Colorado Springs — The Misadventurer

The second you let go, the universe rushes in.

Isn’t it funny how much we want to control things? Little do we realize - the second we loosen our grips, it makes room for other opportunities. The second we let go, the universe rushes in. I like to make rough plans, knowing I can pivot if something extraordinary presents itself.
Here is one example. If my friend Jess hadn’t told me about Colorado Springs, I might not have had it on my list of places to visit. Her lovely dog-friendly Airbnb is a short walk to Red Rock Canyon and a quick drive to Manitou Springs, Garden of the Gods, and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings.

Manitou Springs

When I first arrived in Colorado Springs, I had no idea where to start exploring. Through my friend, I met a lovely gentleman who offered to show me around.

When he was 45 min late for our date, I impatiently started walking around outside and instantly spotted a red-winged hawk not five feet away from me. I started video-ing the hawk and yes, he did walk up at that exact moment. He was taller than I expected, with tan veiny arms and scruffy hair. If my life were a movie, this would make for a very convenient meet-cute. We quickly bonded over the hawk and decided to explore Manitou Springs.

A short uber drive later and he was showing me each of the town’s fountains, consistently gushing mineral water for those seeking its benefits. He splashed his face with the water for good measure. Just a heads up, the water will spray you if you aren’t careful, and tastes terrible!

Side note: My preferred way to enjoy the healthy mineral waters of Manitou Springs is to soak in it at SunWater Spa, maybe catch a yoga class, then eat beignets or a sandwich from the Tava food truck.

Oh right, back to the date. As we continued to walk around we stumbled across a penny arcade. I beat him in air hockey (I think my dress was distracting), pool (he was winning until the 8-ball), and Dance Dance Revolution where he accidentally chose the hardest setting, which delighted curious onlookers.

Once we hit the main street, alive with music and patrons of the local watering holes, I quickly realized he knew everyone. I also noticed there were more dread-haired white men here than un-dreaded. An odd number of people walk around Colorado with extra-large backpacks, even at night…

After he and a friend recreated a Chris Farley skit from Saturday night live and he showed me down on the dance floor, I decided that he was my kind of person, and was glad to have met my new friend.

The next night I invited him for dinner and he brought his 12-string guitar. It turned out he was a very talented musician and has played with most of the local bands. We sat on the porch and entertained the neighbors with creative alternative renditions of House of the Rising Sun, Paint It Black, and Disney songs.

When he finally mustered the courage to kiss me, there were zero sparks. Darn. Welp, my life coach has told me I’m only supposed to be “dating myself” right now anyway, so thanks universe, point taken.

Red Rock Amphitheater & the Town of Morrison

On my drive to Colorado Springs, I stopped by the famous Red Rock Amphitheater. It is hands down the most incredible live music venue I’ve ever seen. If you go early in the morning you can catch local fitness enthusiasts performing a ritual known as “working out,” where they race up and down the steps to attract mates. The most die-hard of the group film themselves doing this ritual on their phones and post videos on social media to attract even more attention.

In all seriousness, if you are a music enthusiast, let me know if you want to grab a show here! Points if you like jam bands :)

When you’re there, make time to explore the town of Morrison. One of my favorite shops and owners I’ve met is Meadowsweet Gifts & Wellness. The shop reminded me of something Sandra Bullock would run in a 90s movie (IYKYK), but make it modern. She had everything an up-and-coming naturalist like me would want - mineral-tinted sunscreen, essential oil bug spray, books on homeopathic medicine, and more. She gifted me a roll-on perfume for “self-love.” When I smelled it I knew this was one of the most intuitive people I’d ever met. The only other more intuitive person I know I asked to be my life coach, but that’s a story for another time.

Thank you for reading about my misadventures! I hope you’ve found something useful or inspiring here. If you want to know more or less, let me know in the comments.

Love, K