Where has the time gone?

So I haven't posted in almost 2 months. I don't even know how it went by so quickly, but it has been a crazy, busy, wonderful two months. Where to even start?

SKI STUFF
Let's just start with skiing, because that seems to be take up most of my free time. In short, I love it. I go up to the mountains pretty much every weekend. I've been progressing quickly, and am now comfortably skiing some black runs. Moguls and powder are still hard for me, but practice makes perfect! I've taken a lesson, which was a huge help, and happily take any tips I get from more experienced skiers.

The view from the top of North Bowl at Keystone.

Keystone with Nicole

I have now been to Crested Butte, Breckenridge, Keystone, Beaver Creek and Arapahoe Basin. I go to Keystone the most, but I'm particularly proud of skiing A-Basin, just because it's a locals-only spot. Think of it as a Denver Right of Passage, kind of like Clermont Lounge in Atlanta (minus Blondie, of course). A-Basin probably deserves its own post. It's this small, but extraordinary ski resort tucked behind Loveland Pass. The views are amazing, and the runs are fun and challenging. It's also very low key - after a day of skiing, people camp out in the parking lot and crack open cans of domestic beer. It's like the dive bar of ski resorts.

Montezuma Bowl at A-Basin. Unreal.

Next weekend, I'm skiing 3 days at Vail. VAIL. The Reigning Premier Mega Resort. If A-Basin is a wee beastie velociraptor, then Vail is a mondo pregnant brontosaurus. I can't even hope to fully explore it in 3 days, but I can try. I'm also staying at the Vail Marriot Resort, which is going to be plush. Can't complain.

HOME STUFF
I've been settling into my home in Denver. I love my little condo, and continue to have little projects around the house. Case in point: I built shelves in the awkward cubby hole next to my nook. Now I have a place to put my cookbooks!

Before: Awkward

After: Awesome

My next project is an idea I got from Nicole's adorable ski condo. I'm going to take ski resort trail maps, and have them matted and framed. I need some artwork for the walls of my long, narrow nook.

SOCIAL STUFF
My biggest fear in coming to Denver was being lonely. I had really braced myself for a few months of alone time. Between my job (which keeps me out of town 4 days a week) and having no solid social foundation to start from, I thought that making friends would be the hardest part of this. Not so. Not even a little bit. Both Nicole and Katie immediately opened their doors and hearts to me. Katie's group of girlfriends was an instant click. They're all assertive, outgoing, and athletic girls. Most of them play on a camogie team together (I'll let you google that on your own), so they aren't afraid of a hard workout and a good time. I'd felt a little out of place for a long time in Atlanta, so it was utterly refreshing to meet women who don't think my bike addiction is weird.
The Denver social scene is also more my speed. There are brewpubs around every corner, and dress code is casual. I haven't worn heels out even once. Thank God. Who needs 'em.
Basically, I haven't been lonely for a single day, and I actually look forward to going out on the town.

All in all, it's been better than I ever could have hoped. Cross your fingers for me that spring will be equally as rewarding and exciting!