The thing about Denver...

The thing about Denver is...it definitely has its own culture that isn't too hard to quickly pick up on. And being a natural overanalyzer and also having my degree in Sociocultural Studies...I think it's super interesting.

It's basically like freshman year of college all over again.  Except instead of 18 year olds fresh out of their hometowns....it's 20somethings that graduated college a few years ago and recently left their home states. Most of the people I've met either just got their first "real" job here which is why they moved....or they moved here just to try something new and had to just find any job right away to pay the rent.

And buy ski passes.

But really, it's such a young city...any restaurant/bar you go to is full of people under the age of 30.  And I've maybe seen one nursing home.  Maybe.  I'm not sure if it's a nursing home or an apartment with lots of wheelchair ramps and a sunshiny/dignity-giving sounding name.

Everyone is willing to befriend new people pretty quickly.  The first thing my friend Alex told me when I got here...is not to ever be hesitant about inviting myself to things.  People don't look at it the same way as in the midwest.  It's not annoying, it's welcomed because everyone is wanting to get to know more people and make new friends here.

No one is originally from here.  Well...at least it doesn't seem like it.  If you're a Colorado native....you're super rare.  Honestly, I've maybe only met 2 or 3 people so far that grew up here.  And they have bumper stickers that say so.

Freedom is highly valued.  Not the typical "I'm an American, hear me roar" kind of freedom...but the "I just moved away from everyone and everything I know, so don't hold me back, I'm going to climb every 14er, meet lots of people, and enjoy every second of this stage of life" type of freedom.  You don't find too many people in dating relationships.  And of course it goes without saying that everyone is super outdoorsy and adventurous.  And healthy.  And outdoorsy. And drives a Subaru or a Jeep.  Um...and outdoorsy.

Skiing/Snowboarding/Camping/MountainBiking/Hiking/Climbing/TrailRunning.  If you live in Colorado and don't do any of that...why are you even here?  Girls that wear plaid downtown get hit on more than girls who wear skirts.  Okay maybe that's not entirely true...well...yeah it kind of is.

Well, I'll stop there, because I've only lived here for 8 months and I don't want to get too stereotypical.  But I think most people that live here can agree with most of that.  If I'm wrong, well, I'll buy you a Clif bar.


Okay, unrelated to the main point of this post...but I went to Washington again this weekend.  Of course I had an amazing time and it gets harder and harder to come back to Colorado each time (which is saying something, because Colorado is awesome).   I got a motorcycle ride, got to watch boyfriend play in his softball tournament, hang out with a bunch of his friends, meet his three grandmas, learn how to wakeboard and go tubing while out on sunny Lake Washington for 6 hours!! So much fun.

I love Instagram...but really I'm not super into the faded and old fashioned picture look.  It's sort of pointless to me.  It's like moving backwards in photography.

So here's a few of my favorite (anti-Instagram) pictures from the day on the lake:

 

I have something to confess...

I'm curious what you expect to read with that kind of a title.  Sorry to disappoint, but it's not going to be anything gossip-worthy.  I mean...I know not many people read these posts, but there are crazies out there, come on now.

But I do have some things to confess.  Confession is good for the soul.  And these things have really been weighing on me today.  Especially the cookie one....

Confession #1: Pigeon Peril. 

I am an animal lover, really I am.  But....pigeons.
Really?!
They're harmless, yes.  But they have to be the most annoying creatures, ever.

They always say to get to know your neighbors...and I avoid all my male neighbors just...because. But there's a young mom that lives below and across from me and I've made small talk with her a little bit, BUT then one day she told me to be nice to the pigeons.

Be nice to the pigeons?!

All I was doing was shooing them off my bike that I store on my porch, because EVERY time I go for a ride I need to wipe off pigeon poop first.

And I just don't like pigeon poop.

So I stopped shooing them.  Because I was more afraid of her getting mad at me than I was of pigeon poop.  But now the pigeons have started hanging out on my skylight.  All. The. Time.  And they keep pecking at it.  And they won't stop.  Ever.  They went for probably 4 hours the other day.  And if they're not pecking it, they're walking across it anditsjustsoannoyingggg.

