Been Around the World, but Colorado is Home.

I am not a Colorado Native. I was born in a city outside of Chicago, Illinois, then my parents joined the Army when I was two years old. Ever since, we've been moving to a new place every 3-4 years. I've lived in Georgia, Washington State, San Antonio TX, San Angelo TX, Germany, Hawai'i, and finally Colorado. As much as I've loved every place I've lived and experienced, none has impacted me the way Colorado has. Don't get me wrong...my experiences in each place truly shaped who I am today. Since I was older when we moved to Germany, I was truly impacted and morphed. Europeans see the world in a whole new light and it was great to experience that during my 'awkward' middle school-high school teenage years. I learned a lot about the world at a perfect age that Americans on the mainland are usually sheltered to.

So there's part of my life-story. But everything picked up when I came to Colorado and graduated High School and decided to go to college here. Colorado has truly become home.
Why? ...Not sure exactly. People often ask me what my favorite place is that I've lived (expecting to hear Europe or Hawai'i). Nope. It's Colorado. It's not an easy decision, of course. I believe it is more that the mountains are home, not necessarily the arbitrary lines that make up the state borders of Colorado. I always say that the people in Hawai'i and Europe were definitely special. The friends I made in my short time living in Hawai'i were some of the best friends I have ever had. Everyone was always so fun and positive, there was never a dull moment. Of course, living within walking distance of the beach was not bad either. In Colorado, the majority of the people here are just like 'normal' Americans. By normal, I only mean that the people are what one would typically see anywhere in the U.S. However, there are some who live without worrying about the cares, or expectations of those 'normal' people. These are the ones who choose a life more immersed in the natural world than the 'normal' people.

That's me. The Rocky Mountains are my home. I could care less about those random, invisible 'lines' created years ago to establish the state of Colorado. My Colorado is the Rockies.

And this is how I live.