Phew, Stampede is over!

It’s a good thing Stampede only last ten days. Didn’t I begin Stampede with a yahoo? Well, that was a long ten days ago and I’m happy to see it come to an end for another year.

There are many great things about Stampede, the yummy food, fun games and rides, watching the brave cowboys ride bulls at the rodeo, all the amazing concerts, and the great tourists who come to our city to experience Stampede, even royalty! But, everyday for ten days straight is enough for another year. We could not live like this every single day, with the lack of sleep and sometimes memory, long line ups, big crowds, heavy traffic, high costs, the apologies, and little productivity at work for the non-hospitality employed.

I think we all need to follow Stampede with a sleep in day, where we can laze around in our pjs, have coffee in bed, flick channels, and recover from having no voice left. It’s kind of sad, when the high is done, family and friends leave town, and the free breakfasts are finished. We get back into our normal routine, up early, and dressed professionally (no more cowboy boots). We will try to remember everyone we met, looking through business cards and sending out follow up emails and texts. We’ll hit the gym to try and work off all the beer and mini donuts we’ve consumed, and start cleaning up whatever other messes we created during Stampede Week, so we can get back to the way things were before Stampede took over our lives.

Thank goodness we don’t live the Stampede life every day, but boy is it fun, and so great for our city. Stampede puts us on the map and visitors love and remember it for life. I think we made some money for our city this year, and we needed that boost!

Perhaps we should start planning for next year’s Stampede, booking days off to enjoy the festivities and figuring out how to pace ourselves more effectively so we do not get as burnt out. Ah, I think I said that at the end of Stampede last year but then I forgot, and got wrapped up in the day to day crazy fun once again. Until next year!