This is exactly the kind of day Dan and I imagined when we moved to Colorado. Early autumn weather, a spontaneous hike with friends, random boulder climbing along the way. Kate and her family had a free afternoon and a hike in mind: Turtle Rock Trail, Vedauwoo Recreation Area, southern Wyoming. Turtle Rock Trail is […]
Read MoreTime for a new tattoo (you’ll get it later)
It didn’t take long for me to find my way back to Magnetic Tattoo. So far, I have racked up four very small tattoos on my inner arms. (Stories about the most recent two are here.) With each one I have gained a bit more confidence — and fallen further in love with having art […]
Read MoreReview: Mr. Perfect (Bas Bleu Theatre)
It’s September, which means the arts season has finally opened! As much as I have enjoyed my outdoorsy adventures, it has been a long summer without (much) theater. My own season began with Mr. Perfect at Bas Bleu Theatre in Fort Collins. Written and directed by William Missouri Downs, this romantic comedy introduces us to […]
Read MoreThe Equinox 5-mile Hobble
ME: I’ve signed up for a 5-mile race through Poudre Canyon! DAN: Cool! When’s the shuttle? ME: Huh? DAN: Are they bussing you up through the canyon? You can’t all park up there. ME: Oh. Yeah, sure. Well the race is at 7am, and the shuttle comes at [type type type] 5:15am. Aye yi yi. […]
Read MoreProject Uplift
My gym, Yeti Cave CrossFit, has become a central part of my life — not only physically but socially. On Saturday, four different teams from Yeti Cave took part in Project Uplift, an athletic competition that raises funds for local foster families. I am not quite ready to start competing myself, but I rode my bike […]
Read MoreGunnison and Crested Butte
Heaven forbid we spend more than two weeks in a row at home. This weekend the road was calling: off to Gunnison, Colorado. Toward the end of our 5-hour drive, we experienced the most dramatic sunset I’ve seen in my life — photos certainly don’t capture it, but here are a few that try. We […]
Read MoreTour de Fat bike parade
One of Fort Collins’ most anticipated events is the annual Tour de Fat, New Belgium’s celebration of beer and bicycles and all varieties of weirdness. Tour de Fat takes place across 6 cities, but from what I understand, Fort Collins is the party to beat — and it is the only city that still hosts […]
Read MoreTo school or not to school
I am grappling with a substantial decision: to go to grad school, or not to go to grad school. PRO: I have already been accepted to Erica’s Dream Program, an MA (or MFA, depending) in Poetry with an Emphasis on Versecraft. It is a highly unique program that includes classes on poetry in translation and […]
Read MoreBanff or bust, part 9: The Home Stretch
3,174 miles later… we are home!! We have just finished putting the new pins in our map of the United States. We had walked through the trip beforehand, using that same map — but now that the miles are behind us, the enormity of it is really hitting me. One city (Edmonton, Alberta) is so […]
Read MoreBanff or bust, part 8: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site. That’s an incredible name, isn’t it?! (How the Buffalo Jump Got Its Name) When hunting buffalo, a key tactic for Plains Indians was to spark a stampede and drive the buffalo over a cliff to their deaths. At Head-Smashed-In, archaeologists have found thousands of years’ worth of evidence that […]
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