Month: June 2025

Our Big Summer 2025 Road Trip: The Utah Leg

Jon and I are currently in the midst of another long road trip! I’m so excited we are getting to spend so much time exploring tons of cool places. I’m also excited to share my trip diary on the blog once again.

Two years ago, we traveled around for two weeks during our first rooftop tent adventure. This year, we’re back at it and traveling for double the time! I recently left my last job, which was pretty in-office heavy, so the world is my oyster this summer as I search for something new. (I also created a Substack newsletter, as part of my creative journey.)

We’ve already enjoyed time in various places. Each day has offered a new adventure, whether we’re spending time in coffee shops or going kayaking. In this post, I will be focusing on the Utah leg of our trip.

Trip Diary Begins

Friday, June 20, 2025

We left Denver around 4:15 am, and I was completely exhausted. Jon kindly let me sleep while he drove. I slept for hours in the car. Eventually, we found a place to pull off by a lake near Heber City, Utah, so Jon could take a call.

I got out of the car to stretch my legs and saw there was a path that led down to the lake. I strolled down the path and sat at the shore, where I quickly became very content. It was so lovely. There was a pleasant breeze, as the waves lapped against the small rocky shore, making for a wonderful scene to start my day. The breeze, the sunshine, and the occasional mist of the water made it ever so pleasant. I was so happy to be there, rather than back in Denver, where it was a sickening 95 degrees. It was peaceful and refreshing, and I loved it.

After departing from this stop, we continued making our way to Park City. When we got into town, we hit Atticus Coffee & Teahouse. I’m a sucker for a coffee shop that also sells books and other fun stuff, and this happened to be one of those places. They had tons of cool books, journals, candles, and much more. It was so fun to poke around! I ordered the Queen of Hearts, which is a matcha from their seasonal menu, and features their house-made strawberry puree, milk, and organic matcha. It was pretty sweet, but delightful. I don’t often opt for sweet drinks, but sometimes, it feels right.

We left the coffee shop and headed to Park City Mountain Resort. While Jon explored the bike trails, I went for a little trail run. I made it a mile up before deciding to turn back, as it was quite hot and I didn’t think I was very well nourished or hydrated.

For dinner, we headed to No Name Saloon, a place we had actually been before while on a ski trip. We ended up sharing our table with another couple, and they were super friendly. We even swapped numbers. There were also what seemed like two separate bachelorette parties and a 21st birthday celebration going on. Park City was poppin’!

After dinner, Jon and I hit Flanagan’s and enjoyed some creamers (Guiness). As we waited for the foam to settle, the bartender offered to fix the pour, which definitely could’ve been better. You love to see it! Jon also overheard some other guys talking about splitting the G, something he and our friends have been obsessed with lately. (I’m no good at it and would prefer to just enjoy my beer normally.)

We camped at a parking lot, which certainly wasn’t magical, but it did the job. It was so hot in the tent, but also super windy and noisy outside. That’s just the elements for ya! We watched a bit of Vice Principals before going to bed.

Saturday, June 21, 2025

We started the day at Salt Box for breakfast and then headed to Lucky Ones Coffee, where we hung out for a bit. We sat outside, where they had live music by a local teen who was raising money for his choir trip. After that, we headed back to Atticus.

For dinner that night, we took a recommendation from the friendly girl we had met the previous night and went to Sammy’s Bistro. The food was super solid, and the service was great.

After dinner, we checked out Alpine Distilling. While I felt super underdressed in my Melly and yoga pants, the vibe was great and no one gave me any trouble like I feared. The service here was also fantastic, and we tried two different flights. We also ended up purchasing a shot glass as a souvenir.

Then, we headed back to Flanagan’s for some more creamers. We met a sweet girly from Washington who seemed to be there for a bach party, and she gave us some good Washington recs

We went back to camp for the night. It was colder than the night before, and still super windy. The wind simply would not shut up. Rude!

Sunday, June 22, 2025

We started the day off with a much-needed yoga flow we found on ClassPass. It’s nice to be able to keep up with things like yoga while on the road. We then enjoyed breakfast at Five5eeds. The banana bread with espresso cream was amazing.

After morning yoga and breakfast, we checked out the Park Silly Sunday Market, which is basically a farmers’ market. Gotta love a market! We ended up buying a can of cold brew and some bread.

