Denver and Kayla, Sitting in a Tree

For my last ever Spring Break, I decided to travel to Denver, Colorado, to explore the city and to decide if Colorado is a place I’d like to live. Over the course of the week, I fell in love with a beautiful landscape and a variety of surrounding cities and towns.

Photo courtesy: Kayla Reeves

Colorado is home to some of the most breathtaking views in the United States. Before being dropped off at the airport, we were well-warned about the sights and feelings that would overwhelm us upon arrival. No, not just altitude sickness, either.

For me, this was the first experience outside of the eastern United States. I had already decided that Washington, D.C., was the place that I would live after graduation. It’s a comfortable, known location for me. It’s lively and important. The moment I saw Denver, though, I knew I would never want to go back to the east coast.

Denver is bordered by massive, gorgeous mountains -- easily twice as alluring as the Appalachian Mountains I was used to. The city moves at a pace that more resembles North Carolina, where I’m from. The people are friendly and welcoming, and offered us suggestions for places to visit almost immediately upon our introduction.

Moral of the story, see ya, D.C.! Denver took my breath away, but the amount of nature surrounding the city was what sold me. I can only imagine exploring the Rocky Mountains, in the next few years, every weekend.