hello, spring

When the sun shines in Boulder, Colorado, people come alive. Springtime signals change, and reminds me that living and working on Pearl Street is one of the best things in the world. I would recommend it to anyone. When I can steal Dixie from the office and walk her to the Espressoria for a latte and then a stroll down Pearl, I notice how colorful and delicate Boulder really is. Being downtown is effortless. It is small, compact, and easily accessible. So when the first whispers of springtime air blow gently across the park at the Nature Conservancy next to my house, or through the open garage door at the Cup, Boulder and its residents wake up. We emerge from our winter skin, shedding our woolen scales and donning breezy shorts and flip flops. Although this winter was short, warm, and practically snow-less across the Front Range, the coming springtime feels just as refreshing as ever, primarily for reasons to come.

Something I crave more than anything right now is change. Lucky for me, springtime is the quintessential sign of change coming. This spring, most everything will start to shift- I will graduate college, move to Seattle in the fall, say goodbye to old friends, meet some new ones, wake up in a different room than I have for the past two years, appreciate a whole different kind of weather, and love a whole different kind of town. Moving to a city is something that scares and excites me all at once- I have lived, worked, and learned in about a 15 block radius for the past four years. Everything I need is within a 10 minute bus ride or a five minute bike ride. Pearl Street has been the setting for everything I have ever looked for- spirit, movement, simplicity, and sunshine. It has been home to my favorite memories- the Rio rooftop for Margaritas with Sara, the Mountain Sun for a beer after work at the Cup, riding my cruiser bike, or walking up and down the pedestrian mall, sharing a conversation with a good friend. My poetry professor always taught me to refine my understanding of place: that is, where the poem thrives, where it functions, where it breathes. Boulder has shaped my sense of place for four years, and that place is about to change. The city and all of its rain will newly redefine where I thrive, function, and breathe, and I couldn’t be more excited.