A Winter Park Wonderland

Once upon a time there was a town that embraced winter. That prayed for snow. That loathed the thought of summer... that spent hundreds of dollars on outerwear so that they could stay outside one hour longer and take advantage of everything that Mother Nature brought them.

Clearly, I'm not describing Chicago. I'm talking about Winter Park, Colorado. Population 400.

As a city girl in all aspects of the word, visiting a town like Winter Park was refreshing, renewing and re-energizing. Why, you ask? Let me tell you...

• Unreal backdrop: Picture this. A regular CTA Chicago Plus Card owner and non-driver, taking to the winding, narrow mountain roads of Colorado in a larger-than-Colleen Nissan Armada. If I could have split myself in two... my better half would have taken advantage of this scenic drive in the passenger seat, snapping pictures at every opportunity. The reality was my more stressed-out self white-knuckling the steering wheel, praying that the "avalanche area" sign was just a formality. Don't you worry, however, once in Winter Park... my camera was out and ready. Montage to be posted tomorrow once I'm back in the comfort of my apartment... after I sleep a ridiculous amount of hours.
• Flirtation station: I don't know if it's that Chicago guys are intimidated/scared by Chicago women, if they just want to wait until some girl sweeps them off their feet or they just don't want to make the effort... but I often feel that the art of flirting is lost in the Windy City. Maybe it's the girl/guy ratio, or maybe it's the increased level of endorphins from skiing, but Colorado boys know how to flirt. And sometimes harmless flirtation from a normal, cute guy can really put a girl in a good mood. Just saying.
• Gym-free workout: Perhaps it was my lack of time on the slopes... or my lack of time in the gym, but skiing for a full day... I'm talking 10 a.m. - 4 p.m... with just a short lunch break... is a killer workout. Even just walking in those awkward ski boots must burn 100s of unknown calories non-trackable by a treadmill. Needless to say, I will be sore, and potentially tired, for the next week.

As much as I loved the Rocky Mountains... I'm looking forward to seeing the Chicago skyline in a few hours, getting a overly enthusiastic welcome greeting from my fur ball, Moxter and having a fun night out tomorrow with friends.

I will definitely re-visit Winter Park... but I'll always come back to sweet home Chicago.