Visiting Colorado

I was attending a workshop in Boulder, Colorado at the beginning of July and I took the opportunity to visit Fort Collins the weekend before the workshop. I got to stay with my friend who still lives there - thanks Rachel and Ben - and visit for the first time since I left in 2007!

Friday consisted of flying into Denver, driving up to FoCo, grocery store, cooking delicious lentil tacos and chocolate breakfast buns and eating yummy ice cream.

Saturday was a little more adventurous. I had to spend some time outside so we went for a little hike with the dog up to Horsetooth reservoir - the location of my one and only open water swim (until last week) of 2.4 miles in 2007. We walked past the CSU football stadium (which I never went to) to begin. It was hot that weekend (in the 90s) but there was a nice breeze so it was quite pleasant. The lack of humidity was also  great!

CSU's Hughes Stadium (if it's still called that)

 Past the stadium and up to the reservoir. There was a great view of Fort Collins and my former department from up here, but I didn't get any good pictures.

Horsetooth Reservoir

 After heading back down we went for lunch in old town where I had a great sandwich (brie, caramelized onions, arugula and blueberry jam), salad and lemonade at 415 (which is new since I lived there). This was followed by a couple of beers at Equinox brewery in old town (also new since I moved away). It was great to hang out, eat good food, drink good beer and watch people for the afternoon.

Can't be in Colorado without visiting a brewery

 The evening we cooked again - veggie bean burgers that were also delicious, and relaxed. It was off to drop me off in Boulder in the morning. We headed down early, met up with some friends and had brunch at the Chautauqua Dining Hall. More delicious food for me! A quick stroll around the park for some quick pictures before taking a drive up into the mountains a little more.

Me, Rachel and the Flatirons

 We took a loop up into the mountains, no idea where we went exactly but it was just nice for me to watch the scenery. You really miss it when you aren't living in it all the time. My pictures out of a moving car weren't the best, but you get the idea.

Colorado

After getting back to Boulder I got dropped off at the University of Colorado where my workshop was. It was a really beneficial workshop and I'm very glad I got to go - I learnt a lot, had fun and got to see some friends I hadn't seen for a while. I also had to stay in a shared dorm room. I'm so glad we had single rooms when I was a fresher at uni (in American that's a freshman in college ;-) )! It was fine, but it would have been much better if I had a) a step stool to get on and off the bed, and b) a fitted sheet for the plastic mattress!

Oh American dorm rooms...

I <3 NY, but I sure do miss Colorado!