We have officially been in Colorado for a month now, and I must say moving to Colorado in February may not be one of our brighter decisions since February is generally the coldest month of the year. We were immediately greeted by a storm and had the fun of shoveling snow. Please note that I immediately fell on the ice when shoveling snow. The falling was the easy part, it was the getting up that was the real challenge. Despite the cold weather and high winds, we have thoroughly enjoyed our new state.  Here are a few of the things I love and have learned about Colorado after only one month.

1. I must start with the fact that four generations of my family live in the same state. It has been 56 years since the last time we were able to make that statement.  My youngest granddaughter is the star of the show, and we love getting to see her on a regular basis.
2. The people in Colorado are so friendly and helpful. Each of the neighbors we have met have has been so sweet and welcoming. Additionally, when you ask for help in the stores everyone is so friendly and helpful. I love the people of Colorado!
3. I have discovered that is hard to find a person that was born in Colorado. The hairstylist that cut my hair is the only person that I have met who is a native Coloradan.
4. The mountain views are spectacular. As a girl from the costal plains of Texas who is used to only seeing mountains on vacation, it is amazing to walk outside every morning and see Pikes Peak. I cannot imagine that the majestic sight of the Rocky Mountains ever gets old.
5. The Colorado Sunshine. I know that earlier I talked about how cold and windy February was, and that was all true. What is amazing about the weather here is that it can be cold and windy on a gorgeous sunny day. The beautiful sunshine can be deceiving, but it continuously brightens my days, even if it is from inside the house.
6. The direction your driveway faces in Colorado is one of the most important features when house hunting. South facing driveways are at a premium because the snow will melt much faster and reduce the amount of shoveling required. Thank goodness my parents’ driveway faces south, which means that beautiful Colorado sunshine does most of the work for us. East and West are okay, but you never want a North facing driveway unless you love to shovel snow or own a fun snowblower.
7. I have learned snow shoveling or snow blowing etiquette. As soon as the weather allows you need to make sure that your portion of the sidewalk is cleared. Once again, a South facing front yard makes this task very easy.  It has also made me rethink whether we should purchase a home on a corner lot because that just means more sidewalks to clear.
8. You must relearn how to cook when you are at an elevation above 5,000 feet. I have had several missteps in the cooking department, including the worse blueberry pie. My father was the only person who could find anything nice to say about my pie, also known as blueberry mush. Needless to say, I have a great deal more learning to do in this area.
9. Lastly, I love all the new restaurants that we must try. In our short time here, we have tried family-owned restaurants, local chain restaurants, and even some new fast-food establishments. We have found several places that sever a delicious breakfast and two that serve good Mexican food. One thing we have noticed is that most places here serve breakfast burritos instead of the breakfast tacos that we are used to ordering. Yesterday, I visited Mountain View Café & Catering and they served a delicious breakfast taco plate.  Additionally, I never thought I would like shrimp from a fast-food restaurant, but Culver’s has won me over with their crispy fried shrimp.

These are just a few of the items I have learned or love about living in Colorado. Now that we have made it through the coldest month of the year, we are ready to explore and meet new people.  I look forward to sharing some of our adventures with you in future posts.