Today marks the last day of my trip. I allow myself the luxury of staying in bed a little longer, but skipping breakfast is never an option. I’ve paid for it – so I go, even if it isn’t exactly great.

My plan for the day starts with a haircut at Semion Barbershop near Downtown Denver. I came across the place like so many others: by checking blogs and Google recommendations. It showed up as one of the top-rated barbershops with reasonable prices, so I booked an appointment.

After testing public transport earlier, I decided today to take the car instead. Much more flexible – especially on a Sunday. Driving takes only 22 minutes, while light rail and bus would stretch to over an hour, if everything even worked as scheduled.

Traffic on the interstate toward downtown is light. Drivers act like maniacs, but there’s enough space for me to make my way. Parking on a Sunday is easy too – street parking is allowed and, even better, free.

I end up way too early. My appointment is at noon, but I arrive at 11. No issue. At Semion you just write your name on a whiteboard, and they’ll call you. Since I hadn’t booked a specific barber, my turn comes only 20 minutes later.

Norwegian barbers don’t talk nearly this much, but small talk seems to be part of the lifestyle here. After the cut, wash, and styling, it’s time to pay – and I get a nice surprise. As a first-time customer, I get 10 USD off. I hand the same amount back as a tip, which is very much appreciated. At around 30 %, it’s generous, but I’m still paying about 15 USD less than I would in Norway.

With fresh hair, I head out to collect the last geocaches I need for my challenge. That means a bit of driving around since the specific attributes I need are found mostly outside the city center. The last one ends up being near Centennial Airport, tucked away in a bush. Luckily, no rattlesnakes around this time. After the Garden of the Gods earlier, I feel a bit more cautious.

At 5 pm, I’m hosting a geocaching event at Centennial Central Park, right across from the hotel I no longer stay in. I still have time to swing by Walmart for peanut butter and drinks, then back to the hotel to grab my geocaching gear and pack away things I won’t need anymore.

Today turns out to be the first really cloudy and rainy day of the whole trip. I’ve been very lucky with the weather so far. When I arrive at the park, my chosen spot is occupied by a volleyball group, but benches nearby do the job just fine. Seven geocachers show up, ranging in age from 17 to 65. One even squeezes it in before going home to cook her husband’s birthday dinner. That’s what I call priorities. We share stories, laugh a lot, and even decide to take on the multi-cache in the park together – a cache no one had logged before. With teamwork, we find it, even in the rain. Then it’s time for the usual goodbyes, and everyone heads off.

For me, the next stop is Sahara, a Middle Eastern restaurant I found on Tripadvisor. Like so many places here, it’s tucked in a shopping and industrial area, only reachable by car. It’s busy, which is usually a good sign, and the food turns out to be both tasty and affordable. I especially appreciate the free drink refills – something I wish Norway would adopt. It would save a lot of money.

Back at my place, it’s time to pack. My hand luggage is transformed into a checked bag, giving me two pieces since I booked Premium Economy for the flight. Everything fits, and the weight feels balanced. Experience tells me when I’m close to the 23 kg limit, and this feels about right. The rest of my items are split into two backpacks: one for under the seat, one for the overhead bin. A proper suitcase would have been easier, but this works.

By evening, everything is charged, clothes are laid out on the sofa, and the luggage is locked and ready. With an afternoon flight tomorrow, I don’t have to stress about waking up early. To be honest, I’m already looking forward to my own bed.