Let’s Go to Candy Land

Two weeks ago things were relatively normal in Colorado. My cousin was in town for a conference. We went out to dinner at Linger on March 9. It was amazing to see her and catch up. My favorite hot yoga studio was holding classes as normal. Stores had toilet paper. Since then everything has changed, and Denver is basically on lock-down except for essential functions. Fun stuff was closed first – rec centers, libraries, fitness centers, salons, restaurants (except to go), etc.

The organization I work for went to a work from home, as possible, situation on March 16. We cancelled our annual conference; and we had an amazing slate of speakers lined up for April 1. We even have a new hire about to start, that we finished up interviewing by Google Hangout; and, we’ll on-board her completely remotely later this week. All that said, this post isn’t going to be a post about coronavirus or COVID-19. It’s changing everything; and, the things friends are experiencing around the world are heartbreaking. If you want a decent overview from a non-scientist, try CORONAVIRUS: THE REAL RISKS AND HUMAN BIASES BEHIND THE PANIC. If you’d rather just see the facts, Colorado’s new site is as good as any. And, if you are more worried about the economic vs. human impact, Axios Markets is a great read (p.s. this is a fantastic newsletter all of the time – you should click the sign up button).

Whew. OK. That reality check is out of the way. This past Saturday I went to Candy Land (on a trail outside of Leadville, CO). And it was amazing to get outside and try new things.

First, I went for a snowshoe in some Costco snowshoes that, until then, were still in their packaging. A friend had warned me that I should have invested in snowshoes from REI, but until I commit to an activity, I generally go with the cheapest thing to make sure that I will do it and like it before I make an investment. So these snowshoes were not great, but it was still fun.

It was not a fast walk, but it was pretty. There were a surprising amount of people and dogs out – generally with the recommended 6 foot distance in place. About half walking, and half on bikes.

After the hike, my friend loaned me a “fat bike” to ride the same route we’d just hiked. I wasn’t much faster on the bike! The turns were really (incredibly, heart-pounding-ly, adrenalin racing) hard for me. And why yes, I did fall over on one of hair pin turns to make a snow angel! Luckily my friend was up ahead and missed my glorious slow motion fall into a snow bank.

I’m not sure what the new normal is going to be in the coming weeks and months, but I’m going to try to get outside more. I highly recommend finding your own Candy Land.