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Published: November 14th 2008
The Flatirons rising above Boulder
Seen from nearby Stephanie's houseWell, I'm here! I packed my life into suitcases (again) and shipped myself across the United States to Colorado, where I'll be living through May 31, 2009. If you read my last post, forget what I said about where I'll be living. That changed, rather unexpectedly. I'm still in Breckenridge for the ski season, but my friend Steve changed his mind about coming West and I had to adjust my housing plans accordingly. I don't have a car out here (the environmentalist in me frowns upon it) so I located alternative housing that is a little more accessible to the town bus system (which is awesome, btw). I'm still a 15 minute trudge uphill from my bus stop on the Purple Route (one of 5 or so routes through town) which makes for a tiring end to the day, but as my godsister Stephanie said - I'll be in good shape at the end of the season! I'm subletting a room from a really great couple (Steve and Ashley, twenty-somethings) and the fourth member of our household is a guy named Darren, formerly of Buffalo. This is his second year out here, and Steve and Ashley have been here about five
Golden Buffalo Marching Band
My favorite part of the CU football game : p years - so they know the area really well. They are both incredibly outdoorsy and full of energy, and also really nice. It was a huge relief to get here and find out that we're all compatible as housemates, because otherwise it could have been a very long winter.
A Colorado Welcome
I flew into Denver last Friday, Nov. 8, and was greeted at the airport by my godmother, Meg. My godparents live in suburban Denver, so I was able to visit with them on my first night in Colorado. My godfather (Uncle Mel) took us out for a huge sushi feast, and my godsister Stephanie and her boyfriend surprised us by coming down to join us. What a way to kick off this newest phase of my life! I drove up to Boulder that night with Stephanie and Mason (her boyfriend) because they go to school at the University of Colorado and were planning a Sunday trip to Breckenridge, which worked out perfectly for me. I've always heard good things about Boulder and wanted to see it, and now I know what all the fuss is about. CU has a beautiful, open campus, and what a location!!!
On Our Way
Driving up to Breckenridge on I-70 from Boulder. It only takes about an hour and a half The view of the Flatirons rising above the city is stunning from any angle, and the crisp autumn air reminded me why I wanted to get away from the urban life for a while. It's good to be close to nature again. All those wide, open spaces...
On Saturday they took me to the CU football game, which ended in a nailbiter of a win over Iowa State. Not much of a football fan, even I was impressed by the size of the stadium and the suspenseful final minutes of the game. Too bad Georgetown didn't have a football team like that- maybe I'd be more of a fan!
On Sunday the three of us drove up to Breckenridge (elev. 9600 ft). Strangely enough, Breck (as it's called by virtually everyone) is one of the few CO resorts that I had NOT yet skied, so I was excited to catch my first glimpse of it. It's easy to get to, just 15 or 20 minutes south of I-70 from the Frisco exit, nestled next to the 10-Mile Range. The Blue River runs through the valley from south of Breck up to Lake Dillon, and bicycle paths abound. Apparently
First View of Breckenridge
Home Sweet Home...for now! there is great flyfishing here in the summer, but I guess I'll have to wait a while to take advantage of that. The town of Breck is the county seat of Summit County, Colorado, and the eponymous ski resort covers Peaks 7,8,9 and 10 of the 10-Mile Range. Peaks 7 & 10 are relatively new, so I'm excited to check them out. At the moment, however, there are only 2 runs open (on Peak 8) so we're all waiting for more snow. I skied on Sunday with Stephanie and Mason and again this morning for a couple hours. Tomorrow afternoon I'll probably hit Breck again, and then I'm going over to Keystone or A-Basin ski areas to try them out. My graduation present from Uncle Mel was a season lift pass that's unlimited at Breck, A-Basin, Copper, and Keystone, and valid for 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek. What could be a better gift for me??????
