Out With the Old…
In a few short hours, my wife and I will be signing the paperwork to finalize the sale of our home here in Colorado. A few short strokes of the pen will mark the end of one adventure and the beginning of a new one.
We have lived in this house for the past nine years, in the Denver Metro area for over 20 years, and in Colorado for 30+. We went to college here, started a family here, ran through a couple of careers here, and built a life here. For most of my life, Colorado has been home to me - providing a safe place to raise a family, a comfortable living, and a never-ending source of adventure.
Sadly, Colorado is no longer the place we once knew. The secret is out, It really has been out for many years now, and as more and more people flock here, quality of life has suffered greatly. The constant influx of newcomers over the last 20 years or so has resulted in ever-increasing traffic, increased cost of living, spikes in crime, and an overall erosion of the way of life we enjoyed for so many years.
We find ourselves no longer doing the things that people come to Colorado to do. Mountain traffic, overcrowded parks and rivers, and increased regulations to deal with the crowds have made outdoor recreation more of a chore than it should be. This past ski season marked the first time in many years that I have not purchased a season ski pass. Sitting in traffic on mountain roads for hours just to stand in lift lines is no longer worth it to me. We rarely go camping because doing so now requires making reservations several months in advance in order to secure a spot. I haven’t gone flyfishing in years as it’s just too much of a hassle.
So a little less than a year ago, my wife and I began exploring the possibility of leaving Colorado at some point and settling down someplace new. “Maybe we’ll move once the kids are through school”, gradually became “Why not go now”. My wife began looking for remote work and found a great new opportunity in her field - better pay, title bump, 100% remote. I can work pretty much anywhere, so that was not a concern.
Obviously, the kids were a big factor in our decision-making process. Our daughter is starting high-school next year and our son will be in 2nd grade. Quite frankly, with all the Covid nonsense over the last couple of years, the school experience here hasn’t been the greatest. So, while moving is never easy with kids in school, this seemed like as good a time as any to try something new.
Fast-forward to today. Thanks to the crazy housing market across the country, and specifically here in Colorado, we were able to sell our house quickly and for way more money than we paid for it. This has given us the financial freedom to not only relocate to a great new city (more on that in another post) but to upgrade our housing situation as well.
As we pack up our belongings and prepare to leave, it’s kind of sad to think of saying goodbye to Colorado which has been our home for so long. As we say goodbye to all of our wonderful friends, neighbors, and coworkers with promises to stay in touch, the magnitude of the moment is not lost. Feelings of excitement, hopefulness, and gratitude mix with fear and uncertainty as we stack the last of the boxes and prepare to make our exit.
In a few short days, we’ll put Colorado in the rearview mirror and point ourselves towards new and better things. There will be more on that later, but for now it’s time to go sign some papers and get this place sold.
