My Colorado "Dear Mom and Dad, Chief Niwot's Curse has a hold on us. We are well, things are good and we're still loving it here. Love from the hippie      commune (Boulder)" by Cassy Matthews The crossover from Kansas was almost imperceptible. I had expected soaring mountain vistas, but instead was greeted by a huge "Colorado" sign set amid plains stretching as far as the eye could see. Nonetheless, my exhilaration and sense of freedom reigned supreme. I was in COLORADO. I was free at last. Planning had begun months before, as our bewildered family and friends watched the "For Sale" sign go up in the yard of our brand new house, and as I quit my high-profile job that had been a coup d'état for a new college grad. We had finally come home to roost and now we were flying the coop? That just didn't happen in the deeply traditional and family-oriented South. The talk around town soon shifted to my husband and me and our sudden need to "find ourselves." Our families were devastated. We received ominous warnings from die-hard Bible-belters about the evils of the West. How people would come to worship the mountains and nature over God. How the hippie communes were sure to suck us in. How Boulder was a cult just waiting for some poor, naïve southerners to brainwash. We couldn't wait to get there. The drive took us 28 hours. As we drove by the arch in St. Louis, I could feel my heart pounding. The road ahead became symbolic for us like a sign flashing "new life ahead." By the time we got to Boulder, it was dark. I kept looking for the mountains, but all I could see were stars. We were embarking on an adventure that would change our lives forever and wondered what awaited us. Nine years have now passed, and Colorado is home. Struck square in the heart by Chief Niwot's curse, we can't imagine life anywhere else. It fits us like a pair of old Birkenstocks-all the support with none of the rub. We have room to roam, strike out, fail, try again—each time a new beginning before the old ever ends. Like so many before us, we were looking for uncharted territory to start a life on our own terms. We found it under a vast Colorado sky. Our families have never fully recovered. Do you have a special memory or humorous story about living in Colorado? EnCompass is looking for original essays that capture the uniqueness of our state. Payment is $60 upon publication. Entries must be typed, double-spaced and 200-300 words. Please include a daytime phone number. Entries will not be returned. Mail to EnCompass, Attn: My Colorado, 4100 E. Arkansas Ave., Denver, CO 80222, or e-mail: editor@colorado.aaa.com. A response to a submission may take six to eight weeks. »» Return to Table of Contents

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