to my love’s heart by fate, and while it has tangled and stretched, it has never broken.

The Mountain Home Café is located at 457 East Wonderview Avenue, Estes Park. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mountainhomecafe or call them at 970-586-6624.