Having lived the nomadic life of a community journalist and
subsequently living in 18 states, my soul yearns for my hometown, Pueblo,
Colorado. I want to be with my 94-year-old Grandma Ruth and my parents as they
age. I want to buy a home and put down roots.
A week after I graduated high school, I moved to
California, then to New York City, et al. I haven’t lived in Pueblo since I was
20-years-old when I joined the U.S. Navy. My youngest sister was 10.
Needless to say, life without me in Pueblo has thrived in
the last 30 years. People live their lives with me popping in over the years to
quickly unintentionally disrupt their flow during my visits.
It has caused irreversible damage in my family. It seems
the mention of me coming back is already causing some fear. I don’t expect any changes there. I just want
to enjoy the rest of my parents’ lives.
My friends, however, are thrilled I am coming home for good!
With us, there are no expectations or judgments.
There are so many things I have missed and I am excited
to learn how my town has grown and prospered over the years. Of course, I have the moving jitters and
having to sell everything possible, but that’s part of my move! I am an expert
mover.
After three years of living about as far from my home state
as possible I am finally leaving Boston! The first year I was here it snowed 4
ft.; the second year, 6 ft.; and the third year - 10 ft. I mean it is mid-July
and the last 75-foot-high snow bank just melted a week or so ago! I can’t last another winter.
I love Colorado snow. It is soft and fluffy. In New England,
snow is heavy and wet! And the cold actually is so biting; it tears up your
face. The wind is continuous. It just never stops blowing.
And don’t get me started on the humidity on the East
Coast! It was 83 degrees at 5 a.m. today; and as I write this after 9 p.m., it
is still 93 degrees outside. It is literally so hot you really cannot enjoy being
outside. In Colorado, snow melts quickly, and it always cools down at night.
Man, I miss that!
And Boston is a HUGE EXPENSIVE city smashed into a very
small area. There are just too many people and too much traffic. Parking is very expensive and no validation.
Bostonians don’t interact much – unless it is a sporting
event, and then they are all united. But they are fair-weather friends. If a
team is losing they want nothing to do with it. That is weird to me!
Also, it is strange being in an area where English is
definitely the minority language. I am also positive I actually catch about
two-thirds of a conversation as Bostonian is a strange language, believe me. I
mean, a water cooler is a bubbler, a donut is a Dunkie, and there are no r's
in the pronunciation.
There is no open space. And no mountains! I am a
mountain girl and can't wait to take San Isabel-Beulah drive.
I will miss the Atlantic Ocean and the seafood, but I can
live with that! Road trip and home by September 1! Yay!
