Think about your favorite place, or one of your favorite places to be. You can’t help but smile and feel happy by just simply being there. For me, this place is Aspen, Colorado. I think it’s been my happy place since our very first visit in Fall 2017. We tend to visit Aspen a few times a year, but one thing is for certain-we have to go every Fall. This small annual tradition has brought me so much joy and happiness, and to Donnie and Rue too. I often talk about Rue’s favorite place being Aspen, and I believe this to be entirely true. As I’ve shared before, our Rue loves the great outdoors-and what better place to take her than Aspen? For me, there isn’t one. The pure happiness, joy, and peace that I feel when in Aspen is almost euphoric.
I think Aspen holds a lot of sentiment and significance to me because it was the first real mountain trip we took after moving here to Colorado. Better yet, my AmeriCorps VISTA service year was just underway, so with mere pennies as newlyweds, Aspen was even more magical. I’ve always thought that we have to be among those that spend the absolute least amount of money in this ritzy mountain town. I know though that there are plenty of adventurers, explorers, and mountaineers just like us who happen to love Aspen and the surrounding area for the great outdoors that it has to offer.
If you have yet to visit Aspen yourself, I know you have heard of it. It is truly a beautiful place. With world-class skiing, luxurious boutiques, exclusive art galleries, and many famous national and international celebrities owning multi-million dollar homes here, its no wonder Aspen is so well-known. Did you know that one of the most photographed places in North America The Maroon Bells find their home right near Aspen? Almost every trip to Aspen for us also includes a trip to The Maroon Bells. Looking at The Maroon Bells Scenic Area, is a truly breathtaking sight.
Another fun part of visiting mountain towns is going to their local brewery and in case you guessed it, the one in Aspen is even more special to me. Always on our agenda is visiting the Aspen Brewing Company. I think every single trip to Aspen for us includes at least one craft beer here! This Season’s Blonde is probably my favorite year-round brew on their menu.
When asking Donnie about Aspen, he says “It’s not about the glitz and glam, the most important thing about going to these mountain towns is enjoying the outdoors.” I couldn’t agree more!
When reflecting on Aspen and what it means to me, I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone should have a happy place, and maybe even multiple happy places. When researching more about this term, I found the definition to describe a happy place as “a place which a person associates with happiness“. Simple enough right? I think a happy place can very much be a physical place, or it can be a place that we visualize in our minds. I don’t think we experience enough joy, peace, and happiness on a daily basis. In my current season of life right now, I can’t possibly be in Aspen every day or even every week but I can sit and meditate on how I feel when I am there.
Although I have more Colorado mountain towns to explore, I know in my heart that Aspen will always be my happy place. What’s yours?
In the Spirit of Adventure,
Demie