Happy To Be A Mile-High Gal

Having worked for a photographer all summer long, I rarely leave the house without my camera. So this morning when I decided to go for a walk, my Canon came along for the ride. As I hit the pavement, my mind started wondering. My friends are scattered around the country. Some have begun their lives in New York, most have settled into LA, and others have found a home in places like Portland and Seattle. As an unsettled and confused twenty-something with a serious case of wanderlust, I find myself constantly questioning my life here in Denver. Should I be backpacking around Europe, moving to Chicago on a whim, or biking across the country with out definite plans?

The answer to these questions is no. However much I catch myself romanticizing about the life I "should" be living, Denver is exactly where I need to be. As we stumble down the uncertain path that we call "post-graduate life", its easy to cling close to our notions of what we think our future should hold. Just like most people our age, I try to plan the course of my path rather than ride the wave. Just like my dad always says, "life is a journey, not a destination,"where we are is where we are meant to be.

After my walk, I uploaded my pictures to my "Denver" file, photos I've taken of Colorado over the course of this summer. As I flipped through them, I realized that my file is full of reasons why I am here. The photographer Wynn Bullock has famously said, "When I photograph, what I'm really doing is seeking answers to things." Although most of these photos are just snapshots - they've allowed me to answer that looming question - is this where I should be?

Contrary to general belief, Colorado has 300 days of sunshine, more than any other city. We get all four seasons without the depressing effects.

You don't have to drive more than 5 miles to stumble upon a local farmers market. The produce quality is better, it supports the local network of farmers, and it decreases the consumption of fossil fuels. Having gone to school near LA, in a city far less concerned about the environment, its refreshing to be back in one of the greenest metropolitan cities in the US.  

You don't have an excuse to be bored in Denver. There are festivals galore! Cherry Creek Arts, Telluride Blue Grass, Taste of Colorado, Oktoberfest, First Fridays, the list goes on...

Those Rockies, enough said. 

Denver is full of local hot-spots - I have yet to find an ice cream better than Bonnie Brea's Cappuccino Crunch. 

The fact that such dive bars like Buck Snort even exist makes Colorado the best state, hands down.

Unlike those New Yorkers, Denver residents work to live, not live to work. Down town Denver provides the perfect balance between work and play. Plus the city is surrounded by near-by neighborhoods, making it easily accessible for everyone in the greater Denver area. When cabs are full on a Friday night, there is always the option to walk home even if you don't live in heart of the city - but take it from someone with experience, five miles is a long walk after a few beers...   

Trees; old, thick, and lush, they are everywhere. They line our streets, decorate our parks, and clean our air. I don't think I could handle the concrete jungle.

Denver is a craft brewery mecca. We were first home to Coors, but now we have hundreds of microbreweries - Great Divide, Wynkoop, Breckenridge, Strange Brewing Co.... 

Cheers Denver - I couldn't be happier any where else!