Top Ten Things I Am Grateful For During My First Week in Glenwood Springs

1. I found my new hangout. It’s a coffee shop with fresh food, drinks, desserts and internet. After I befriend the owners I plan to propose starting an open mike night there.
2. I’m becoming a nicer person! I don’t know if it’s my good mood or knowing that the line is slow because there really is just one person working that counter, but I feel generous with my time and attitude in this slower paced life.
3. “Ryan” and “Bleedpro” are unknowingly giving me free internet until I can afford to purchase my own.
4. I feel inspired to explore. I’m hiking. I’m driving all over town and getting lost which is leading me to a lot of discoveries. I found the tiny library and checked out some DVDs and CDs. It’s just really fun that everything is new.
5. My new boss is an amazing woman. She is loaning me her air mattress so I don’t have to sleep on the floor and she took me out for the best Thai curry I’ve ever tasted.
6. The water I’ve been craving throughout my decade plus in Colorado is available in abundance here with two mighty rivers and the pretty much biggest natural hot springs pool in the world.
7. My studio apartment is wonderful. It’s actually as big as a one bedroom, just without the doors. Hard wood floors. A delightful mountain breeze. Four minute walk to the center of town.
8. My cat Chloe is acclimating. She’s still weary of the new digs, but is getting more comfortable each day.
9. My wonderful friends are still keeping me company through Facebook and phone calls.
10. Really, that I have the chutzpa to completely change my life by taking a leap of faith and believing in my instincts that are telling me this is a great place for me to be right now.

I am a U-Haul Lesbian! I fell in love with my new town on our second date!

First, for those who don’t know, there is a very tired, yet continuously used joke about the pace at which lesbians begin their relationships. The joke goes: What does a lesbian bring on the second date? Answer: A U-haul! This stems from the tendency for overwhelming emotional investment to exist when you have two women pursuing a relationship, as women stereotypically tend to quickly develop a strong emotional attachment to those they are physically intimate with.

This is exactly what is happening with me as I explore my new mountain town community of Glenwood Springs. Of course, I drove all my stuff here, including a very miserable cat, after visiting the town just once, at the time of my job interview. I took a leap of faith and it’s paying off.

I don’t believe I’ve ever been in love with a place before. I’ve been to interesting and beautiful locations, including Israel, Berkeley and New York City. But, I feel something very different right now that feels like love. I feel an urgent sense of possibilities. I feel that I want to rush to get to know this place so I don’t miss out on anything, yet, I feel I could live here forever and take my time getting to know each aspect of my new home intimately.

My gut and my heart are singing yes, but my mind is trying to be rational. I’m asking myself the same questions that anyone does when falling in love. Is this real? I have never felt this way before. Am I seeing what is true, both good and bad? Or am I seeing things through rose colored glasses? Will this feeling endure? Or will it fade with time? Can I truly be myself here and build a full life? Can I handle the drawbacks as well as the treasures? Only time will tell.

A few things I’ve discovered: Downtown is a four-minute walk from my apartment. There I find coffee shops, bookstores, restaurants, rivers, mountain views, and people who say hello when you pass them by. Two blocks away is Kaleidescoops where I plan to try every one of their forty-eight flavors of ice cream. I want to zip-line, river-raft, and rock-climb. This place makes me want to be a healthier, happier person. That’s love, right?