Five years ago I moved here from South Carolina leaving my family, garden and yard (where if I stuck a half-dead plant in the ground it always thrived), my job teaching mathematics at Columbia College, my church with thousands of members, and my home on Lake Murray (elevation 360 feet).
I did not anticipate the pain of not seeing loved ones each day, the utter disbelief of jumping on a shovel to dig out weeds only to find that the shovel never broke the surface of the hard clay, the blank slate of the daily schedule of a retiree, churches that were the size of my South Carolina Sunday school class, and the challenges of cooking and preserving food at elevation 7,000 feet.
I am quite content here now, but often meet newcomers to our area who are not. Here is what I have learned and now pass on to folks who (at best) tolerate living here and (at worst) hate it.
Sign up for the Master Gardening course taught by the Colorado State University Extension Office. It starts on Jan. 23, and most classes are held in the basement of the courthouse. I learned to appreciate our highly alkaline, drought-tolerant soil, which is subject to extreme swings of temperature in a single day, blessed by much sunshine, and inundated by noxious weeds. I met some wonderful people who have become my dear friends, made contacts with people who can answer any question I have about gardening, and have an outlet for volunteering in the community. Thank you, CSU Extension agent Tom Hooten.
Sign up for the Master Food Safety Advisor course taught by CSU in Durango. All the food I canned my first summer here had to be thrown out. Who knew that cooking and canning at 7,000 feet differed from these activities at 360 feet. Thankfully, I learned the joy of cooking and preserving food safely. Thank you, Wendy Rice, CSU Extension agent.
Quit comparing. People often ask me questions like these: Is South Carolina or Colorado more beautiful? Which place has more opportunities? Don’t you miss ...? The answers are quite simple. Both states are beautiful – just different. South Carolina has big rivers and small mountains. Colorado has big mountains and small rivers. Opportunities abound here, and we have the advantage of having a smaller population density. I am still amazed that when my husband and I go hiking in breathtaking areas or drive to 9,000 feet to get a Christmas tree, we see no one. Do I miss my family and church? Sure, but I have learned the value of email, Facebook, a cell phone, Skype, Facetime, and the nearby airports. My church has less than 100 people every Sunday, but I know them by name, have shared meals with them, have laughed and cried and served with them, and have grown in faith because of their personal prayers and encouragement.
So newcomer, take heart. You are now living in a wonderful place. You are the one who needs to change and grow. What an adventure you are on.