You guys! Let’s just talk for a few days about the beauty and goodness that is Denver, Colorado. I took over 500 pictures on my trip and have whittled them down to just near 100 for the ‘ol blog. I’d like to say I’m kidding or at least that I’m sorry, but yeah, I’m not. Girlfriend can’t help herself. Pictures aplenty, pictures galore.

So anyways, If you’d like to stick around for the ride, I’d love to have you. It’s good stuff through and through, I promise. And hey! Maybe afterwards you’ll feel like you took a vacation, too. Ready? Here we go…

{PRESS PLAY!}

I left Boston INSANELY early on Friday morning, but when you’re heading across the country to see your best friends {who you haven’t seen in a year!}, well, nothing is too early for that.

After one layover and one total sobfest while finishing this {SO GOOD!}, I was ready to take on Denver. The thing I remember best about landing at the airport and driving into the city was this: They sky was the bluest of blue {and stayed that way the entire length of our trip}, I could see the mountains!, and the sky was bigger than I’ve ever seen.

There is something perfect about reuniting with high school friends. The second you are together again, I swear it’s like you were never apart. We just kept busting out with “WE DID THIS! We’re here!! WE REALLY DID THIS!” on the entire ride to Denver from the airport. I felt this kind of happy inside that I haven’t felt in awhile, and maybe even ever. The sweet excitement of being someplace brand new with the sweet comfort of being with people who’ve known you practically forever— people who’ve known you before you were even actually you— at least before you were the you you are today, if that makes sense. They’ve watched you become YOU. And, anyways, for what it’s worth it’s some kind of wonderful.

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Here are some of my favorite pictures from day one…

The highlight of the day: LIVE AT RED ROCKS.

Fun fact: When I was in high school I was wildly obsessed with the Dave Matthews Band. I went to tons and tons of concerts {SPAC! Toronto! Atlanta!} and was basically head over heals for the music in the way that only a 16 year old can be. To put it mildly, I lived and breathed DMB. The winter of my senior year I wrote a letter to Dave Matthews, signed by me and all my friends, and! just for fun, not for serious, I added my phone number at the end with a smiley face. I sent it to his house in Charlottesville, Virgina and thought that was that. All in good fun, right? Send a letter to the lead singer of your favorite band and life goes on.

Well.

A week later, my phone rang one night and it was Dave Matthews himself. DAVE MATTHEWS! In the flesh, calling for ME!

Said he wanted to thank me and my friends for the letter, that he’d just gotten home from a photo shoot for Rolling Stone, that my words were the nicest and just what he needed to hear after a long, tiring weekend away.

I talked to him for, I don’t even know, 5 minutes? Mind racing, heart beating the enTIRE time.

And then I jumped and squealed like a 16 year old for weeks upon weeks upon weeks. {and still sometimes even now.}

TRUE LIFE AMAZING.

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My original claim to fame, also known as the best day ever of my teenage life.

{And so, now you’ll see why it was so appropriate that we come to Red Rocks. My favorite of all the CDs!}

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The amphitheatre is the coolest and the view UNBELIEVABLE. I hear the acoustics are the best, although I can’t say I’ve heard them myself {we didn’t see a concert, just toured the rocks!}–but I will say that I’m adding “See a concert at Red Rocks” to my bucket list, for sure.

If I can make it a DMB concert, EVEN BETTER.

Exhausted, but exhilarated I could not stop smiling the entire length of the day. After Red Rocks we headed back into the city {and Beth’s neighborhood} to end day one with dinner at Steuben’s. It was, in a word, {DO YOU SEE THOSE GRAVY CHEESE FRIES?} delicious.

The perfect end to a perfect beginning.

Love at first sight, Denver! So much good!