After living four years on the Front Range of Colorado, one thing is clear — this is a state that attracts people from other places. As I talk to people who live here, it is rare to meet someone who is actually a Colorado Native. More commonly, the person moved here from the midwest, back east, or somewhere else. Local government officials actually think this could be quite a problem in the years ahead, as Colorado continues to gain population rapidly. Already, the rental market has become very tight as all these newcomers have problems locating housing in a really competitive market.
I can relate to all these “transients” as I am one myself. In fact, I thought for a long time that I would just lead the gypsy life forever, moving place to place every couple of years. My mother tells me that she has twenty-two addresses for me since I graduated high school and I believe it. As I mulled it over recently to understand why that was, I referred to myself as having “itchy feet.” It was hard for me to stay put, and I was always wanting to know what was around the bend. I remember right after college, actually looking at road atlases, finding random places on the map that seemed interesting, and driving there just to see what it was really like. The Germans have a name for this — wanderlust.
It’s curious to me how some people have that, to the extent it prevents them from putting down roots, or creating a long-term, stable homes for themselves, while others seem to be just the opposite. As I’ve moved around the country, I’ve noticed that wanderlust seems to be much more common with people out west, and less common with those back east. When I lived in Pennsylvania, I often met people who had lived in the same city their entire lives. They enthusiastically proclaimed to me there was no other place they’d rather live. I smiled, said “that’s great” and asked them what other places they had visited or considered. Then I would find out they hadn’t been west of Pittsburgh. I wonder what it is, that makes people so different in this way — perhaps comfort, proximity to family, or could it be fear of the unknown?
For myself, it may have taken me longer than others, but I finally found myself yearning for a place to make home on a more permanent basis. From the moment we saw our house for the first time, it just felt right. I am now going on my fifth year here, longer than any other place I have lived, and still feel as content and happy as ever. Relatives and friends are skeptical, and keep expecting any day now, I’ll change my mind and be ready to head to parts unknown. In fact, almost every day when I drive home, I find myself smiling and feeling so blessed to live in this amazing place. But I told a friend recently, that I believe my contentment has as much to do with me as a person, and my journey to get here, as it does with the place. Because of the person I am now, I can feel at peace staying exactly where I am. As they say, “everywhere you go, there you are.” And where I am now, is exactly where I want to be.
