http://xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=6403&CAT=21&xref=xx
Article up on XTRI this morning...
Text here...
After being away from home for two months I could not contain my excitement as I drove the 1100 miles back from Texas to Boulder just a couple weeks ago. I was giddy with the anticipation of coming in from the east and seeing the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains rise up to greet me just as the sun was setting (getting chills writing this). I have that same feeling every time I come home from any travel and make sure that if it’s a clear day that I make the walk across the sky bridge to the terminal at DIA so that I can soak in the panoramic view of the high country to the west. A deep breath of mile high air and the expression of “I’m home” usually accompanied by an ear-to-ear grin spread across my face.
I have a lot of pride in my home. Prior to moving to Colorado I had never experienced such a strong sense of place. Upon arrival here in the summer of 2006 I can still recall my very first ride and coming over the ridge on US 36 and peering down into Estes Park and across to the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, and despite feeling as though I was breathing through a straw proclaimed that, “This.Was.Home.” Since then my sense of place and pride for my home state has only grown.
When our governor stands with cyclists as an example to other states for riding safety I boast. When statistics are released showing us as the leanest state in the country get published, I grin. When I wake up every morning and look west and see the snow capped Continental Divide in the Indian Peaks Wilderness I can’t wipe the grin off my face. When a Frontier Airlines commercial with the talking tails comes on I can say, “That’s my home state airline!”
But my pride in my home is more than 14,000-foot peaks and a playground that has people utilizing their garages for their kayaking, skiing, hiking, climbing, cycling, running, camping, boarding, snowshoeing, skatingequipment. It’s also a pride in the people who are here. The people I get to interact with each and everyday. Whether it’s my co-workers in the professional field of triathlon as we circle endless laps, pound out miles on the beautiful trails or cycle through the farmland and countryside or the folks that I meet out in the backcountry on the way up the trail. The personalities that I come across are just as warm and inviting as the sunshine that beams down upon us so frequently.
I love to share and tell everyone about where I live. I am so thankful for this place and that which I get to pursue here. I am a walking, talking resource on all things Colorado (west of I-25 for that matter). It is a joy when I come across a “counterpart” so to speak from some place else, say New York City. While I do not like big cities, if this messenger is articulate, eloquent and passionate in their conveyance of their love and pride in their home than I can truly appreciate what they are getting at.
When someone asks you where you are from do you blurt out your home, eager to tell the questioner all about it? What makes you proud of where you live?
I have a lot of pride in my home. Prior to moving to Colorado I had never experienced such a strong sense of place. Upon arrival here in the summer of 2006 I can still recall my very first ride and coming over the ridge on US 36 and peering down into Estes Park and across to the high peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park, and despite feeling as though I was breathing through a straw proclaimed that, “This.Was.Home.” Since then my sense of place and pride for my home state has only grown.
When our governor stands with cyclists as an example to other states for riding safety I boast. When statistics are released showing us as the leanest state in the country get published, I grin. When I wake up every morning and look west and see the snow capped Continental Divide in the Indian Peaks Wilderness I can’t wipe the grin off my face. When a Frontier Airlines commercial with the talking tails comes on I can say, “That’s my home state airline!”
But my pride in my home is more than 14,000-foot peaks and a playground that has people utilizing their garages for their kayaking, skiing, hiking, climbing, cycling, running, camping, boarding, snowshoeing, skating
I love to share and tell everyone about where I live. I am so thankful for this place and that which I get to pursue here. I am a walking, talking resource on all things Colorado (west of I-25 for that matter). It is a joy when I come across a “counterpart” so to speak from some place else, say New York City. While I do not like big cities, if this messenger is articulate, eloquent and passionate in their conveyance of their love and pride in their home than I can truly appreciate what they are getting at.
When someone asks you where you are from do you blurt out your home, eager to tell the questioner all about it? What makes you proud of where you live?
4 comments:
I really enjoyed reading your latest entry (and welcome back to the blogospehre). :) I am Italian from Modena (although I have lived in different foreign countries for 1/3 of my relatively short life) . Although I admire the natural and artistic beauty of my native country and region (north-eastern Italy), I cannot say that I feel "proud" of it, since I was raised to be cosmopolitan and to appreciate the beauty that can be found in every place. I used to feel very proud to be European, but now even that is fading as racism and neo-Fascism are becoming rampant throughout the continent. One can really see a change of mindset for the worse, even among the "common people". Even what is really good about Europe is slowly being turned into a pesky poster for neo-Fascism. For instance, take bike paths. Awesome, right? Well, sadly now they are more and more perceived as an example of what the "good old white, hard-working Christian-heritage Europeans" have been able to create in their idyllic little bubble. Sort of like when Hitler built the Autobahn. So, because of the unpleasant cultural climate that is in the air at the moment (I hope it will pass when the recession ends), right now I am even unable to be proud of being from Europe. Sad... Sorry for writing such a sad comment to your upbeat and optimistic post. I really envy your newly-found sense of place, which you deserve, since you have earned it through a very courageous life choice. Good luck, Giulia
I always feel proud to tell people of my (adopted0 home of Fort Langley, BC (Greater Vancouver). It has a small town feel, a few trails to cycle, walk or run, a river to kayak and beautiful mountains in the distance. i am Australian by birth and do love Australia's beaches, and the people are generally friendly and hard working, but that's about it. The mountains here call me - as do the oceans and lakes. I love the changing colours of seasons, the wildlife, the outdoor activities. Sure there are things I dislike about the politics and systems - but it's a matter of what you choose to focus on. Nature, scenery, the outdoors - inspiring. I can totally see why you love Colorado, I wish you much inspiration in your year of mental and physical revival.
@Cherelli: You are right: It depends on what you choose to focus on, but I cannot feel proud if the important things are gradually becoming screwed up. In fact, I think the one I described is not only a political issue, but an overall social change. And those are hard to ignore because you start running into them more and more often in your every-day life. I am proud of what my area COULD be, of its beauty, heritage and potential, but not of how it is at the moment. I can see why you love Canada: I studied in Sweden and the landscape is similar (although perhaps on a slightly smaller scale)... breathtaking and magical. I will soon move to Germany, so I hope I will like it there.
I know exactly what you mean. I lived in Telluride for years and now I have to be away. I miss those mountains, I was so proud to call them my home and long to get back to them.
Post a Comment