Plan A: the Bus. Plan B: My Plain Two Feet
Figuring out the bus system is proving to be a bit of an adventure,
Me, Stephanie and Mason
After skiing for a couple hours on Sunday, Mason and Stephanie showed me around my new town and pointed out all their favorite spots. We ate lunch at Kenosha Steakhouse before they dropped me at my house. but I did successfully go to Dillon, a nearby town, and back last night in order to watch Madagascar 2 at the movie theater. The adventure wasn't without its share of snafus (I missed my stop both going and coming!) but I survived, and I didn't get lost. I consider that to be an accomplishment, since I had no idea how the bus exchanges in the county work and it was pitch black. I give the buses credit, though- they're always on time. Very, very different from my good old Metrobus system in DC! They are also free- all of them. Very nice. The buses that run through the county are the Summit Stage buses, and the Town of Breckenridge system are FreeRide buses. They generally come every half hour. If I miss it, though, it's only another 15-20 min walk into town. Which is not bad. I suspect I'm going to do a lot of walking this winter.
Job Report
Enough about the transit system. I'm sure I'm boring you. Let's talk about even more mundane things: JOBS! I settled into my new house on Sunday night, and on Monday morning I hit the road to
My room
Somewhat sparse, but fully functional. I have my own TV and plenty of closet space. It came furnished, which was key! All I need now are some bright posters to liven it up. start searching for a job. Literally, I walked up and down Main Street all day long, knocking on doors of restaurants asking if they were hiring. This was repeated on Tuesday. My resume is floating around all over town, but I'm not sure whether anything will come out of it because places either: a) already finished hiring, or b) are waiting until things pick up after Thanksgiving. I hope the tourism economy doesn't get hit too badly, or it could be a tough year here to find a job! Persistence is key, so I've going back to places to follow up in the hopes of landing a waitressing or hostessing job. In the meantime, I opened a bank account, bought a season lift pass, located and attended a weekly knitting circle, did my grocery shopping, and went to the movies. Whew. No wonder I'm a little tired every night. I think my body is having a tough time adjusting to the altitude, because I'm exhausted every night! It probably also has something to do with all the fresh air, seeing as I spent the entire summer inside working in DC.
Good news to report from today, though: I got
Kenington Place Bus Stop
I can already tell I'm going to spend some quality time at my bus stop this winter... a job!!!! Hooray! I will now be gainfully employed during the season and able to pay my rent. What a relief. I got hired as a retail sales person at a ski rental shop owned by Ski Country Resorts & Sports, which is centrally located downtown right next to the gondola. (Check it out at:
Ski Country . I'll be working there full time, but the hours are flexible so that employees can get some time "on the hill" during daylight hours. The GM is a guy named Kenny, and he's very relaxed, friendly, and skier-friendly. He encourages his employees to get out and ski as much as possible, and he is very accomodating of powder-aspirations when making his schedules. The schedule rotates each week, but some days I'll be working something like 8-11am and 4-10pm, with a nice break for skiing in between shifts. Cool! Some other great perks of the job include: reimbursement of my season lift-pass at the end of the season; unlimited tryouts of demo-skis whenever I want them; free tune-ups (plus I'll learn how to do my own tuning); major discounts on all the top ski manufacturer lines (new boots!); free ski rentals for my family; and
Riding the BreckConnect Gondola
Only three years old, this new gondola connects the town with the base of peaks 8 and 9. Say goodbye to the vegetation, because it will soon be buried by snow! free lift passes for my friends. I can even leave my ski equipment there all the time instead of lugging it up the hill to my house. Can you believe it?!? This job practically pays for itself before I even make a dollar! That being said, I'm still on the lookout for a part-time waitressing or hostessing job, but it's not critical that I get one anymore. I'm very relieved to get this job. I start next Saturday, Nov. 22, so between now and then I plan to ski as much as possible. Not a bad start to the season! All we need now is more of the fluffy stuff...
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Odds & Ends:
-Today I got to see the U.S. Men's Alpine Ski Team at the Breck Recreation Center. I got their autographs! That was cool
-I think I'm finally adjusting to the high elevation. No headache today. My house is at 10,000 ft, so it's been a bit of a struggle!
-I won't be coming home for Christmas. Sorry. That's high season for the ski resort and I'll have to work. I will be
Yours truly
The ski bunny. Or bum. Your call ; ) spending Thanksgiving with my godfamily in Denver, though - something to look forward to!
-I miss all of my friends whom I've met in various cities and countries around the world, and I think of you frequently. I apologize for not writing more frequently, but please think of this blog as my attempt to stay connected with all of you!
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Jess
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Super jealous by the way. Glad you are settling in okay!