We headed back to the mountain, where Jon biked some more and I went on a hike. During my hike, I had bursts of running/jogging, and even some skipping and frolicking. It went much better than my trail run a couple of days before.

It was time to hit the road again and head to our next stop: Idaho. On the way there, we stopped at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. It was exactly what you’d expect. We are trying to hit a bunch of the big chain restaurants together at some point, so why not check it off the list? But I can’t say we’ll be back. (I’d currently rank Chili’s as the #1.)

The drive to Idaho was kind of boring and bland, but that’s just how it is sometimes. That night, we had our first hotel stay of the trip. It was nice to have a shower and reset for the night.

Whitewater Rafting at the Royal Gorge: I Was Terrified, Then I Loved It

‘DISTANCE FROM DENVER: ABOUT 2 HOURS
Jon and Lai in the raft on their first whitewater rafting adventure at the Royal Gorge

Another Bucket List Adventure

Another outdoorsy activity has been crossed off the bucket list: whitewater rafting! Jon and I recently went whitewater rafting for the first time, accompanied by three of our friends. Back in November, I got him a voucher for a trip through Giftory for his 30th birthday, as I knew it was something he’d been itching to do. On Sunday, June 15th, we went on a half-day trip with Raft Masters in Cañon City.

From Childhood Fears to Rafting Realities

Growing up, my dad went on a few whitewater rafting trips with different groups of guys, and he told us how scary and crazy it was. His trips scared me, and I hoped he would stop going. Who would’ve thought that 15 years later (give or take), I’d be embarking on my own rafting excursion. Not me!

Pre-Rafting Jitters

The night before the trip, Jon and I camped in the area to be close to the launch point for our whitewater rafting tour. When we went to bed for the night, I couldn’t stop the fears spinning in my head. My parents warned me about how dangerous it was, which definitely got in my head. I’m not saying it’s not dangerous, because it certainly can be, but my anxiety got the best of me. I wondered if my fear meant that I had some kind of intuition. That it could be a sign that I would die from this rafting trip.

There were a couple of thoughts that helped relax me, however. For one, a couple of our friends who were joining us had gone on rafting trips before. Plus, I love skiing in the winter, which can certainly be a dangerous sport. I needed to stop worrying that the rafting day would be my last.

The Calm Before the Splash

When we woke in the morning, I felt a lot better. We packed up camp and headed to town for breakfast, where we met our friends who had traveled there in the morning. After a fast breakfast, we threw on our water shoes and helmets and headed to the bus.

On the ride to the takeoff, one of the guides went over all the safety measures. Much like being on a plane, I worried I wouldn’t process everything enough and hoped I just wouldn’t have to worry about it. (Although when I am on a plane I usually tune it out and hope for the best 😬.) They also determined our raft groups. Jon, Hannah, Evan, Chris, and I were all in a group, led by Freck. The other guide led a group with a father and his young sons. It was pretty cool that our whole raft was people we knew. 

Into the Rapids

As we got into the raft, we decided Jon and Evan would take the front row. Hannah and I were behind them, Chris was behind us, and Freck led from the very back. Freck went over how we should position our feet. I was on the left side, second row, and jammed my left foot into a crack in front, and the right foot behind. We practiced a couple of paddle strokes close to shore before setting off. 

Once we were all set, we headed out on the flow of the river. Freck constantly updated us on what we were approaching and the difficulty levels. The first rapids were class 2, and they weren’t scary at all. It was so fun! This made me more comfortable about the class 3 and 4 rapids to come. As we went down the rapids, water splashed into the raft, a refreshing way to beat the intense heat. We were all smiling and laughing. 

We paddled through a mix of rough rapids and calm stretches, which gave us time to catch our breath. It was nice to have more relaxing moments where we could talk and chill to break up the sloshing around. We learned the names of the many rapids, such as Sunshine Falls, Sledgehammer, and Grateful Dead Rapid. 

The waters were at a medium level during our trip, which made the rapids super solid but less intense than they would’ve been a couple of weeks earlier. It felt like the perfect amount of thrill for me, as a newbie to the activity. We also learned that this rafting company isn’t allowed to run commercial tours if the rapids reach Class 5, due to the increased danger, which put my mind at ease.

