Good-bye Colorado

The great experiment: mountains v. ocean. For me, the ocean wins out. Of course that wasn’t my only reason for coming here, and it’s not my only reason for leaving either. But it was a great curiosity of mine after college, and I never would’ve known had I not come to the mountains.

While the mountains are more than amazing in the summer, the warm weather is brief, and winter is quite the buzz-kill. Bike trails are only ride-able for three to five months depending on elevation and snowfall. That’s not going to do it for me. I’ve also discovered that snow sports really aren’t my thing. It seems that skiing is largely just a status symbol, like owning a house here. Hopefully I’m wrong about that, but the cost to fun ratio seems way off. I like the challenge of going uphill and the freedom to go just about anywhere that biking gives me. If I intended to stay here longer, I’d look into fat bikes and/or cross country skiing. Still, riding dirt seems more fun, hence my recent trips to Moab and Fruita.

My other big reasons for leaving are education and a career. I’ve realized that a “fun” job just isn’t enough; besides, the right coworkers can make just about any job fun…or not. I need to reach my intellectual potential, and I certainly can’t do that shoveling snow or in the parks and rec field for that matter. Although I could get in-state tuition in Colorado now, I miss home too much to stay here that long. I’m planning to return to Ole Miss for a degree in science/technology, though I’m not sure what type of job I’ll be looking for just yet.

There were things I needed to do, that couldn’t be done back home. It’s hard to put them into words, but I think I’ve done those things. I might could say I needed to “find myself”, though I still don’t know what that really means. But, I’ve got a better idea of what I want in life, and I’ve gained a new perspective of what home is. I think I’ll like travelling more as a hobby than a lifestyle. I’ll try to remember to post here when I do travel. It seems that everywhere will have problems whether they’re social, political, geographical, or climatical, most likely some combination of the above. I’d just rather deal with the problems of the South and enjoy the positive aspects.