Breaking up with Colorado.

I quickly fell in love with Colorado. I think it happened when my brave parents took my brothers and me on a three week camping trip out west. Even at age 7, I was energized by the wilderness.  I remember exploring the national parks and working hard to redeem my junior ranger badge [yes, that’s a thing].  

Apparently I told my parents, “I’m going to live here one day.”  

To my delight, I took a volunteer position in Denver upon college graduation. It’s funny how things work out, huh?  // Thanks God.

After living there for one week, I was madly in love with the place. The city was vibrant and active. The food and music scene was abundant. And it was easy to meet friends who wanted to climb mountains or run in the foothills on a Saturday.  

Frolicking in the mountains became almost a daily routine for me. The foothills were my sanctuary. They were accessible and inviting, yet majestic and so much bigger than me. They called me to run and play wildly and also to pause and be still.  I could not help but have a posture of humility and gratitude as I gazed at their beauty.

When I moved away from Colorado [a few years ago] I missed it so much. I ached for the blue skies, the snowy winters and the golden Aspen leaves in the fall. I remember feeling stifled when I moved back to the midwest, longing for the spacious lands and feeling depressed when I did not see mountains from my window.

I was so in love with Colorado that I could not see the beauty in other places. It took me some time to truly appreciate the greenness in Ohio.  It took time to appreciate the rolling hills and soft valleys in Virginia. And it took time to engage in these places because I saw what they lacked, rather than what they had. And oh, they have so much!

Colorado will always hold a unique space in my heart and life. It was a season of learning, discovering and playing. I met some of my best friends. I took some of my most epic adventures [like glissading down a 14,000 foot mountain]. I heard some of the most stirring music. I discovered yoga. And I endured some of the biggest challenges in my life.

And I am thankful for all of it. I will always love Colorado, but it’s time for me to break up with it.

Why?

Because I want to be the kind of person who sees and enjoys the beauty wherever she is.

I want to be the kind of person who is excited about what’s going on right now, not longing for the past.

I want to be the kind of person who believes awesome people are everywhere and seeks them out.

I want to be the kind of person who cultivates the community and culture for which her heart aches, rather than seeing what her community does not have.

I want to be the kind of person who finds adventure wherever she is and is eager to explore every bit of the terrain [junior badge or not].

I want to be the kind of person who is humble and grateful whether she is standing on top of a mountain, walking in a valley or doing dishes in her kitchen.

I want to fall in love with Virginia and wherever else my God takes me.

Goodbye, Colorado.