A few Saturdays ago, we woke up to the sun glowing through our blinds — we’ve been in our house two and a half years and I am still stupidly in love with the natural light in our room — then walked ourselves a few blocks up to get coffee, swung by a skateboard shop in the Highlands and grabbed lunch at Illegal Pete’s. On our way back home, Joey remarked “we’ve become so Denver!” and it really got me thinking.
Lately, I’ve felt like I/we’ve really hit a lifestyle groove. We have favorite running paths, we’ve got the bike ride to Coors Field down pat, we know where we like to eat and where to park when we hit the movie theater. We even have a downtown Denver dentist! And on a more personal level, I have a book club, a yoga studio, a library card that I actually use and if you need a restaurant recommendation, I’m your girl.
This is all to say, it feels really good to be rooted somewhere and I hadn’t even realized how rooted we’d become until Joey made that comment. Coincidentally, I went to a yoga class on Sunday where the teacher said “if you’re firmly rooted, you can grow in many directions” and it really resonated. My lifestyle feels so firm and stable that I feel like I’ve really had the time to give my attention to stuff like growing my cooking skills, educating myself on homebrewing (science-based stuff does NOT come naturally to me) and pushing myself in yoga. Going through the motions doesn’t cut it anymore and I’m 100% okay with that!
Feeling awesome about this stage of life 🙂
Life as Lauren 
So now that you’ve proclaimed your roots, I’m going to beg you for some of those recommendations! I’m trying to plan this week’s Date Night but we are low on funds this month…do you have any fun Denver ideas that are on the cheaper side of things? I was going to plan a day activity (those tend to be cheaper), but Jordan has to work all of Saturday again so that’s out. Let me know if you’ve got any ideas! And also this post is GREAT–I love that feeling of knowing a city and feeling that it is your own. ❤
Yesss! I love when people ask me for recommendations! Hmm, I think I have a few ideas. Infinite Monkey Theorem has live music on Saturdays, I believe, plus: WINE IN A CAN, nuff said. Or have you ever been to Mercury Café? I think they have poetry readings at night, but I haven’t been to that in YEARS, so no guarantees. The Chamberlin Observatory has an open house every quarter (which happens to be this Saturday!) and it’s only $3 I think. If you guys are into beer, you could go to any of the awesome breweries we have here in Denver and grab a casual dinner at the food trucks they almost always have outside. Movie tickets are cheap at either The Esquire or The Mayan and what they lack in state of the art seating they more than make up for in quirkiness and customer service. Or cook dinner together and just go all out for dessert at D Bar, Sugarmill or Brazen (<– tableside s'mores!!!). Sorry for that short novel, but I hope it helps!
Thank you thank you thank you! These are all such GREAT ideas. I think I may do an observatory/dessert combo. I’m saving some of these other ideas for later!
Oh yay!!! Have fun and tell me how it goes 🙂
Love this post for many reasons. Mainly because I can’t wait to grow roots in Chicago come later this year. It’s hard moving every year or so and not feeling fully “in it.” For the past six years, I’ve moved around and lived in 6 different cities and 3 different states. It’s exhausting and all you can do is go through the motions b/c by the time you try to branch out a little, it’s time to move again!
That DOES sound rough, Parita! I hope you’re able to fully settle down in Chicago. I’ve never been but it seems like such a cool city!