In Colorado, it’s finally starting to cool down. September brought with it cooler weather and the start of fall. I’m a few weeks in school, and I’m finally starting to get into a grove. With September came adventures around Denver. My August was more focused on both school and work. Which left me with little time to focus on myself. I’d go from being a student right to be an employee. Balance is key when managing your physical and mental health. If there’s no time for you and the things you enjoy, then you risk feeling burnt out. When you’re burnt out then you’re unable to perform at your best. In September I put focus into utilizing tools such as time blocking to ensure I was making the most of my time. That way I wasn’t feeling overwhelmed with both work and school. As well as, allow time for myself. Which meant I could get out and do have some fun.

My summer break will be coming to an end soon. It was a nice break away from juggling both school and work. Unlike last year I was able to get out and do stuff. Last year, I spent my whole summer working a job that I hated. There was no traveling or fun events. It was mainly me sitting on the couch watching Tik Tok videos, being depressed, and watching anime. This year, I made a summer bucket list and crossed a few things off the list. Here’s how my summer break went.

For my birthday this year, I took a day trip down to Colorado Springs to explore and take on the Manitou Incline. It’s located in Manitou Springs and gains 2,000 feet of elevation from start to finish. It’s a total of 2,768 steps and one tough workout. Most people want to go out for a nice dinner or spend time with their families. Not me, I wanted to challenge myself and climb some stairs. My day started at 4 am because my reservation for the Manitou Incline was at 6:30 am, and I wanted to see the Garden of the Gods before tackling the incline.