alexandraofgeorgetown-blog

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Greater Denver is full of amazing food. I have been pleasantly surprised by the foodie scene out here and look forward to discovering new spots for good eats!

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Hello, New York!

I spent this past weekend celebrating Claire and Flo’s engagement in New York City with these fine ladies. Jenny and I were the only ones flying in from out of town and I have to admit I was less than enthused about taking a red eye on Friday night and spending the day running around Manhattan doing bachelorette things. That said, the weekend was absolutely fantastic.

We met for brunch at Stanton Social on Saturday and followed that up with seeing Anastasia on broadway. SO GOOD. That was one of my favorite animated movies growing up and the music brought me back. The guy who played Dimitri was pretty dreamy, too, so that made it a quick 3-hour performance. We spent the afternoon doing the typical girlie things - blowouts at DryBar, manicures, etc. - and got dolled up for Buddakhan on Saturday night. The food was spectacular (chocolate bomb featured below) but the company was the highlight. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much.

Claire’s entire bridal party, with the exception of her sister, are friends from Bowdoin and we all graduated in 2010. I am so incredibly grateful that Bowdoin brought us together, as these are some of the most amazing women I’ve been lucky enough to know and call friends. It’s not often that you get a bridal party representing 5 countries, either. There was a whole lotta love this weekend. Being cared about, valued, missed, and loved is a pretty incredible thing when you think about it. On Sunday morning we went for tea at Lady Mendl’s and I had to cut out early to catch my flight back to Denver. I started tearing up for some unknown reason but left the city with so much joy in my heart. There’s something special about old friends - the way they know so much about you, can predict your behavior and know exactly what you’re communicating with a facial expression.

We took a LOT of photos. As not a super photo-friendly group, this was a major accomplishment. 

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General Observations

I have lived in Colorado for three weeks now, which by no means makes me an expert on anything. That said, there are a few things that have stood out to be as a person ‘from away’ (and know these are likely gross generalizations but things I’ve noticed on more than one occasion):

Colorado is white. Like, really white. Not that I was coming from a hot bed of diversity in Portland, ME, but the homogeneity here is quite remarkable compared to the east coast.

The altitude is real. I tried to go for a 3-mile run a few days ago, which is something I wouldn’t have a problem with back east. Well, this was a bit of a struggle and I have never felt myself breathe more heavily. I’ve been told it’ll take 6-8 weeks for my body to adjust, which I guess isn’t too, too bad. I’m trying to remember to drink two to three times MORE than I would under normal circumstances but that’s been a hard habit to establish. Also, if you’re baking, you have to take altitude into account or else all of your potential delicious baked goods will be flat as a pancake.

People here are friendly. Too friendly. When I first arrived, I took Liv to Lululemon and proceeded to get stuck in a 30 minute conversation with the guy checking us out (as in cashing us out). Small talk is normal here and people actually want to engage. Being an introvert who hates small talk is bad enough, but being a New Englander who is used to people not making eye contact or striking up a conversation at a coffee shop, makes this a difficult adjustment.

People are aggressively outdoorsy and they want you to know it. The greater Denver area is fit and they are very into outdoor activities. I consider myself to be someone who enjoys nature and likes to do things outside. Out here it’s an outdoor mentality on steroids and that’s the focal point of people’s lives in some cases. That’s not a bad thing at all, there’s just a much higher percentage of people who dedicate their life to rock climbing, hiking, rafting, etc. and don’t seem to have interest in much else.

There have been other, more obvious observations (example: most people smoke pot and seem perplexed when you explain you don’t) but I’ll leave those for a different post.

In other news, over the past week I have bought a car and started work at the Colorado School of Mines Foundation. Now I just need an apartment and I’ll be officially settled!

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The Arkansas River

We spent the last two days on the river, rafting and fly fishing. I can’t remember the last time I went white water rafting and it was so much fun! Yeah, it was cold and yeah, I fell out (pushed, actually, by Matt) of our raft, but the day was as close to perfect as it gets. The sun was shining, the water was crystal clear, and there was laughter. So much laughter. I foolishly agreed to be in the front with Matt, so naturally I swallowed my share of water but at least I was able to shield Reese from getting splashed too much! Our guide, Dane, made the trip even more enjoyable - such a genuinely nice, authentic human being who clearly loves what he does. 

This morning Matt, Reese and I stopped by the Angler Shop and I purchased a Colorado fishing license for the year. I know, I know - I’ve only been in Colorado one week and I’ve already almost fully transitioned to one of those ‘outdoor’ folks. In all fairness, fly fishing is amazing and despite the fact that I a) looked like a fool in waders, and b) didn’t actually catch a fish, I can see being out on the river a lot this summer. Matt’s almost an official guide so I’ve got a great teacher. I wasn’t even bothered by the fact that I didn’t catch anything. There’s something special and elegant about fly fishing. It’s quiet and reflective AND kind of counts as a water sport. Wins all around.

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My first day fly fishing with Matt and Reese!

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Matt the rancher

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Salida

Today I woke up to the sound of a creek flowing outside my window. Typically that's the white noise my Pixel plays so I can fall asleep at night. No need for artificial nature sounds in Colorado! Yesterday afternoon, Matt, Olivia and I drove from Louisville down to Salida, CO. The views were stunning, and of course photos do no justice (though I'll share some anyway). Every so often we would wind our way up a mountain and descend, witnessing truly epic views of the landscape. "Epic" is the only word that I think aptly describes the scene. One thing I thought I would miss about Maine is standing at the ocean, looking out and feeling small, but in a comforting way. Suprisingly, these vast, far-reaching praries abutting mountains have a similar effect. It feels safe and full of possibilities. We headed downtown for a late dinner at Amica's Pizzeria and Microbrewery which featured an impressive menu and draft list. Salida reminds me of Santa Fe in many ways, with art being a focal point of the local culture. It almost feels like a place removed completely from space and time, or at least a place that hasn't changed since the early 1900s. We're spending the next three days in a yurt a few miles west of downtown, and I would say my first yurt experience has been pretty great thus far. When you stand inside, there's a 180 panoramic view of the mountains. Matt was up in the middle of the night last night and said it felt like being inside a planetarium. Note to self: set an alarm for 2:00 a.m. tonight and go star gazing. There's a whole lot of sky around here.

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Al this is so cool! Wondering if you've set any intentions for this next chapter - or perhaps you're setting them all free and staying open?

Thanks! I’m living in the land of no intentions at the moment, which is weird and scary but definitely where I need to be right now! 

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So, I’ve started a blog.

Three days ago I moved from Portland, ME to Denver, CO. With the exception of an incredible year abroad in Edinburgh during college, this is my first time living away from the east coast. 

I won’t really be writing these posts for you (no offense). I am under no delusion that people actually care about the food I’m eating, people I’m meeting, places I’m visiting, etc. Anyone who knows me well understands that I’m a fairly private person and am selective about what I share with whom. That said, I want a central location for family and friends to stay up to date on exciting ongoings in Colorado, should they be so inclined to seek that out (because we all know I will inevitably fall behind on phone calls, texts, letters, birthday cards, etc.) 

The highlight of today was a delicious croissant at Moxie Bread Co in Louisville. Moxie is known for amazing baked goods, avocado toast, and a handful of attractive, bearded employees.