9/3/2006 - Starting to feel like home

Don't have much to report today. Life is pretty darn good here in Denver. Although it still mostly feels like we are on vacation, we are starting to settle into the happy realization that this is *our* new town. One thing that has really helped that along is our friends Amanda and Doug. They have gone out of their way to show us some cool things around town and to help us feel like this is home.

Last night they had us over to their house for a party celebrating their recent snowboarding trip to Chile as well as Amanda's birthday. They made Pisco Sours (a delicious - or so I heard - Chilean cocktail somewhat similar in flavor to a margarita on the rocks), had lots of yummy things to munch on, and showed pictures of their trip. They had a houseful of friends who were a lot of fun. And Amanda & Doug went out of their way to let everyone know that we're the new kids on the block, so folks were especially friendly and made an effort to introduce themselves. We met a lot of great people who generally live in the neighborhood, some with kids, some with kids on the way, lots of them outdoorsy types, all of them funny and smart.

We learned a lot at the party! We heard about the hut system in the Rockies, where you and a group of friends can reserve a hut for the weekend. It's most popular in winter, and people snowshoe or cross country ski in anywhere from a half mile to 11 miles to the huts. We also learned about Denver schools, so now we can start the process of looking for a home. Apparently they have this thing called "Colorado Choice" which means that you can pick any school for your kid to go to - even out of district - as long as you provide the transportation. That's because schools are funded mostly by state taxes rather than property taxes, so everyone sort of has an equal claim to the good schools. We heard about lots of great restaurants we'll have to try out. And one of Amanda's friends, who is a Physician's Assistant and is due to deliver at the same hospital one month before me, said that my CNM Amy Wallace has a great reputation.

It's funny how meeting just a few of the right people can really make a difference in making a place feel like home.