They just stand up there.  Pecking.  And taunting me.  I threw a quarter at the window this morning to try to scare them off...and it got stuck on the ledge.

So then I was even more mad.

Because quarters are precious commodities when you live in an apartment where you need quarters to do laundry.

Shoo, pigeons. Seriously.  And take your poop with you.

Confession #2: I've been Slacking.

Most people that know me, know that I love running.   I ran my second half marathon this last May, but since then have probably only ran like 3 or 4 times.  And never more than 3 miles at a time.  No excuses, but it was a combination of Denver's crazy hot weather...and my pure laziness.

But now I'm back in the game.  Well, as of yesterday.

I ran 5 miles last night and saw 7 deer.  I live in Aurora, a first ring suburb of Denver.  Why were there 7 deer hanging out so close to downtown? To tell me, "Good job!" and that it's about time I get my butt back in shape. Obviously.

First deer of the run.  She was nice. 

So today I was still inspired by my deer friends and ran 4 during my lunch break.  No deer this time, though.  But I did almost get run over by a guy on a bike who was fixated on his iphone.  So that was fun. 

Confession #3: Work Woes. 

Today we got in an awesome donation that was palletized not-so-awesomely.  So my job was to re-palletize the boxes.  The boxes were stacked like 8 feet high.  I'm only 5'10. And the boxes weighed between 45-95 lbs.  So needless to say I was struggling.  And complaining.  Mostly in my head...but also in a text to my boyfriend.  

Yes, I smiled for the picture. 

But, I have awesome coworkers who helped me and an amazing boyfriend who reminded me how important this job really is, because although this is hard work....it's part of the process for getting these brand new, donated clothing items to women around the world who really need them.  

Hard to complain when you work for a non-profit organization that is doing amazing things, right? 

Right.  

Confession #4: I'm a Selfish Cookie Eater. 

Last but not least, I must confess that I....in fact....took the last cookie in the breakroom at work today. 

And I'm sorry.  I just finished my run and I was sick of stacking boxes and it was just sitting there and...and....

Well....

I blame the pigeons.  

Cutting up Cantelope.

I usually write a post after something exciting happens.

Today, I'm not.

Today I came home from work and the highlight of the evening was cutting up a cantelope.

....Cutting up a cantelope....

Whoo. Hoo.

And I learned I'm horrible at it.  (But really, is there an actual technique to this? I almost Googled it.) But I will say I did get better, because the last few pieces I actually saved more than threw away.  So I could say I learned a new skill.

Puttin that one on the resume.

Usually I'd have small group Bible study tonight..but we're in between summer and fall sessions.

I wish I at least had a roommate.  Well, another one minus the spikes. (love you, Quincy)

But yanno what? I kind of like my nights with nothing planned.  I value occasionally being bored.  In moderation of course...but people run around too much.  They're committed to 50 different things a week and never have time to just sit and be bored.  I also think it's hard for God to speak to us when we're constantly running around being distracted.  Of course He is known for grabbing our attention no matter what is going on around us, but I often find myself asking Him where He's leading me in a certain part of life....then I rush off to my soccer game.  "g2g, God, ttyl!" Okay, now what field are we playing on? I hope I packed my shinguards...

Waaaayyy too distracted.

But tonight, my apartment is clean, my hedgie is sleeping, I don't have cable, so tonight--I'll just be bored.  And blog about it.  Because someday I'll probably have kids running around, dishes that need to be done, clothes that need to be washed, meetings I need to get to...and I'll wish I could just sit and do nothing and not feel guilty about it.

Don't get me wrong, you need to be involved in stuff and be social and all of that.  We're made to be relational.

And don't be lazy.  No one likes that.

But I think constantly being busy can be bad.

So just like mint Oreos, crazy family members, guacamole from Chipotle, and time spent with that-friend-that-you-love-but-can-only-take-so-much-of....everything is best and healthy (yes, Oreos can be healthy, because I say so)...in moderation.

Cliche #92: "Everything in moderation!" 

Because life isn't always about running to the next social event or about planning your next trip or even about climbing big mountains.

Sometimes, it's about cutting up cantelope.

