Mud Season

I'd like to congradulate my fellow blogger Jacob Jerome and everyone else that graduated from CMC this year. Unlike them, I decided not to graduate this past semester. Instead, I've decided to stay in Steamboat for at least another six months. I'm building credits to transfer over to CU Boulder and working hard at getting in-state tuition.

But now I'm here and most people have left for the summer. Since I went home during the entire month of May last year, Mud Season was something I had yet to experience. It seems like a large amount of people in this town are bored and "have nothing to do".

I can see where it's easy to get bored this time of year because you wake up around noon, look outside the window at the gray rainstorms rolling in and and check your agenda. You groan and think to yourself "Oh, look, once again I have nothing to do today".

However, I am determined not to get the mud season blues. This is a beautiful town and it doesn't matter if it's snowing, raining or sunny outside. There are always things to do for little or no money. Here are a few suggestions:

Get a Hobby- Some people enjoy building model cars, others like to crochet. Personally, I'm a book junkie. The start of Mud Season has been a reminder of how many good books I picked up last summer, and to be honest I'm excited to see if I can do more this year. It doesn't matter what you're into, this is the best time to enjoy doing it. Maybe it's time to pick up that guitar you had to have but never learned how to play.

Visit Friends- I had three days off from work and nothing to do. What could possibly be a better time to hop in a car and visit a new town? A couple of my friends moved to Boulder last year and I had yet to make it out and visit them. It was a great trip because I got to check out CU Boulder, the school I plan on attending after CMC, and spend time with great people.

Get in Shape- Just because it's raining doesn't mean you can't go for a run. I have to admit the first time I put my running shoes on in months was about a week ago. I stepped outside with my friend's dog thinking we could jog to the dog park, play fetch and jog back. It was sprinkling but I didn't mind. That was until I made it 20 yards to the dirt trail and a freak hail storm hit. I debated going for the run anyways until the puppy decided the hail was too painful and hid underneath my porch. Still, biking and jogging are great ways to get in shape and explore the beauties of this town that you haven't seen before. And, if you do get caught in a freak storm you can always catch the free bus to safety.

Become a Movie Buff- Since we are all broke and home by around 6pm my roommates and I have frequent movie nights. If it's come out in the past two months we've probably seen it. We frequent red box, blockbuster and netflix about two or three nights a week. It's a good way to bond and pass time.

Travel- With the economy recovering from such a slump there are amazing deals everywhere. This winter my family and I went on a cruise for ridiculously cheap. Flights may vary daily but hotels have such great deals. Checkout sites like travelocity.com or orbitz for good deals.

Volunteer- If you are sitting around with nothing to do all day there is always the option to volunteer. You can participate in river clean ups, walk dogs at the animal shelter or even become a mentor. Chances are you will meet some pretty cool people and feel good about yourself in the process.