Summer Adventures in Colorado

Right before the end of spring semester, I got bit by the travel bug and started perusing Expedia for ideas for exciting and scenic summer trips I could go on with my two best friends. As college students, we were admittedly too broke for Europe or Asia, so we all agreed upon planning a trip around a beautiful and eclectic state—Colorado. We compiled a list of activities that were on our bucket list and vowed to complete them at some point during our travels. Naturally, I was afraid yet thrilled to be stepping out of my comfort zone, and as the end of the semester approached, I bought plenty of new sports bras for hiking and sweaters for cooler nights and windy days.

And So it Began

After a day of settling in and acclimating to the high altitude in Colorado Springs, we drove to a whitewater rafting center near the Royal Gorge. Clad in Power Ranger looking red and purple wetsuits, we hopped in our raft. The exhilarating currents and the stunning mountain views both made our trip amazing. To top it off, our raft instructor allowed us to jump off a small cliff into the river as we all held hands and grinned for the GoPro.

Up next on our summer bucket list was skydiving, also known as jumping from a moving plane 12,000 feet in the air strapped to someone who your life literally depends on. I can assure you, however, that the most frightening part of the experience is the drive there, as thoughts of everything that could possibly go wrong flood your mind. What if the parachute doesn’t work? However, once you’re up in the air, the overwhelming euphoria and excitement mask the initial fear. Just, please, don’t look down, at least not until you’re already far out of the plane. When you’re out, there’s no turning back, just relax, look around, and fly. Skydiving? Check.

Finishing Up

Last on our itinerary was two nights of camping and hiking in the Rocky Mountains. We rolled up our sleeping bags and were en route to Ouray. The drive took about eight hours (stopping at every vista point for photo ops, of course), so we set up camp illuminated by the prominent Colorado stars.

In the morning, I packed my backpack and we settled on an intermediate trail, but I can say that I was definitely unprepared for what hiking meant in Colorado. It means trekking up a mountain on shale rock and narrow paths, which my Nike running sneakers were quite ill-equipped for. However, the striking views from the mountain made it all worth it, as we got to see the Rockies from a completely novel angle and take in the breathtaking largeness of nature from up above.