Throughout the trip, our guide would call out cues for how to paddle, who should paddle, and how many strokes. For example, “Left forward 2” meant that those of us on the left side should paddle forward twice. “Back one” meant everyone in the raft should paddle backward once, and so on. We passed near the pumphouse, which we learned used to supply water to the city, and was abandoned in 1973. Thrilling and educational!

Embracing the Moment

The scenery on this trip was so sick. This part of the Arkansas River runs through the Royal Gorge canyon, which is so beautiful. We eventually passed under the iconic Royal Gorge Bridge. It was awesome! My fears had long dissipated, and I was having a blast.

I tried to engage my core and do everything I could to stay in the raft. I believe falling out is a pretty common occurrence while rafting, and not inherently a death sentence, but I just didn’t want to worry about the whole thing. Luckily, none of us fell out the whole time! We had one close call and a great save, but no actual falls. Go us!

Rafting Break + Cold Plunge

We eventually stopped at a spot to take a break from the rafting, where we could jump off a rock and into the water for a bit. I decided to take the jump. (It’s nowhere near as high or scary as cliff jumping at St. Mary’s Glacier, which I will never do again.) Jumping into the water was super fun, but left me shivering for a long time after. The water was freezing, and though the day was hot, I simply could not stop shaking. 

Pulling Ashore and Regaining Our Land Legs

We rafted a little more to the endpoint, where we all disembarked. My right foot had fallen asleep, and it took me a minute to shake it out and get stability back in my legs. We all loaded on the bus and headed back to where we began our day with Raft Masters.

I loved my first whitewater rafting experience. It was so much fun! It had a perfect balance of thrills and comfort, and the Royal Gorge setting made it extra special.  I would absolutely do another trip in the future, and I recommend those interested to check out Raft Masters. 

Jon and Lai taking a selfie in the raft before setting off
Lai taking a dip in the water
Post whitewater rafting beer flight

I Used to Hate Running. Then I Ran the BOLDERBoulder.

DISTANCE FROM DENVER: HALF AN HOUR 😉 
A selfie of Lai at the start of her first 10k

How I Ended Up Running the BOLDERBoulder 10K

This Memorial Day, I participated in the BOLDERBoulder, a popular 10K race in Boulder, Colorado. This iconic event has been held every year for the past 45 years, and is recognized as America’s All-Time Best 10K by Runner’s World Magazine. 

I’ve Never Been Much of a Runner…

I was never much of a runner. Growing up, some of my friends would go for runs at the local track or around the neighborhood, and sometimes… I would join. But I didn’t particularly enjoy running. It just wasn’t my thing. 

Cut to last Memorial Day. Jon and a few of our friends all ran in the BOLDERBoulder. I opted to go hang out and support them, rather than join in on the running. It did, however, seem like a super fun race. I was told that along the course of the race, people were handing out shots, and there was even a slip ‘n slide.

The BOLDERBoulder ends inside the University of Colorado Boulder stadium, where runners complete a lap around it to the finish line. I waited for Jon at the stadium as he ran the course. 

From Walk-Jog to 6 Miles

After seeing how fun this seemed to partake in, I made it my goal to run the BOLDERBoulder myself in 2025. Despite my historic aversion to running, it seemed like a cool experience worth trying. So, around Labor Day, I began giving running a real try. (Jon and I had also been running the last little bit of many hikes we did that summer.)

I had to build myself up after dipping my toe in, starting by running for a few songs at a time and then taking breaks to walk in between. Once I had a few runs under my belt, I treated myself to a solid pair of running shoes and began running more regularly, aiming for once a week. I eventually reached a point where my minimum preferred run was 3 miles. Leading up to the race, I ran the 6.1-mile distance one time, while the majority of my runs were somewhere around 3-5 miles. 

Waking Up and Lacing Up for My First 10k

On race day, Jon and I woke up around 5 am, got ourselves together, and made our way to Boulder. I put on some glitter freckles for a little bit of added fun. My group’s start time was around 7:15 am. Jon’s was before mine, as he was in a faster group. There was a chill in the air, and the sky was overcast, with rain on the horizon. The hope was that it wouldn’t come until the event was over. 

Pressing Play and Hitting the Pavement

When the shot went off, it was time to start running. I had already started my Spring Run Vibes playlist a minute-ish before the set start time, so I wouldn’t have to worry. I started the tracking on my watch and began running alongside my crew. 

