An outdoor movie theater?

Yes, GSA, the Graduate Student Association at GSSW, recently bought an outdoor projection screen for community nights! Our new on-site (portable) movie theater had its first use this past Friday with a screening of The Princess Bride. GSA sponsored a happy hour for students, faculty, and staff, providing food and space for some much needed R & R. After some tasty burritos and quesadillas from a nearby restaurant, people made their way over to the GSSW patio for freshly made popcorn and a classic film! It was a great opportunity to decompress under the stars, enjoy some fresh air, and laugh uncontrollably at silly antics. I’m looking forward to more cult classics and the opportunity to spend some time at the theaters (without spending $10 a ticket, of course) with friends and colleagues. Keep your eyes peeled for film screenings in the upcoming fall quarter.

Outdoorsy Self Care

One of the important things that they drill into us at GSSW is SELF CARE!  I’m sure you’ve read other blog posts where people mention some of the things they do to balance out their lives and take care of themselves.  Now that the weather is getting nice here in Denver, there are some really awesome ways to get some of that self care…

• Some friends and I have formed a volleyball team and we play four games a week at Wash Park.  We entered a league through Sports Monster which is a great adult recreation league that offers sports such as basketball, broomball, dodgeball, kickball, ultimate frisbee, soccer, and many others throughout the year.
• I recently entered in a 5K race benefiting a non-profit organization called Girls on the Run of the Rockies.  It’s an awesome agency that encourages healthy lifestyles for girls.  Denver and surrounding cities offer regular opportunities to participate in similar races (you can find a list of them at Running Guru).
• Going to a Rockies game on the weekend is a great way to get outside and enjoy Denver’s spring time.  You can either sit in the Rock Pile for only $4 or you can go on StubHub to get some great deals.
• Although I haven’t been there yet, I hear that Red Rocks Amphitheater is an amazing entertainment venue.  This summer they have some great bands coming to play including O.A.R., Dispatch, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Ray LaMontagne, Bassnectar, and many more.
• BBQ-ing with friends is also a big hit when the weather gets nice and it is a great way to relax (self care!) on a graduate student budget.

These are definitely just a few of the outdoorsy self care options to partake in here in Denver–make sure to check them out when you get here!

ROCKIES!!… (the team, not the mountains)

Sun is shinning, temperature is rising, ahhh baseball season must be approaching!!! Growing up outside of Boston I was bred to love baseball. However, with a baseball stadium like Fenway being your home team’s field it is very expensive to go to a game, if you can even gets your hands on tickets to even the leagues worst teams of the season, never mind to Yankee games! Being out here in Colorado I have the opportunity to attend baseball games as well as doing it without breaking my poor grad student wallet! My husband-to-be and myself are going to go to 25 games this season, going pretty much weekly! The Colorado Rockies are offering mini-plans this season which allow you to pick 25 games you would like to attend at a 40% discounted rate, with little service fees!! My summer is finally going to be filled with LIVE baseball games seeing almost every team in the National League! Life in the Rockies- you can enjoy the finner things in life, without the finer cost!

Sunny Weather

After moving to Colorado from Northeast Nebraska, I quickly learned that there isn’t a better place in middle America to live!  Colorado provides the best for 4 seasons–sans humidity!  Summers are mild with a few weeks of hot temperatures, followed by mild autumns with beautiful fall colors, winters with just enough snow (that melts within the week due to our SUNSHINE and mild temps) and springs with just enough rain to make everything green again!

Looking for a city/state that allows for outdoor activity every season of the year?  Make Colorado your home!

Parade of Lights

Every year, 9News sponsors the Parade of Lights in Downtown Denver and this past weekend my friends and I went to check it out.  (I think we were actually more excited than half of the children there!)  It turned out to be tons of fun–there were marching bands, Denver sports team mascots, lots of floats, giant balloons, fire dancers, and so many more cool groups!

Mountain Weather

There are lots of lessons to learn about moving to the mountains – they’re lots of fun, but you have to be prepared.

Lesson number one: As a city Denver gets the second most sunshine in the states, but always, always, ALWAYS have a jacket.  I recently went up into Rocky Mountain National Park to go to “Elk Fest“, basically a small festival in Estes Park for people to drive in and see the elk, which have come down from the highlands to mate.  They were all over the town – on the golf course, the school playground, everywhere!   One thing you’ll notice is that it looks really nice and sunny, but up in the mountains weather changes quickly and it can get pretty chilly!  It was actually only in the low 60’s that day!  So, pack a jacket to visit!