To some, it may not be a surprise that my move to Colorado 3 1/2 year ago has been much different that I had imagined. You've been warned, I have vented about this before. I remember being a kid, traveling to new and exciting locations around the US on family road trips. Standing on beaches or in an amazing National Park, I would wonder about those people who were lucky enough to live in such cool places. As a tourist, it's easy to romanticize a destination. I have friends that currently live or have lived all over the world and, occasionally I catch myself immersed in feelings of jealousy. Then, I remember that I live in one of those locations, a tourist destination. I work and live full-time, year-round at a resort. And here's the thing...I have come to recognize that my glamorous visions of what life in Winter Park would be like, were a fantasy.
As I have gradually become more frustrated that the reality of my resort-town life was/is not living up to the fantasy, I am realizing that what makes or breaks the destination, is the people. It takes time to build a community, make friends that know and understand you. Finding these people can define a lifestyle, no matter where you live. And lacking those people is what has been the most disheartening part of my move.
I miss people. New people, familiar people, exciting people, people that live lives completely different from my own. People that challenge me and call me out. People that push and support me and are not afraid to put me in check. In this resort town, we all work in the same industry in one way or another so I have not found a lot of diversity in thought as it pertains to work, environment or economics. Small town chatter does not allow for one to "cut loose" publicly (whatever that means), for fear of getting caught up in a rumor mill. The people I know the best, I also work with, which isn't always conducive to being your true self. It's better to be a little guarded with your co-workers here. In a rural area, we're all so spread out that it's often easier to keep to yourself. Save for occasionally bumping into a friend at the grocery store, I do not feel as if I am part of a community.
Over this past weekend, I was lucky to have my best friend and her family visit. As we spent time reconnecting, I found myself wondering if my lack of consistent exposure to honest relationships was actually causing me to forget how to function in the friendships I do have. I caught myself considering how much work goes into friendships and saw a hint of laziness rearing its ugly head. This scares me. I want to work hard at community. I want to be challenged to be a better, more interesting person. I want to be someone that lovingly pushes people in return.
I know that the responsibility to build relationships is my own. I don't sit here and make excuses for myself, I'm simply sharing a part of my journey. I am trying and we do spend time with people we love and who love us back. A few of these people live locally, most live elsewhere in the state or are scattered across the country. I don't know how much longer I will live in WP but I know that finding community is not something to be put off for another day or I'll wake up in the same place 10 years from now. But the next time you catch yourself dreaming of a life in Morocco, stop and consider the most important asset to be had, your friends and family. A destination, no matter how beautiful or exotic, cannot replace the desire to know and be known. You can be active, enjoy the seasons, and find adventure anywhere (if you look for it). While great people live in every place, it will not necessarily be easy to create a life-giving community in the Galapagos Islands.
