Some thoughts about moving

Since leaving home for college at 18, I have moved several times.  I went to college in Claremont, then I moved to Irvine for a year, then I lived in the Pico Robertson neighborhood for about 5 years, where I met my husband, got married, and had a baby. 

When our oldest son was 2, we decided we should look at other communities around the US.  We visited Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and Boca Raton.  They were all nice places...but then we visited Denver.  Denver had great weather, and a nice community, and several schools, and an eruv...so we picked up and moved!  That was 13 years ago.  We had four more babies in Denver, made some really great friends, and even convinced a few friends to join us.

Through all these moves, I never really felt like I had to say goodbye to these places. I have gone back to visit San Francisco, Novato, Claremont, Irvine, and LA lots of times since each move. We have family in those places, and they are all pretty close to each other in the grand scheme of things.  But leaving Denver feels different.  I don't know when we will ever go back there.  We may have to go when and if we sell our house, but apart from that I can't imagine coming back to Denver. We will miss the people there, of course, but we will see many of them in Israel.  If we are able to come back to the US for a visit, there is no doubt that we will be in the California, where all the grandparents live.

So, for the first time in my life, I am really saying goodbye to a city that I might never see again.  It is possible that I will need to come to Denver for work, or maybe I will come to Denver for the house sale, but I am not counting on that. 

So, to all the Denver people...It's been great.  Denver is a wonderful community.  It has its struggles, like all small communities (not that large communities don't have struggles, they are just different) and Denver will figure it out.  I know it feels like there is an exodus going on right now, but that won't last forever.  New people will move in and everything will get stronger.

I hope you will all keep in touch.  Even though I am not a native, I have 4 Denver native children!  You will always be part of our heart.  Denver helped me grow in many different ways.  I am in no way the same person now that I was when we moved all those years ago. I've learned a lot.  So thank you all.