Selling my soul to the Rockies

I've been living in Boulder, CO for two weeks now, and I couldn't be happier. This city is amazing, and not just because of the mountains that you can see from anywhere, but also the people and the atmosphere itself. I also have a great apartment, with a huge kitchen I can cook lots of meals in. School also started recently, so I've been focused on classes and getting my homework done.

I have a feeling that my posts will slowly turn over from food based writing to nature writing. I could go on and on about the recent outdoor activities I've done since moving here. Boulder is known for it's outdoor activities, and it falls short of absolutely blissful. Biking, running, hiking, climbing, even slack lining. There's something for everyone here, and winter sports have not even started yet.

The first big outdoor activity I've been involved in is cycling. I did this in NYC a lot, but I bought a new bike. I needed a touring road bike here, that could also work as a commuter, and bought this beauty..

It's literally my baby... I've ridden it everyday since I've gotten it, so almost two weeks straight. It's so smooth and gets me everywhere I need to be. Sometimes I use it to get to the grocery store, other times I just ride for fun. One day, my buddy and I biked 25 minutes away from where I live, and hit this:

No joke, we were in the mountains and next to a creek in less than half an hour on bikes. It was great.. This place is the opposite of NYC, I'm actually surrounded by nature as opposed to craving it. And even though school started, I still make time for explorations and peaceful time outdoors.

hiking with some boys on my floor

One of the boys, Grant, hanging out on top of a rock

I also am part of a transfer student group, where a really awesome coordinator sets up activities and get-to-know-you events. The most recent was a night hike, at the flatirons. Originally, we were all going to stick together, but I ended up breaking off with another transfer student, and hiking to the top of the first flatiron.

Like I said, it was night, so these pictures are of Boulder at night. You can see that the lights get farther and farther away. We started hiking at 8:30 P.M., and we didn't get back until 2:30 A.M. It was AWESOME! Although slightly scary at times, especially when we had to scramble up the backside of the first flatiron without a trail, it was totally worth it. I looked it up when we got back, and the elevation change was 2000 feet both ways.. crazy! Pretty good for a girl who has lived at sea level her whole life.

For now, I am relaxing, doing homework, and planning on hiking all three days of this three day weekend.

Hope all is well