In a state filled with transplants, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “What brought you to Colorado?” Sometimes I tailor my response based on who is asking because the truth is, there are several answers to that question for me. By nature I am a pretty observant person who appreciates the smaller things in life, but Covid-19 has amplified that and I took some time to reflect on: why Colorado?
Reason #1: SUNSHINE
I was introduced to Denver in the 1990s when I came out to the National Western Stock Show with my family. If you aren’t familiar with Denver, the city has changed drastically since that time. But one thing I do clearly remember is walking around in January in the sunshine sans winter jacket and loving every minute. Rumor has it we get 300+ days of sunshine here and it truly does do a lot for my mental state. Throw in the dry climate and 30 degrees here feels so much warmer than in the Midwest. I’ve officially lost my Midwest winter toughness. I do have to drink twice as much water to stay hydrated but I certainly do not miss the humidity (my running doesn’t either). Sunshine is good for the soul.
Reason #2: ACTIVE MINDSET
During the Stay at Home orders, Denver actually set up barricades to block off streets around the city so people would have more space to recreate since parks were getting overcrowded. People here are A C T I V E. All ages. All sizes. I exercise daily but my feats pale in comparison to what most people here are doing – it’s inspiring. I think back to a time when I was jogging on the side of the road in a small Illinois town and actually got flipped off for doing so…those weren’t my people. I’ve found my people in Colorado!
Reason #3: MOUNTAINS
You knew I couldn’t leave this one out…and I’m not even a skier! I can do an occasional beach here and there but ultimately they bore me. I love how the same mountain can look totally different depending on time of day and season. And the view you are rewarded with after that hard climb to the top is unbeatable. I’ve literally felt on top of the world!
Reason #4: GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
I didn’t stumble upon this reason until I lived here for a bit and did some travel. Denver is a two hour flight to a LOT of U.S. cities. The airport is undergoing a huge expansion right now and they are adding more international destinations regularly. I’ll add that I have come to embrace Mountain as my favorite time zone – national events start a bit earlier, getting me to bed on time. 🙂
Reason #5: CASUAL ENVIRONMENT
When I lived in Chicago, my friends and I would put on our trendiest “bar attire” to go out for a night on the town. And while I loved it in my mid twenties, I’m much more comfortable with the casual Colorado environment as a 40-something minimalist. A big reason so many folks are in their active attire at a brewery is because they just rolled in from the mountains, or a bike ride, or a run! Refer to reason #2…..
Reason #6: CRAFT BEER
Colorado has one of the highest volumes of craft breweries in the country. And while I love sampling each brewer’s version of an IPA, what I enjoy even more is experiencing the vibe each venue has created. They are all so unique and really telling of what the founder wants to express. My favorite Meetup group is the Denver Beer Runners because they select a different brewery every week to run from and then socialize over a beer with new and old friends. Many breweries have their own run clubs but I truly enjoy exploring new ones every week! One of the saddest parts of Covid-19 for me is knowing our market was likely over-saturated and some breweries will not survive.
While no state is perfect, Colorado comes pretty close to it for me!
the single minimal(ist) 