My Colorado Bucket List


July 15, 2021

When I originally made my Colorado Bucket List in June of 2014, I’d lived in the state for a total of seven years over two periods.

At the time, I would have made the worst tour guide ever.

I hadn’t really seen much of the state, and I wanted to change that.

So I started pulling ideas from different “things you must see/do” articles and websites and adopted a tourist attitude. But life turned upside down six months later with my loss, and while I kept doing lots of things around the state, I stopped actively attempting to check things off or documenting it.

It’s time to bring the mission back.

By the time I leave Colorado next February to move home to New Mexico, I’ll have lived in the Rocky Mountain state for a total of about 15 years. Wild!

I went back through some old social media posts and newer blogs to update and link what I’ve done since I stopped tracking. I’ve also done some things that have no online record, so I’ve linked to more information on external sites.

I’ll be spending my remaining time in Colorado working to check things off, discovering new places I didn’t even know I should add, and documenting on the blog as I go. I hope that this serves as a fun record of everything I’ve done here while also giving other people guidance around things to do!

Site-seeing activities:

Hikes, Parks, Scenic, and Nature:

But, it’s not just about Colorado.

There are places I want to visit (and have visited already!) that are easy to access from the Western Slope, so I’m including those things in my list as well.

Utah:

Arizona:

  • Explore the magic of Sedona.
  • Visit the Grand Canyon.

Wyoming:

Exploration, adventure, and experiencing life to the fullest are so important to me.

It’s easy to say we’ll get around to things “someday.”

It’s easy for the to-do lists and obligations to get in the way. And it’s really easy to feel intimidated or tired or whatever else our subconscious uses to keep us in the known and familiar. But I’ll tell you one thing: every time I look back at the photos on my Instagram or the pictures I have framed around my house, I’m so grateful for every instance where I found the time, energy, and courage to get up and go out.

For every time I said yes to an invitation or opportunity.

For organizing my life around the things that feel important.

For choosing to prioritize experiences over stuff.

For being willing to start at square one and be a beginner more than once.

For all the kind souls I’ve met along the way.

Here’s to closing out my time in Colorado with a ton of fun!



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