Always cross the ocean.

Have you ever noticed that shopping malls have been McDonaldinized? I suppose they always have been.  But I had always just gone to the same few in MN so never really noticed it.
But really..

All malls are prettttty similar no matter what part of the country you're in.

You always have the Starbucks in the middle somewhere, a play area for kids, a Macy's on the corner, a food court, usually a movie theater attached, a bunch of escalators, a Claire's, and don't forget about that lovely bombardment of Abercrombie cologne that takes over the whole corridor near the store...and therefore always reminds you of that boy you dated in high school.

Well today I went shopping for a very specific item.  A dark purple dress that was nice enough to be a bridesmaid's dress.  Because that's what it will be.  I shopped for about 2 hours...and left empty-handed. I'm trying not to procrastinate on this one..but one sales associate told me, "Oh, but don't worry!!! Dark purple will be coming with the fall collection!!!" First of all, thank you for that heads up, sales lady! Second of all, you might want to chill on the caffeine, although I know that Starbucks is right outside your store. But okay. I guess I will wait for....the fall collection.

 But one thing I did realize today was that for me, going to a mall can either cure or cause a little homesickness.  Now, homesickness is not the right word...its more like, "I-miss-my-friends-and-the-familiar-things-I-was-used-to-and-all-the-memories-I-had-there."

That has gotten a TON better lately, but when I first moved here, going to a mall cured that a bit...because it felt like I WAS back at a familiar mall for a few hours.  But today I went to the mall being perfectly content...and left with a little longing for home again.

Sorry, that made me sound so depressed and dramatic.  I promise, I'm not.  It was just an interesting little observation, that of which has no significance to you whatsoever, I suppose.

Also, I DO get to go back to MN for ten days in September! To be in two weddings on back-to-back weekends (I love how that worked out).  And I'm crossing my fingers and praying REALLY hard that it works out for Josh to come with, too! (I wonder if God reads my blog? Just in case...please, please, please!!)

I figure if Josh can put up with me for a 15 hour car ride there, 10 days with me, my family and friends, including two weddings, and after all that....NOT buy a plane ticket outta there asap, and instead endure another 15 hours in the car with me back to CO......then he wins.  What does he win? I don't know.
Well, me, I guess.

Speaking of the boyfriend, he came here mid-July. We drove around the Rocky Mountain National park, played some mini-golf, went to church, watched a few movies, brought him to work with me, and ate way too many Sonic Slushies. It was perfect. *Sap, sap, sap*

The next weekend I climbed my first 14er (14,000 ft mtn).  It was pretty incredible. I met quite a few new people, as there were 23 of us that went.  I went through 3 bottles of water, 2 bandaids, 2 Cliff bars, and a peanut butter sandwich.  And I was sore for 3 full days.

  

THEN...a week later Josh had a great, last minute idea and that weekend I flew to to WA!

Spontaneity? Yes please.

His dad is the youth pastor at their church and the high schoolers had been camping at a lake all week, so I flew in and we joined them for the weekend! My parents were also driving from Spearfish, SD to my aunt's house in Oregon....so miracle of all miracles happened, and all 6 of us (Josh, his parents, me, my parents) were in the same state.  So...we of course had to meet for dinner (Red Robin! Yum!)--where Josh got to meet my parents for the first time, and our parents also got to meet! The dinner was full of lively conversations ...and my favorite sweet potato fries.

So now its Sunday night, and I'm sitting at home eating a bowl full of grapes.  Oh, exciting news..some of you know I don't have cable--not even the local fuzzy stations...well, I bought seasons of Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother on Amazon!  So now I can pretend I have tv! And actually sit on my couch! Because I never do! Because the WiFi I steal from my neighbor doesn't reach over there! So that's exciting.  Actually, its not really that exciting.  But when you put exclamation points at the end of your sentences, it seems more exciting.

Alright, I'm done now.

I'll leave you with my new favorite quote, that perfectly describes how I felt when I made the move to Colorado, and can be applied to almost any situation that causes you to go out of your comfort zone: "You can never cross the Ocean unless you have the Courage to lose sight of the Shore."

When you have the chance, always cross the ocean!!