My Colorado Bucket List

It's kind of a bummer when the blog post you've been mentally planning suddenly becomes a moot point.

But you know what's NOT a bummer? When that post you were mentally planning was going to be titled, "Things To Do While I'm Unemployed."

:)

Now that I have about four more months in Colorado (side note: seven consecutive months in the same bed is the most permanent living situation I've had since high school), I decided it was high time to plan out my Colorado bucket list. Because in the almost three months I've been here, I haven't done nearly enough! Granted, this is largely due to the fact that I make minimum wage and spend $27.08 per day to live at the Olympic Training Center (and then there's gas for my car...), but I've been majorly slacking on affordable outings too. That needs to change!

1. Go ice skating at the World Arena. It might not be the old Broadmoor World Arena, where Olympic skaters trained (and where tryouts for the 1980 Olympic hockey team were held!), but I'm going to pretend it is. Either way, when Olympic skaters/hockey players do happen to be in town, this is where they train. So it may not be Peggy Fleming's ice, but I guess Evan Lysacek's ice will do. :) (And apparently Badger Bob used to coach Colorado College, so Mark Johnson learned to play hockey at the Broadmoor? Okay, awesome.)

Peggy Fleming at the Broadmoor! [x]

2. Go to a concert at Red Rocks. Technically this shouldn't even be on the list at all because it's going to be crossed off imminently, but I just want to brag that Ingrid and I are going to see OneRepublic and Sara Bareilles there THIS WEEK and I'm SO EXCITED!

Is this not the coolest venue EVER? [x]

3. Visit each Colorado Springs-based NGB. There are about two dozen sport national governing bodies in this city. Call me a nerd, but I really want to go to each one and take a picture in front of the sign. I don't even have a picture of myself and anything that says USA Volleyball yet! That needs to be remedied ASAP.

4. Visit Denver (and go to a Rockies and Avalanche game!). I've heard nothing but good things about Denver from other interns that've been there, and why not work in the pro sports teams while I'm at it? Hopefully I can squeeze in the Rockies before the baseball season ends! And I'm finding it kind of bizarre that I was in CO for the end of hockey season and I'll be in CO for the start of hockey season. But hey, I'll take it!

[x]

5. See the University of Wisconsin women's hockey team play in Vail. Okay, this one's kind of a stretch since Vail is almost three hours away, so it might have to become a weekend trip. But Mark Johnson coaches this team, which means that hoops will happily be jumped through to get myself there! I'll probably be the only person in the arena watching the coach more than the team. Oops? :P

It's okay, just leave me alone with my Miracle on Ice feelings. *sniffle* [x]

6. Hold an Olympic gold medal. I don't want to jinx anything, but suffice it to say that there's a particular gold medal displayed in a museum here that I would probably sob over if I got to hold it. And I have a friend who said she can hook me up. Stay tuned.

Your only hint. [x]

7. Go to a brewery. Honestly, I think beer is kind of disgusting. But there's no way I can live in Colorado for seven months and NOT go to a single brewery. I mean, Colorado is basically the Germany of America, and I suffered for the sake of experience when I was in Munich (and Copenhagen, for that matter) and choked down some whiskey in Edinburgh, so...

Look how excited I was to be drinking Danish beer!

8. Tour the Celestial Tea factory. This one is also kind of far away (damn Colorado, why do you have to be so big?), but if I'm touring a brewery, I'm also touring a place where I actually LIKE the drink they make! Talk about tea heaven!

[x]

Pretty sure that's everything that's super important. I'm determined not to let my first full winter in four years turn me into a hermit! I'm going to make these few months productive and awesome (so when I do have to write that "Things To Do While I'm Unemployed" post in December/January, I at least won't be mad at myself for not taking advantage of everything that's out here.) :)

If any Coloradans are reading this, is there anything fantastic that I'm leaving out?