that one day I realized I am completely unprepared for this cold weather a.k.a. the first snow hike

So my friend Mark asks us (myself, Courtney and Rachel) if we want to go hiking this weekend. As new CO transplants excited about outdoor adventures, of course we all said YES!! As we are driving up into the mountains and the temperature continues to drop (I think the lowest it got was 14 degrees), I started to think maybe I don't have the correct outdoor clothing for these sort of adventures.

on our snow hike on Echo Mountain (photo courtesy Rachel Stevenson)

I don't. I definitely don't. Next on my purchase list: snow boots (preferably Sorels), snow/ski jacket, a beanie, ear warmers, face mask (I think my nose almost got frostbite), thicker gloves, more thermal clothings, snow pants, and the list goes. Dear REI: please have a sale soon.

Rachel, Mark, Courtney and I found a gazebo on our hike!!

Regardless of my lack of proper clothing, we had a blast! We started hiking up near Echo Mountain (about an hour from Denver) to a fire lookout tower and never actually made it to the tower but had fun hiking through the beautiful and isolated winter wonderland. To warm up, we stopped at the Little Bear Bar in Evergreen - a little bar with a lot of character. I love that there are so many fun outdoor activities just minutes from Denver! Can't wait for the next snowy adventure!!

The fam bam visits Denver!!

the fam bam visiting Denver!!

jumping pic at Coors Field...standard

my amazing mom!!!!

two of my wonderful other "moms"

Last weekend my wonderful family came to visit!! Nantie had a conference in Denver so Mom and Jeannie decided to come visit along with Meggie and her kids. We had a absolute blast playing around the mile high city - from ice skating in downtown Denver (and having a dance party with Coco on the ice) to the Parade of Lights to the Christmas market in Georgetown (cute little mountain town) to the closing ceremonies for the NLC conference and just all spending time together :-) We grew up going to Nantie's conferences so it was such a treat to have it be in Denver this year!     Thanks for spending time in Colorado family!! LOVE YOU!!

   

Pretending that we can actually ice skate :-)

the beauty of the first snowfall

There is something quite inexplicable and amazing about the magic of the first snowfall. It's like the heavens decided to share a bit of their beautiful charm with us. It's like the pines, firs and alders decided to wear strings of nature's pearls to show that beauty revels in every season. It's like the world stood still for a moment and reminded us to admire the grace outside and treasure the warmth within.  

Kasey and me with our 'first snow' snowman!!

Yes, I've seen snow before, plenty of times. But I've never EXPERIENCED a first snowfall. So of course, I was overly excited and immediately called my friend Kasey (also a native Californian who has never lived in snow) and expressed my dire need to make a "first snow" snowman (I sense a tradition arising). So we proceeded to freeze our butts off while making a handsome snowman and then rush inside to drink hot cocoa, eat roasted acorn squash and watch the snow continue to turn Denver into a winter wonderland.

Discovering Denver with the Dudziks!

above the fruited plains...

Well the past week has been jam packed full of adventures all up and down the front range. Some of my good family friends (the Dudziks) from home came into town for my friend Ashly's wedding and we've had a blast!

Purple Mountains Majesty:

my first CO snowman!!

Friday, we headed down south and visited the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods (spectacular rock formations!) AND we took the cog railway to the top of my first 14er, Pikes Peak, the mountain immortalized by Katherine Lee Bates in her famous poem, 'America the Beautiful'...and boy, was it beautiful! We lucked out with a cloudless sky and 80 degree weather (it was 40 at the top which is extremely mild for Pikes Peak). After enjoying a lunch at the top, I made a snowman (my first of the season!!) and we enjoyed donuts. Apparently, everyone who goes up to Pikes Peak eats these donuts - seriously, there was a big line for those chocolate covered balls of dough.

                                                                Ashly's Wedding:

the newlyweds!!

Saturday of course was Ashly and Jay's wedding and she was an absolutely STUNNING bride! We were blessed with the most beautiful fall day possible. The reception was in Golden, CO and the fall colors set the town ablaze...combined with beautiful weather and wonderful company, it couldn't have been a better day :)

The Denver Marathon and my debut as a Downtown Denver Tour Guide:
Sunday, I had signed up to volunteer at the Denver marathon...which means I had to awake at 4:30am...after a night of dancing and drinking at the wedding, I wasn't the happiest camper but it ended up being a blast (of course) and inspired me once again to someday soon run a marathon. Later in the day, I got to show my first set of visitors (Bob and Judy) around my new town and it was SO FUN. I'm sure you all know my affinity for being a tour guide so we had a blast. From Larimer Square to LoDo to 16th Street Mall to the mile high Capitol step to the arts district to the sketchy civic park, we experienced all that downtown Denver has to offer and then enjoyed a scrumptious meal at one of my favorite breweries in LoDo where Scott, Angela, Jenna and Chris joined us!

the Wynkoop gorilla and Bob pounding it

Judy and I at the mille high step!

Rocky Mountain National Park and MY FIRST SNOW!!
Monday, we day tripped up tot Estes Park and the amazing Rocky Mountain National Park Estes Park is a lovely little mountain town where elk seem to just wander through the streets...it's also where I had my first elk burger. RMNP was beautiful and the minute we drove inside, it started to snow!!!!! So naturally, we made little snowmen and had a snow ball fight and then I honestly thought I might have frostbite. Hmmm, gloves might be a good idea if I'm going to be living in snow? Goodness, I have become very thin skinned living in SLO for the past five years... And we saw tons of elk in RMNP - they are such majestic creatures! We ended the day by driving through more of the Rockies and having dinner in Boulder :)

majestic elk in the blanket of snow

Thanks for coming to CO Dudziks - I had a wonderful time with you!!

the POPcorn theory.

You should be aware as you read my blog that not only is it about my adventures in Colorado but it'll also have a good deal of my own meandering thoughts...just fyi :)

Now I am sure that you have all seen the movie The Blind Side. And I think that we can all agree it was quite an inspiring film about reaching out and the impact we can have in each other's lives. Well last week I began reading Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy's follow up book to the movie, In a Heartbeat: The Power of Cheerful Giving and they brought up a beautiful thought. They call it "The Popcorn Theory" and it is basically the idea that you can't help everyone, but you can try to help the hot ones who pop up in your face. That's what the Tuohy's did with Michael Oher and look at where he is today because they helped the popcorn kernel that sprung up in front of them.

I think it's important to realize that sometimes we are the popcorn kernel but we should always be watching out for other kernels to help. I sort of feel like one of those kernels here in Denver. Moving away from California and most of my friends and family was difficult but the wonderful people that I know here in Colorado have been amazingly welcoming and helpful, a true blessing. Always being aware of those around you is important - realize that everyone is fighting some sort of battle, everyone has a story and you could make a difference in their life (now matter how minute) if you just pause and listen. So focus on recognizing the popcorn kernels in your life and let's make everyone's life a little better.

my faithful travel companion - Marshmallow!!

the Great American Beer Festival Group (Caryn, Bryan, Nat, me)

On another note, I took a fun day trip to Vail and Red Cliff with Caryn, Bryan and Nat yesterday and experienced my FIRST SNOW FLURRY OF THE SEASON!!!! Yes, I was beyond excited. There wasn't enough snow to make a snowman or anything but it was nippy enough to want to nestle up with hot cocoa by a fire. Oh and I realize in my last post I failed to put pictures up...lo siento! Here's a few recent ones:

COLORADICAL!

Well here I am in my new home - DENVER, CO! I've been here for a few weeks so I suppose I'll just give a quick update on my adventures in this amazing state thus far.

The TWENTY hour drive. True, that's a long time to sit in a car. But luckily, as a child, my parents would toss us in the car for cross country road trips so this 4 state, 1200 mile trip didn't even phase me. Plus, I had two fantastic companions: Alana (my cousin) and Marshmallow (my teddy bear). A few highlights from our travels: lunch with Eve in Truckee, seeing a double rainbow (what does it meeeeean?!) in the middle of a Nevada rainstorm, visiting the thriving metropolis of (what the) Helper, Utah, getting lost in Grand Junction, admiring the insanely beautiful Rockies and listening to my (self proclaimed) awesome mixed CD's (including "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" by TLC which was the theme song of our 1994 Colorado road trip). And finally, we descended onto the Front Range and arrived in the Mile High City!  

The most patriotic day of my life. I realize this is quite a statement to make so I'll explain further. On September 11th, I went to an Air Force Academy football game with my cousins (Alana and Ian), cousin-in-law (Annie), Annie's whole family (they're amazing!) and Alana's friend Steve. Throw in the national anthem, a fly over and a demonstration with the largest American flag I've ever seen and yeah, I was pretty darn proud to be American that day. Only thing that would've made it feel more patriotic is if Jeannie was there too. But then Erin would've ended up bawling her eyes out ;) Miss you hermanas!

G.A.B.F. otherwise known as the Great American Beer Festival is one of the largest beer festivals in the world and it is held in downtown Denver every fall. I went with my friend Caryn (it was her birthday!) along with her husband Bryan and her brother-in-law Nat. From making homemade pretzel necklaces (cleanse the palate between each taste...obvi), making new friends at my favorite Seattle brewery (Redhook) and sampling a ton of amazing microbreweries, we had a fantastic day! Also here's a fun fact: While California has the most microbreweries total, Colorado has the most microbreweries per capita. I think I moved to a great state :)

Fall Colors! Yes, this deserves it's own section because I am slightly obsessed with the gorgeous seasonal colors here. Coming from a state where "seasonal color" means adorning your front door with an autumn wreath you bought from Michael's, I have instantly fallen in love with the aspens and maples that light up the mountainsides with their radiant orange, yellow and reddish hues. I've gone hiking and driving through the Rockies to experience this beauty and will hopefully have a few more chances before the first snow arrives.

Other fun stuff: Boulder, CO (more on that fantastic city later), the abundance of outdoor activities here is simply amazing (probably why it's the thinnest state in the nation) and I am LOVING the insane amount of bike paths, bragging about my Giants in a sea of Rockies fans,  the downtown REI store (I'll argue that it's better than the Seattle flagship), discovering my new favorite ice cream place (Maroon Bells) thanks to Annie and exploring new districts of the city every day :)