“You’re not from here are you?”

Well, no and apparently neither are most people. Denver has become a major hot spot and is one the fastest growing cities in America. Little did we know when we moved here for a 3-month work assignment that we would soon call this place home (though many people predicted we’d never leave). The sheer amount of Floridians here is astonishing and the first one we met told us we’d be staying put. One year later, here we are.

On the way to becoming a Denverite, I’ve learned some key things about living in this beautiful city a mile above sea level. I am breaking down my top 10. You may relate to some of these, especially if you are new to Denver.

#10 Christmas Trees die….FAST!

This past Christmas we had the crunchiest tree we have ever had! I thought we knew all there was to know about living in this dry air, but our poor tree suffered for our lack of knowledge. Maybe next year we’ll wait a little closer to Christmas to get our tree, try some of those Pinterest dry tree solutions or just get a fake one.

#9 Take up stock in lotion.

Going along with #8, moving from Florida, this air is something to get use to. I have always gone through lotion like it was drinking water, but this is ridiculous. Even the skin under my wedding rings is dry. A plus is the zero humidity, which means my curls are always poppin’, as long as I drench them in moisturizer.

#8 DIA is a small country.

Denver’s airport is humongous. It’s a really nice airport, with great food choices inside, but the size boggles my mind. Parking to fly is a headache and allotting time for it and security could mean the difference between making your flight or reenacting a scene from Home Alone. I am really excited for the light rail option coming soon.

#7 TOO MUCH FOOD!

I thought it was cute at first, blogging about eating our way through Denver, ten pounds later, not so cute! Insert cry face emoji here. The food options are endless and don’t get me started on the breweries! It’s a good thing Denver is such an active city, now if I could just involve myself in these activities, that would be great. Except for the 14ers, count me out.

#6 Snowboarding is not a cheap sport.

One activity I DO participate in is snowboarding, but as much as it costs, I’d need to hit the lottery for the amount of slopes I need to go down, if I want to continue to “eat my way through Denver.” People ask me all the time how I deal with living in cold, the answer is snowboarding! We love it! Catch our daughter in the X games in 15 years!

#5 Driving in Denver traffic may be the most stressful thing you do in your day.

Driving in the snow is THE WORST. A heart pounding, white knuckling experience and I would take driving in torrential rain over it any day!

#4 My family will be exposed to so many things here.

The outdoor activities will keep my family busy every season. From dogsledding to hiking, snowboarding to white water rafting, the list goes on. We traded the ocean for the mountains and the heat for the cold, but what we are gaining in life experiences means everything.

#3 Moose must be in the same family as Unicorns.

I have been nearly obsessed with seeing a moose since we moved here and it still hasn’t happened. I joke all the time about not wanting to be on an episode of “When Animals Attack,” but I may get a little reckless soon. I want to see one SOOOO bad!!!

#2 Parenting in Denver will involve some different conversations.

Living in a city where recreational marijuana is legal, we will have to teach our children about the dangers of eating things that aren’t theirs. Every parent has the talk about drugs, but because it is so easily accessible here and comes in so many forms, we will have to be more detailed. I’m sure by the time we have this talk, this issue won’t be unique to just a few cities in the US.

#1 Denver is not what you think.

The weather is so much nicer than I expected. The 300 days of sunshine a year make the cold weather and snow so much more bearable. They’d have you believe it is frigid and no place to live, but I believe the secret is out, as evidenced by the insane housing market.

We are so excited to start of lives as Denverites! This city has so much to offer and all of our visitors so far have loved it. After a year here, there is still so much for us to explore and so many places left to eat!

What are some things about Denver you were surprised to find out? What are your favorite parts about living here?