What life is like here in Denver

I’m betting you are all dying to know, so let me assure you I have survived my first week living in Denver. 

 

The drive down was easy, albeit a bit boring since it makes use of essentially only one highway, I-80, through the entirety of Nebraska. I’ve never really stopped and toured in Nebraska, and to be frank, I don’t think I ever plan to. I don’t mean any offense, there just wasn’t anything along the way that caught my interest. My sister, though, was excited to drive into new states: The wonder of Omaha and the endless fields was not lost on her. Even the hotel we stopped at was surrounded by fields and cattle, which made for a gorgeous sunset.

 

We arrived in Denver in the late afternoon on Friday, and quickly set to work unpacking both vehicles. My thanks to my wonderful family. First, they helped me pack everything into my car and my dad’s truck. Then they provided company and assistance on the drive. Finally, they were all set to help carry everything inside. There was one hitch though — the carpeting in the hallway outside my apartment was being actively replaced as I was moving in. Thankfully we got everything up in two trips, so we only had to wait a few times for the carpet guys to lay down enough carpet over the glue for us to walk over. 

 

My boyfriend, Jack, and I spent the next day going to stores for all the necessities of apartment living. We came back with a car full of groceries and furniture from Ikea, Costco and Walmart. An expensive day to say the least, but also exciting.

 

I spent the next few days unpacking, organizing the apartment a bit, and generally making it feel homey and welcoming while Jack went to work.

 

There’s probably not any way to tell by looking at the editions of the newspaper, but there’s been a big change in the way they’re put together. For the past three years, it has been Eli who has taken the news, advertising, public notices and other items and “laid them out” to create the pages electronically. Over the past couple of months, I have been taking that job on, using my experience from college and at the local paper. Eli is still the publisher; he makes all the upper-level decisions and supervises what I do. Except for when my transition to Colorado interfered, I have been assembling the paper for a bit more than a month. However, I had taken this week off from the task so I could focus on this transition, familiarize myself with Denver and get to know my new neighborhood. 

 

Turns out we landed in a place I consider the perfect area to live in. We have some parks only a few blocks away, a nicer neighborhood, and all types of stores and restaurants only a few minutes down the road. We even have an AMC only two blocks away, next to the Trader Joe’s and a coffee shop. All these fun things so close have me itching to explore, but, for my budget’s sake, I will explore slowly. 

 

First though, I have to figure out what to do with myself. It is my first weekend as a Denver resident, yet Jack is away on a trip to California with his friends, leaving me to myself for five days. (He had planned this months ago, it just happened to fall on this weekend.) However, it has left me to ponder the things I should do while alone.

 

I have always appreciated and valued my independence. I never wanted that to change when I entered a relationship and I don’t think it ever has. But being alone in a city I don’t know very well is a bit nervewracking. I would love to travel a bit outside the city to go hiking in the mountains, but I don’t think it would be wise to set out on unknown trails by myself. I don’t know which areas to avoid or which ones are good to walk around in as a solo woman. In reality I’m sure I would be fine, but you get my point. 

 

So then I ask myself, is it so bad to just be by myself in my apartment? No one said I had to go out and venture anywhere and there are plenty of things I can do to keep myself occupied in this new setting–except I believe I might go a bit stir crazy. So how do I balance relaxing across from fulfilling my everpresent desire to be productive? I guess I will find out and try not to feel too guilty about not exploring my new city alone. 

 

Either way, the future looks exciting and I’m ready to explore it, whether it be enjoying my hobbies in my apartment or venturing into the great unknown. 

 

My Determination: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone