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Ramble On!

Leaves are falling all around
It’s time I was on my way
— Ramble On, Led Zeppelin

The leaves truly are falling here in Denver and it’s my favorite time of the year! The warm golden yellow leaves and deep green of the evergreen trees make for a landscape that is pretty incredible to experience. Even though I love living here in Colorado I am never too far away from my next trip! I have been to some incredible places in my 24 years on this beautiful planet and I can’t wait to share those trips and many more here on my blog.

Travel has become one of my biggest passions, I love to experience new cultures and indulge in some tasty food. When I am not traveling you can catch me hanging out with my boyfriend, Walker, and my cat, Malcolm. I also spend most of my time at my job where I am a Landscape Architect. Most weeks it doesn’t even feel like a job though, and I get the opportunity to be creative and make new spaces for all of Colorado to enjoy!

For me travel and music go hand and hand, and there is always a song that I connect to certain places or times in my life. I love creating playlists that connect me with my upcoming travel or help me to remember previous trips that I have taken. I will be sharing these playlists with you guys before trips and when I feel like there needs to be some good music on my blog. You guys will see a huge range of music on here and I hope you all enjoy listening to it with me and can take some of the songs with you on your next trip!

Denver Eats!

This week has been incredibly stressful! As we get closer to Christmas I am getting more excited to go to Arizona and see my family, but at the same time there are so many deadlines at work that it’s a touch overwhelming. So I am here to write a quick blog post just talking about one of my favorite subjects, food!! If you are ever making a trip out to Denver here out some of my recommendations on grub you should try.

Izakaya Den – This is easily the best sushi I have ever had, the restaurant is owned by two brothers from Japan. Their third brother lives in Japan and picks/sends only the best fish to the US weekly. It’s beyond amazing, and if I could eat there every day I would!
Steubens – This is a really great American Style Restaurant that does some amazing takes on classics like Mac & Cheese, Chicken & Waffles, Fried Chicken, and Meatloaf. I have personally had the Fried Chicken and the Mac & Cheese and they are both super tasty!
The Denver Milk Market – This is less of a restaurant and more of a market with multiple little restaurants within. There is every type of food you could want there. I have tried almost all of them and they are all delicious! And after you’ve finished your main course you can grab some ice cream at Cornicello!
Cherry Cricket – This one is easy, if you are looking for an amazing hamburger you have to check out Cherry Cricket. The french fries (with ranch) are pretty amazing too!
9 Thai – This little Thai restaurant on Colfax is one of the best I have been to, and it’s pretty inexpensive for the amount of food that you get. My favorite dish is there shrimp pad thai, and my boyfriend’s is pad woon sen with chicken. Be careful with the spice though, because it can get off the charts really quick!

There are so many amazing restaurants here in Denver, and in no way have I tried them all but, for right now these are my top 5 Denver Eats! I hope you guys get a chance to check out some of these great spots!

Exploring Denver!

About a year and a half after I graduated from college in Arizona my boyfriend and I decided we were ready for a change! We both had spent time in Colorado and knew that we really loved it so we ultimately landed on Denver! Being 23 and 24 in such a young city has been amazing, there is never a shortage of things to do and people to meet and hang out with. The one thing that we do find difficult about living here is the cost, because of that we tend to find activities that are inexpensive or free.

One of our favorite things to do here in Denver is to visit all of the fun neighborhoods. Some of our favorites are Wash Park, LoDo and RiNo. Down in Lodo there is a fun space named Denver Milk Market, which has food, games, bars, and cute shops. We love to go down there, grab a few small bites at the different restaurants, and top it off with a scoop of ice cream!

The parks here in Denver are really awesome too! Many of the larger parks even offer/host different activities throughout the year. City Park, in particular, is a lot of fun to check out. Both the zoo and the natural science museum are located there, and they also host a jazz night every Sunday during the summer. It’s a great time and all you need is a blanket and some chairs! Another park we like, which isn’t as heavily trafficked, is Garland Park. During the summer we were able to play softball with friends on the two fields that are there.

If you really want to get out of Denver though, there are tons of other towns that can be seen in just a day trip! I love Evergreen, Breckenridge, Silverthorn, Nederland and Boulder. My boyfriend’s family has a amazing cabin right outside of Nederland, which is an adorable little town with a lot of hiking trails, little breweries, and good food. If you’re a fan of pizza, I definitely trying the brick oven Napolese style at Crosscut. Breckenridge is my favorite ski town out in the mountains, and the laid back vibes make it an easy town to visit. There are a lot of shops that you can check out and it has lot of great food. Next time you’re in Colorado be sure to check out these fun spaces in and outside of Denver!

NYC on a Budget!

As a young professional sometimes it’s hard to find money to pay rent, pay bills, feed yourself, take care of pets and relax! Figuring out how to pay for a trip on top of all of those cost sometimes feels impossible! For my latest trip to NYC me and my boyfriend Walker had to do some serious financial planning and creative thinking! Below I’ll tell you some of my tips and tricks on how was saved some money here and there!

The first thing we did was plan ahead! Anything that we could do to lessen the expense when we were actually in NYC was really helpful! We planned on taking a few tours so buying those tickets a month to two months in advance helped us to spread out the cost, it’s much easier to pay 30 dollars for one experience before hand then it is to pay for all your experiences when you get to the city.

The second helpful money saver was looking for flights early! The website hopper was really great when looking for flights. If you’re able to be flexible on the dates that you take your trip you can use hopper to help you pick dates where the flights are the least expensive. For me and Walker we left on a Friday and come back on a Tuesday. 5 days was plenty of time to see the things we wanted too and in the end we only missed 3 days of work!

When it comes to NYC everyone thinks that Manhattan is the place to be. When it comes to looking for places to stay Manhattan is easily the most expensive! If you’re willing to commute a little more each day look into Airbnb’s in Brooklyn or New Jersey or Staten Island. We stayed in a wonderful part of Brooklyn called Williamsburg. It was 30 minutes max to most places in the city and we were able to experience a different side of New York. We were also able to rent a house with 3 bedrooms for less then your typical hotel in Manhattan!

Once you feel like you have the basics down most of which can be payed for before hand and spread out over a few months, you can budget for what you plan on spending when you’re actually in the city! Meals can be expensive but if you are willing to explore new places like China town, we got 10 amazing dumplings for 2 dollars at a place down there, you can customize you’re trip to fit whatever you need!

There are so many free things to experience in NYC as well! It’s not hard to fill your time with exploring! Some of my favorite free experiences are The Highline, Time Square, Central Park, Chelsie Market Place, Brooklyn Bridge, and Soho! New York is such an expansive city that you can really make it anything you want!

Who Is She?!

Hi guys! I’m so excited to share a little bit about myself! I’m 24 years old and I live in Denver, Colorado with my boyfriend Walker and my cat Malcolm. Before moving to Colorado though, we lived in Tempe, Arizona while I worked on my degree at ASU. My time there was amazing (and the campus was beautiful), but once I graduated I was ready to experience something new. And I have never been one to shy away from change, so the move to Denver was an exciting adventure!

During the work week I’m a Landscape Architect. As such I get to design outdoor spaces for the public to use, as well as work on large master plan communities. Lately though, I have been spending most of my time on a unique park project, which I am really proud of and excited to explore once its finished!

On the weekends I love to fill my time by exploring new places and playing different sports. Since I was in kindergarten until the end of high school, athletics took up much of my free time. So, this past summer I decided to join both a softball and lacrosse league, which really helped me to meet new people and make some new friends!

When I’m hanging out at home you can always find my cat sitting right next to me. My boyfriend and I adopted Malcolm a year and a half ago from a local shelter, and he’s been nothing but a little love bug. His favorite thing to do is eat cat nip and speed around our 550 square foot apartment like its the Indy 500 track! His cuteness keeps my heart full at all times and I am so happy that I get to be his Mom!

Travel Bucket List for 2020

This week just started and it already feels long! Yesterday was the end of Thanksgiving weekend and I didn’t get home until 1 in the morning! Work dragged on today too, which only made me more exhausted! So with that I am writing a quick read on my travel bucket list for the upcoming year! I am hopeful that I can check a good chunk of these off of my list in 2020! Leave a comment and let me know what you hope to get done on your travel bucket list this upcoming year!

Visit the Cliffs in Ireland

Go to the Swiss Alps and relive the Sound of Music

Travel somewhere alone

Go to a National Park

Drink wine in Northern California

Visit San Francisco

Eat Cajun food in New Orleans

Take a road trip with my boyfriend

Swim in the Blue Lagoon

Go on a trip with my Best Friend

Fly first class

Mashed Potatoes & Podcasts, A List of Podcasts To Check Out This Thanksgiving

Its already been a crazy week and it’s just Monday! With Thanksgiving coming up and an impending blizzard here in Denver, I’m just now getting the to opportunity to sit down and write! Given that Thanksgiving is one the busiest travel days, I’m sure we will all be stuck in lines and waiting on flights to take off. And for that I have a list of great podcasts to help you pass the time and maybe even learn something new!

My Favorite Murder – This is my favorite true crime podcast, its funny, serious, and easy. Karen Kilgariff’s and Georgia Hardstark’s witty banter and love for each other is apparent from the very first episode. Listening to My Favorite Murder is like listening to your best friends tell you an incredible story. For a great episode check out episode 105 – Proclensity.

Criminal – Another podcast favorite of mine! This one teeters on the edge of true crime. Criminal ventures into different areas of crime telling you a new story with every listen! This Podcast is also an easy one to binge. If you’re looking for a good episode check out episode 51 – Money Tree. It had my jaw on the floor the whole episode!

