6 things people should know about rural Colorado (Leadville: to buy, college)

[Market Mama]

Although this exchange has been entertaining in its own way, your posts are becoming redundant and I'm getting bored. So you just keep blustering away while I go outside here in beautiful Colorado and play.

[onthamove]

i'll be there to enjoy colorado in about 120 hrs cant wait!!! and yes i like most americans overvalue entertainment this has been fun!

[Miborn]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Well, while I don't condone onthamove's "in your face" posts, I think he is exhibiting some youthful exuberance. After all, he is only 18. He will definitely learn some harsh life lessons on his current path, but most of us had to learn some of those at his age--nobody could tell us. I remember an old saying, "When you graduate from high school, you think you know everything; when you graduate from college, you realize you really know nothing."

When onthamove, who probably won't find a job with benefits at his age and skill level, makes his first trip to the doctor's office--and the visit and a prescription costs him a week's salary or more--he will learn a life lesson. When he figures out that his 40 or 50 mile daily commute is costing him 1/10 or more of his daily wages (before taxes) just for fuel, he will learn another life lesson. When he has to make an unexpected repair on his car, and it takes a half-month's earnings, he will learn some more. And, when he is trying to go to school, work one or more jobs, and is still just living hand to mouth--with little time for anything BUT work--he will learn some more. But I, or no one else, is probably going to be able to tell him that. He will have to learn for himself, and take the lumps that come from it. That's called GROWING UP, and he'll either make it through it, or he won't.

I hope that you don't get neg rep points for this post. Or jumped all over by the youth on the forum as I did.
I used a similar analogy and was jumped all over for it.
What they don't understand is that you do not know everything at that age and it is only with age and we look back can we see.
Age is wonderful for hindsight..
Great post!

[outasightoutamind]

The job your parent's signed up for is over, you are your own choice. You can choose to live up or down on the scale of happiness or glide between.
You are the reflection of your own being. Is this the best that life has to offer you? When we are born family members have high hopes for us , when we grow up those hopes perhaps get dashed against the rocks on the sea of life. No one know's their final destination in life, we have no insight to our future only what we can meagerly eek out of it. Hind sight is not always 20/20, and what we know now isnt excactly what we should of known then.
Make your life your's, follow your dream's, your expectations not that of your peer's.
Life goes around one time. Get on or off its your choice.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by tfox

One thing I think that is unusual about Colorado is that the cost of living in its rural areas (at least in or near the mountains) is actually more in many cases than our urban areas (i.e., Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins). I don't think that's true in many other places in the country. Generally, the further out you go from an urban core, the cheaper your cost of living is. That's not really true here anymore, unless you head out onto the eastern plains.

When I lived in Champaign, IL the people from Chicago (and there were lots due to the Univ. of Ill being in town) said retail was higher in Champ. than Chicago. I think this is true because there is more competition in Chicago. There may be 1000 stores selling "widgets" there, vs three in Champaign. I always noticed gas was more expensive in rural Ill. than even in Champaign. I have noticed here in Colorado that gas in less affluent areas in cheaper than in more affluent places. I guess the more well-off don't change their driving habits as much if the price goes up.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Miborn

I hope that you don't get neg rep points for this post. Or jumped all over by the youth on the forum as I did.
I used a similar analogy and was jumped all over for it.
What they don't understand is that you do not know everything at that age and it is only with age and we look back can we see.
Age is wonderful for hindsight..
Great post!

This is so true. I remember going to a wedding where the minister kept talking about "the best and the worst that is yet to come". I think the old marrieds understood that way more than the young couple.

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by onthamove

hmmm i still dont get it evergreen really is 20 min to arvada believe me i timed it. yeah at my age i realize a good or "real" job isnt in the cards but thats another reason i wanted to be close to arvada so when i eventually become a colorado resident i can go there and further my education and get a real job someday, until then i'll work 50 hrs a week, lets not forget rent and car insurance only come to $600 a month for me! i allready talked with the insurance agent there and have everything sat up rent is only 300 a month because of my roomates who are what you all would probably consider youthful hardheads to but i have a history of doiing GREAT when the backs aganist the wall! i swear look at a map evergreen is in the same county as arvada (jefferson) on evergreen is in the mountainous part.

hmm... I think you made this trip on off hours for traffic. Just last week alone I-70 around the floyd hill exit was closed for several hours at least twice. Snow in that area of the mountains can be really nasty on the highway. Good luck

And before you call me a seinor, I am far far from it. closer to your age than others actualy, but I may sound more like them due to some life experiences living in colorado my whole life.

[TracyR]

Originally Posted by onthamove

hmmm i still dont get it evergreen really is 20 min to arvada believe me i timed it. yeah at my age i realize a good or "real" job isnt in the cards but thats another reason i wanted to be close to arvada so when i eventually become a colorado resident i can go there and further my education and get a real job someday, until then i'll work 50 hrs a week, lets not forget rent and car insurance only come to $600 a month for me! i allready talked with the insurance agent there and have everything sat up rent is only 300 a month because of my roomates who are what you all would probably consider youthful hardheads to but i have a history of doiing GREAT when the backs aganist the wall! i swear look at a map evergreen is in the same county as arvada (jefferson) on evergreen is in the mountainous part.

Did you Drive from Evergreen to Arvada in 20 min in Rush hour traffic? If not add another 20 to 30 min. on to your drive. It is possible to drive it daily and people do but it does get old. Congrats on your move and new job btw!!

[onthamove]

watever it takes to live in the rockies!!!

[TracyR]

Originally Posted by tfox

One thing I think that is unusual about Colorado is that the cost of living in its rural areas (at least in or near the mountains) is actually more in many cases than our urban areas (i.e., Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins). I don't think that's true in many other places in the country. Generally, the further out you go from an urban core, the cheaper your cost of living is. That's not really true here anymore, unless you head out onto the eastern plains.

I live on the eastern plains, and what you rent a home for in the metro area, here you will pay atleast $600.00 MORE. I made the commute to Denver for 7 yrs before I found a job in my home town. I took a serious pay cut, but can not replace the extra time I have had with my kids.