When I left the East Coast and decided to set up life in Denver, I imagined hikes, new friends, endless sunshine. But what no one tells you is that Denver, for all its “outdoorsy” charm, can be hard to break into, especially when you’re not hitting the breweries. I found myself scrolling through “sober events in Denver” like a lost soul looking for a crew—one that wasn’t meeting up for pints or posting #SundayFunday beer flights. Spoiler alert: it’s slim pickings… very slim.

“Trust the process, trust the people involved, and above all, trust Mother Nature.”

As someone who has walked the winding paths of both the great outdoors and the tumultuous landscape of addiction, I've come to a profound realization: our society desperately needs a paradigm shift in how we perceive and address substance use disorder (SUD). It's high time we cast aside the outdated stigmas that shackle those struggling with addiction and embrace a more compassionate, informed approach.