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/vice-2/chapo

Chapo – This podcast is a quick listen with only 11 episodes. Its a deep dive into El Chapo and why his drug cartel has been so successful. Its a very interesting podcast and a great for learning something new!

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/the-clearing

The Clearing – A podcast all about how a woman figures out that her father is a serial killer and ends up being the one to help bring him in. As you listen you will get a first hand experience of the emotions that April Balasico goes through while trying to cope with the fact that her father isn’t who she thought he was.

Swindled – In this podcast the host ‘A Concerned Citizen’ shows the darker side of White Collar Crimes. The host exposes the effects that white collar crime has on many regular citizens, as well as the companies/people who are willing to do anything to gain an upper hand. If you’re looking for a good episode check out the episode The Pharma Bro (Martin Shkreli).

Ear Hustle – Have you ever wondered what prison is like on the inside? Ear Hustle is a produced by some of the inmates of San Quentin. This podcast is a great dive into everything that there is to know about life in prison and how the men inside of San Quentin survive their prison sentences. If you’re looking for a good episode check out the episode Thick Glass.

Empire State of Mind, A Playlist for New York City!

One of my favorite things to do when I plan for a trip is to create a playlist. I love music almost as much as I love traveling, so for me the two go hand in hand! For my trip to New York I kept picturing I was walking down the street in the busy city with the beautiful lights shining and the perfect songs playing! Here are some of the songs that I loved listening to when I was in the city! Scroll to the bottom to listen to my playlist on Spotify!

City of Blinding Lights – u2
Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) – Steely Dan
No Tears Left to Cry – Ariana Grande
What I Know Now – Beetlejuice
Hanging On The Telephone – Blondie
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys
Bad Sneakers – Steely Dan
Strutter – Kiss
Say My Name – Beetlejuice
Work – Rihanna
Do It Again – Steely Dan
Life During Wartime – Talking Heads
Hypnotized – The Notorious B.I.G
Ms. Fat Booty – Most Def
Good Times Bad Times – Led Zeppelin

This playlist is a mix of everything, some of these artist like Steely Dan, Beastie Boys, The Notorious B.I.G and many more on this playlist grew up and made there music in New York City. Other songs on this playlist mix well with the feeling and vibe of New York City. There are songs like City of Blinding Lights that feel perfect for Time Square, while other songs like Strutter feel more suited to shopping in SOHO. Find what songs you enjoy and make your own playlist for your upcoming trips!

New York, The City of Blinding Lights. Why It Holds A Special Place In My Heart!

New York City is a big, bad city! There is always something to do, no matter what day of the week! This month I went to the big apple with my boyfriend, who had never experienced the city before. It was amazing see New York for the first time again even though it was through his eyes.

I can very distinctly remember my first time in New York City. Growing up I was a big Green Day fan, I’ve moved past my obsessive phase but they will always have a special place in my heart. In 2010, they had a musical on Broadway, and I really wanted to see it, partly because the lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong was staring in some of the shows! Then, one day out of know where my parents took me and my brother out of school telling us we had some event to be at. Little did we know that they were going to surprise us with tickets to New York City. At the age of 14 I was angsty and wanted nothing more to get out of the “small” town in Indiana that I grew up in, so the idea of being in New York really excited me. When we landed I remember getting off the plane and taking the train into the city. We got off the train right in Time Square and it felt like a movie, I could swear that U2’s City of Blinding Lights was playing as I walked up the stairs and onto the busy street. Everything and everyone was moving at a fast pace and the bright lights only added to it all. I felt two inches tall in the best way possible, like anyone could be anything. I felt like I had found where I needed to be.

I think when you’re young and not so jaded that places like New York feel even bigger than they are, if that’s even possible. When I think of New York City there’s a feeling in my stomach and heart that draws me back to the beauty. And those feelings that I felt the first time I stepped into the city will never leave me. That is why New York City is my favorite place on earth!

Check out U2’s City of Blinding Lights

Wanderlust

Wandering always feels a bit odd when you first begin. You feel out of place and everything is new, but soon you discover things that you connect to, and in the end you feel like you have created a new home. When I travel this is the feeling that resonates with me and keeps me coming back for more. I would say that I am an extroverted introvert, it takes a lot for me to be comfortable around new people, but once I am its feels easy and natural. I always feel that traveling pushes me outside of my comfort zone and makes me see things from a new perspective. I love to learn about a new culture and understand how other parts of the world work, in the end it makes me a more educated and empathetic person.

The beauty that comes with traveling also makes me eager to experience something new. Growing up I never really thought about the way that I was drawn to nature and the outdoors. As I got older though, I discovered Landscape Architecture at college and began to look at the world as a place of many wonders, and decided to explore them all!