Picture this: you wake up just before your alarm. A new blanket of snow coats the ground, the foothills, and Pikes Peak. Take a deep breath: You're over a mile high.

This is our reality.

Colorado College is located just blocks from downtown Colorado Springs, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Life at CC is busy and fast-paced, but it's just a slice of the vibrant community that comprises the Pikes Peak Region.

Here are a few of our student curators' local favorites:

• Catch the latest indie flick at Kimball's Peak Three Theatre, which you can then critique to your heart's content over a scoop or three of homemade ice cream at Josh & John's Ice Creams (free if the temperature outside is below freezing!)
• Take a day trip and picnic (with items from the Colorado Springs Farm and Art Market ) to the Red Rocks Open Space, one of the Springs' best-kept secrets.
• Stroll a couple of blocks to see the latest art exhibit at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.
• Spend an afternoon getting lost among the thrift shops and hipster-chic boutiques in Old Colorado City, and then relax on a comfy old couch at Jives Coffee Lounge during Wednesday open mic and weekend talent showcases.

Within 15 minutes of campus:

• Garden of the Gods Park
• Shopping and hiking in Manitou Springs
• Division 1 CC Hockey games at the Ed Robson Arena
• U.S. Olympic Training Center
• The Pikes Peak trailhead

Within an hour or less of campus:

• Concerts at the nation's best natural venue, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
• Boutique shopping in Cherry Creek, Larimer Square, or 16th Street Mall in Denver
• Professional sports (Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets, Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids)
• Gold-medal fly fishing on the South Platte River