'Til Next Time, Fort -- Part Deux

Seems like I need some sort of transition before moving on to blogging about nonsense from a new locale.

So we're settled into Golden, now -- Denver West, actually, on the border of Denver and Golden.  And Denver West, actually, is itself a registered trademark (since 1982), as I learned via the circled "R" on some park benches I saw the other day.

But I digress.   J has a new job in Lakewood, which is a great opportunity for her, and so moving south made sense for both of us, to also make it easier for me to get to the Anschutz campus.

We left Fort Collins once before, for just under a year, before moving back -- who knows if it will happen again.  We absolutely love the town, the community, and our friends.  It is the first time, having lived in 4 different states together and twice as many towns, and a strange feeling, to be missing out on the present and future of the city.  We've both worked and volunteered in various capacities in the community, and feel like we've had a great stake in it's successes and challenges.  We've put a lot of work and pride into the town, and into our first home.  I've put thousands of miles of shoe and bike-rubber all over the city -- I'm unaware of any roads or natural areas I haven't visited.  We've watched countless sunsets from our patio, and numerous sunrises from the dams or Horsetooth Rock -- the latter of which has traces of my blood on it.  No other place is more integrated into our history and identity than Fort Collins.

 

The community involvement, and especially things like the bicycling infrastructure and school involvement (albeit with the normal Colorado challenges of funding) are exemplary.  

Unfortunately, job prospects for 21st-century careers in biotech and health analytics (e.g.) are better in the Boulder and Denver area.  I hope that Fort Collins can attract and maintain major employers in those areas, and the ability to utilize a young, talented workforce remains the major challenge. 

That is only to explain our reluctant and perhaps temporary leaving of Fort Collins.  Otherwise, we are fortunate to have made lifelong memories and friendships.  With family still in town, including my favourite niece, we'll undoubtedly be back regularly.  And we're renting out our condo, which is also a reward in itself.  

As for a running standpoint, there's much I'll miss.  Definitely many of the trails, rocky or paved, and many of the workouts, like Jane's Tuesday morning or Towers (umm, maybe not as much lately) and my favourite bar, the Trailhead.  But mostly, the people: genuinely good folks that have given me good reason to get up early, stay up late, and trudge through all kinds of weather.  Everyone's too numerous to name, and that feeling is quite a blessing.

So I'll miss you all, Fort Collins!  But we'll be seeing you around.