Friday, December 31, 2010

Adventures in review: 2010

2010 has been a good year for me when it comes to going new places and having fun experiences, both outdoors and indoors.

In the beginning of the year, I volunteered at a beer festival in Saint Paul. It was a very accomodating volunteer activity, as I was able to sample a few beers from local and regional breweries. This experience led to a group of my friends going on a brewery tour at Summit Brewing a couple months later.

Before it got too warm in Minnesota, I went on a trip with friends to Las Vegas. I had never been there, and it seems everyone has a wild story that starts "When I was in Vegas...It was fun to see the city, as we walked around quite a bit each day. There really is a lot to see there, although some of it is best not seen. We spent a significant amount of our time laying out by the pool at our hotel, which was nice as it was always hot and sunny. My favorite experience was seeing a cirque de soleil show.

As the seasons changed, I started running more often, competing in an 8k in June. This was also the time of year when I visited Minnesota's highest point, Eagle Mountain. This started what I hope will be a hobby that will bring me all over the country.

I also went on many runs over the summer, often times going from my apartment to the Mississippi river road. I ran an 8k for Grand ole day on Grand avenue, which went well, except for the final quarter mile, where there was some serious fair food cooking up, and the smell was not pleasing as I was finishing the race.

Later in the summer I made my way to Colorado, first passing through South Dakota. I had a great experience hiking to Conundrum Hot springs with some friends. In addition to the hike, we also went whitewater rafting, headed to Pike's Peak, and had a fun night out in Denver. A few weeks later, I traveled to the highest points in Wisconsin and Michigan, which less than thrilling, still made for a nice drive, and helped to solidify the goal of making it to other high points.

Since it has gotten cooler, I've still been able to make it outside, checking out Interstate State Park and continuing to run, even during a very cold turkey trot. I joined a broomball team, and used my snowshoes three times in December!

All in all, I think this year has been pretty good when it comes to being active. I look forward to continue sharing experiences and learning from other bloggers in 2011. Have a great New Year!

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