Thursday, February 17, 2011

Two years in Denver

Yesterday marked the two-year anniversary of the day Torsten and I drove into Denver for the first time, in our newly purchased Honda Civic packed with our more fragile and valuable belongings. Neither of us had ever been to Colorado before that day.

When we got here it was just the two of us. Our car was our biggest shared asset. There was nothing tying us down. We had both kept our jobs in DC, so we could have moved anywhere. But we picked Denver sight unseen because we knew that it had what we were looking for.

When we got here we had been married for a couple of months. We didn't have a dog, or a house. We had talked about kids but we knew that we wanted to be married for at least a year, possibly a year and a half, before I got pregnant. I hadn't had my lap-band yet. Owning his own company was just a vague half-thought for Torsten.

All of that stuff... our lack of mortgage, kids, anything tying us down... that's what allowed us to move to Denver. That's what allowed us to pick a town based solely on internet research, purchase a used car, pack up our stuff, and go.

Not that it was a straightforward process. We decided we wanted to move away from DC over a year before we made it happen, and we picked Denver at least six months before we moved. Getting the details straightened out was a slow, painful process, but only because we weren't aware that we'd be able to keep our jobs and were desperately looking for new ones. That was our only concern.

Now things are different. Now we have a mortgage, a dog, a baby. We have a house and quite a bit of furniture. Torsten has a company that is very focused on the Colorado market. We have friends here. We're putting down roots. Roots that have been demonstrated to us so clearly over the past few weeks by the incredible number of amazing local friends who have called, texted, emailed, brought over food, and generally been wonderful and helpful and supportive.

It would be a lot harder to pick up and move now. Luckily, we don't want to. Denver is as perfect for us as we were hoping it would be. And we're planning to stay here for the rest of our lives. Preferably in this house, even. Because this is exactly where we want to be.

And now we're raising our very own native Coloradan:




17 comments:

  1. I love Callum's eyes. They're seriously trying to tell a story and I want to read it.

    Oh wait, did you write a post? =) Happy Colorado anniversary. As you know, you've made my dream a reality ... and I love living vicariously through your lives ... and more importantly, I'm so happy to see the two of you so settled and happy there!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my gosh, the grumpy bath picture, I die. What an adorable expressive baby!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Look at that lip! So cute! 2 years? Really?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really? That was all 2 years ago? It seems... like both LONGER ago than that, and totally NOT THAT LONG.

    I'm glad you love Colorado so much. I love where we live, for the PEOPLE and community of friends we've cultivated, but there are lots of other things I don't love about here. Like, for example, the 6 months that it's below zero.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I DIE at the pouty face in the bathtub. The CUTE!!!

    I love how well your life is turning out, Jess - I can't think of a family more deserving of getting everything they've worked so hard for. I love seeing dreams happen!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Two years already?! So happy you moved here! And so happy it's everything you dreamed of.

    I can't wait to feel the same way about a place! :)

    Callum is adorable. Must meet him soon!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love how your life has turned out for you guys. It's awesome.

    That grumpy bath photo made me laugh out loud!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy Colorado-versary!!!

    That boy of yours sure is adorable!

    xox

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, 2 years already! Congrats!

    Callum is so adorable! Love the grumpy bath picture!

    ReplyDelete
  10. oh my GOD the sad bath photo! I DIE!

    what a neat little 2 year retrospective. SO MUCH has changed! all for good, too :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Long time reader, never commented before. But I have to say that your baby is beyond cute!!! really, he has the most perfect little head!!!
    Love and congratulations guys!
    Laura

    ReplyDelete
  12. That second to the last picture? MY GOSH, makes me die of cuteness! That is like the saddest, most precious, adorable little pouty face ever! He is so expressive!

    ReplyDelete
  13. aww, how cute is he?? I LOVE the bath-pout <3

    ReplyDelete
  14. So that's a pretty amazing two years?! It's all beautiful.

    ReplyDelete