Helpful Hints
Each place that you live in has its own special way of being. There are helpful hints that locals will share with their friends so that their stay is smoother and a lot more enjoyable. I thought it would be a nice thing to share some tips, tricks, and information that will help you have a better time visiting (or living) in Colorado.
Helpful Hints
- Altitude Sickness is a real thing and before you visit you should read up on it…especially if you’re not in good health. Denver and basically the entire state of Colorado are a mile high, 5,280 feet above sea level. That means the air is thinner here and the change in altitude can affect your body. If you’re not in good health talk to your doctor before you visit. Seriously.
- Keep Hydrated-Again, this is related to the altitude. You will see people constantly walking around with their favorite water bottle, there is a reason for that, we are constantly battling dehydration.
- You Get Drunk Faster-You will be a cheap date in Colorado.
- Don’t Assume We All Smoke Pot-This one is huge! I actually voted “no” as a protest vote and I don’t smoke. We passed the law because we are a live and let live state. Please do not assume that we smoke and stop making jokes about it. It’s super annoying and to us, it’s just not that big a deal. Also, please stop assuming that the wealth in the state is directly attributed to the passing of the pot law-it’s not. We have have diversified economy that we worked hard on for years.
- We’re really friendly-Don’t freak out. We don’t want anything from you. We’re just really that nice. This is hard for people to wrap their heads around when they are coming from places where you’re immediately wondering “what do you want?” We’re just being friendly! BUT, if you get a bad vibe, creeper, etc. Trust your instincts. Safety first. I’m talking about interactions in safe spaces such as: coffee shops, events, etc. Not, when you’re by yourself in a dark alley.
- We really are that active-I’m going to be upfront and say that people love working out here. It’s not a rumor or myth. Colorado people love to work out. If we can combine physical activity with fun-we do.
- NOT all Coloradans are liberal-The state is a purple state for a reason. It used to be a solid Republican state and as you travel further away from the Denver/Boulder metro area, the more conservative the people get.
- Don’t Assume We All Ski-In fact, many adults who grew up here learned as adults until the resorts wised up and started the Epic Schoolkids program so that young Coloradans (and kids in Utah) could learn to ski for free. Skiing is expensive!
- You WILL get hit by lightning-Colorado is one of the top 3 states for people who get hit by lightning. It’s no joke. If you’re outside when a storm rolls in, get inside STAT.
- Wildlife-are a fact of life here, especially if you go into the mountains. Do not try to take selfies with the wildlife. We will laugh at you when you’re gored to death by an elk. I’m serious. Do not look for: bears, mountain lions, rattle snakes, black widow spiders, or any other creatur that lives here. Again, it’s a live and let live state don’t bother them and hopefully they won’t bother you.