After getting started, the doubt crept in. What did I sign myself up for? I thought. Sure, I’d run this distance before. It wasn’t like it was a half marathon, and I’d been running relatively often, but I still wondered how I’d manage the distance. Eventually, however, that feeling dissipated. 

My pace went back and forth between fast-ish and a steady jog. I had spurts of motivation to run on the faster side, passing by other runners, interspersed with moments of slowing down. After my first mile, I saw on my watch that I had run it in 8:33 minutes. I had never run a mile that quickly before. Wow. I couldn’t believe it.

Rain, Shots, and Unicorns

The rain arrived after all. It started as a light mist, which honestly wasn’t so bad. It actually felt kinda refreshing. Soon, it turned into more defined drops, but it wasn’t heavily downpouring, thankfully. Some water got in my eyes, but it wasn’t so bad. Four songs in, “Unwritten” by Natasha Benningfield came on, which felt rather fitting. Yessss Natasha, I am, indeed, feeling the rain on my skin. 

Throughout the course, many exciting elements made the race more fun. Yes, some people were handing out shots. No, I did not have any, because running after consuming alcohol sounds highly unpleasant. The booze was reserved for after the race. There were also various people playing live music, dancers, and of course, people holding fun signs and cheering on the runners. I remember a mom and her little girls dressed as unicorns, holding signs that said something about unicorn magic. It was so cute. All of these fun moments put a smile on my face throughout the race, making it all the more exciting. No longer was I questioning my choices. I was having fun, taking it in, and feeling proud of myself for being one of the runners.

The Final Stretch Through the Stadium

I ran and ran through Boulder, and before I knew it, I was in the home stretch. I approached the stadium among a swarm of other runners. This approach involved a slight incline. I’m so close. I couldn’t believe how fast the time had gone by. Soon, we were entering the stadium. Excitement was coursing through me. 

We ran into the stadium and began the final push. It didn’t take long before I heard Jon, who had already finished, screaming my name and cheering me on. This gave me even more motivation and made me feel so good. As I got closer to the finish line, I pushed harder and gave it my all, running past a few runners in my swarm and through the finish line. I DID IT! I had to catch my breath. Then, I made my way inside to the post-race area, grabbing little cups of water and Gatorade that people were handing out near the entrance. The woman who handed me the Gatorade had to ask if I was okay, because I was breathing a bit hard. I was doing great. 

I Did It!

My finish time was 55 minutes and 45 seconds. The one other time I ran 6.1 miles, it took me an hour and 7 minutes. My goal, my hope, was to finish the race in an hour or less. And I did it! I did it 12 minutes less than the last time I ran that distance. I was so, so happy!

Once inside, I quickly found Jon. The feeling I had was amazing. I was out of breath, but I was incredibly proud of myself. He gassed me up, as he does, which made me beam even more inside. We grabbed our little bags of treats, along with our free beer (yep, at like, 8 am). We chatted with a couple of friends who also ran once we found them, before getting the heck out of the stadium chaos and heading to brunch. 

Post-Race Chill and Bloody Marys

The rain and cold were a lot more uncomfortable now that we weren’t running. We walked about 20 minutes to The Buff, where we put our name on the list. During the about 45-minute wait, Jon walked another 8 minutes to the car to grab our jackets.

Once we were seated for brunch, we ordered some drinks. Amazingly, they had a list of cocktails that were 99 cents. I enjoyed two Bloody Marys. (Sadly, they couldn’t make it a Bloody Maria at the 99-cent price.) For my meal, I ate the Buffaquiles.

When our bellies were full, we made the final walk back to the car and headed home. It may have been a gloomy day, but the BOLDERBoulder made it so much fun.  

So, Maybe I Don’t Hate Running

I used to hate running. It wasn’t for me. But now, I have a 10K under my belt, and honestly, it was an amazing experience. I would love to participate in more races in the future, and I’ll likely run the BOLDERBoulder again. Maybe I’ll even get cRaZy 🤪and take a shot next time. We’ll see…

My Race Day Playlist

If you really want to put yourself in my shoes and get the full experience I had, here are the songs that played, in order, throughout my race. 

Check Out My Run On Strava