Should I consider a potential opportunity in Grand Junction? (Denver: sale, hair salon)

[Mike from back east]

Forget following your soul.

Do what Desi Arnaz once said when he spoke these immortal words: "via con d'oro" which roughly translates to "go with the money."

[CosmicWizard]

Mike from back east wrote:

Do what Desi Arnaz once said when he spoke these immortal words: "via con d'oro" which roughly translates to "go with the money."

Yeah and whenever Lucy went behind Rickys back to earn a little bit of extra oro ( gold ), Ricky was prone to say...Lucy, you got some splainin to do!



vegaspilgrim....you got some splainin to do after your interview. Let us know how it goes. Good Luck!

[sterlinggirl]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Forget following your soul.

Do what Desi Arnaz once said when he spoke these immortal words: "via con d'oro" which roughly translates to "go with the money."

That's what I meant by following your soul. If you chase money, you'll be sure find other people who like to chase money.

I prefer a simple life to a hedonistic life, so you're more likely to find somebody like me picking asparagus along a ditch than shopping the magnificent mile.

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

Mike from back east wrote:

Do what Desi Arnaz once said when he spoke these immortal words: "via con d'oro" which roughly translates to "go with the money."

Yeah and whenever Lucy went behind Rickys back to earn a little bit of extra oro ( gold ), Ricky was prone to say...Lucy, you got some splainin to do!



vegaspilgrim....you got some splainin to do after your interview. Let us know how it goes. Good Luck!

Yep, good luck Vegas Pilgrim!

[vegaspilgrim]

Thanks for the info and advice, everybody! This forum is great!

The interview went very well. Drove around Grand Junction a little, had lunch, went into a few stores. The drive there wasn't too bad, the drive back home last night sucked, heavy blowing snow over Vail Pass, really hard to see, almost impossible to know what lane I'm in. A narrow encounter with two deer running across the highway right in Avon during a rainstorm.

As I said earlier, I don't think I will be chosen for the position. Basically they said they have several other top candidates, and between me and then they would almost certainly go with someone who already has Grand Junction/ western slope connections. I think they are looking for someone who will want to stick around for years (at least with that intention going in). They are afraid that by hiring someone from the Front Range who has no "reason to live in Grand Junction" after a year or two after I get the experience that I'll want to boot out of town-- since they've had that happen in the past.

My views of Grand Junction are pretty much the same as they were before I went out. I think the scenery is amazing-- can't get enough of the mesas and cliffs surrounding the valley. I much prefer that kind of scenery to the distant often hidden mountain-shadow views in Denver. I think the western slope in general is the best part of Colorado. I think Main Street is nice (present road closures notwithstanding), not really anything practical, but probably a pleasant place to take a walk. The Greyhound station though looked pretty scary to me. But the town itself I'm not really gung-ho on. I think you could say I like the "idea" of Grand Junction more than what the place really is.

I'm not really sure where this "follow your soul" talk is coming from, and what gave you guys the impression that my "soul" was leaning towards GJ, as if you guys are psychics or something (and many of you guys are my friends, so don't take this the wrong way). And with Reno, I'm feeling very, very uneasy with the idea of moving back there, even if I was offered a good job there. I am very uncertain about going back to work in the gaming industry, if that's the sector I want to invest my personal human capital. And that goes for Las Vegas too.

[pdrifter]

Gj is one of those places. I have lived in Colorado since the mid 70s. Mostly in rural communities, And I have to say GJ is the most unique place I have ever lived. Very beautiful valley. (Except for the over saturation of Drugs and crime for the size of town) Over all If you can find the employment and get past the initial 5 year grace period of stuck on themselves people, I would have to say it looks like a great place to raise a family. May not be the best place for a single guy the age of 24. Most of the people are transplants from a larger city, and not too friendly to outsiders. Even the ones that have only been here for a year or so seem to be un welcoming to new residents. Every time I meet someone new to the valley and I tell them welcome, they look at me strange waiting for the catch. And proceed to tell me their experiences they have had with caution. (I do not blame them) This is a town that pride themselves on dealing on a hand shake and their word, but it is also a town that is the reason why this practice has been replaced with contracts. This is a town where Conservatism and Liberalism collide. Everyone seems to be either far right or far far far left. The HOA's are all screwed up, nobody wants to follow any of the rules unless it is something that affects them personally. Kind of a selfish town as a whole.

[cl723]

I totaly disagree with what you are saying about the crime.It is not as bad as you make it out to be. It is safer than a lot of places in the US. Fruita has almost no crime.As far as drugs, well that`s everywhere you go. As far as the people go, yes, the newcomers fom the bigger cities are not as friendly but not everybody is like that. Not all of them are stuck on themselves. Oh ya,and compared to CALiF and the crime in GJ, GJ is a cake walk.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by pdrifter

Gj is one of those places. I have lived in Colorado since the mid 70s. Mostly in rural communities, And I have to say GJ is the most unique place I have ever lived. Very beautiful valley. (Except for the over saturation of Drugs and crime for the size of town) Over all If you can find the employment and get past the initial 5 year grace period of stuck on themselves people, I would have to say it looks like a great place to raise a family. May not be the best place for a single guy the age of 24. Most of the people are transplants from a larger city, and not too friendly to outsiders. Even the ones that have only been here for a year or so seem to be un welcoming to new residents. Every time I meet someone new to the valley and I tell them welcome, they look at me strange waiting for the catch. And proceed to tell me their experiences they have had with caution. (I do not blame them) This is a town that pride themselves on dealing on a hand shake and their word, but it is also a town that is the reason why this practice has been replaced with contracts. This is a town where Conservatism and Liberalism collide. Everyone seems to be either far right or far far far left. The HOA's are all screwed up, nobody wants to follow any of the rules unless it is something that affects them personally. Kind of a selfish town as a whole.

I have no horse in this race, but I find your post interesting and your comments about peoples' attitudes toward outsiders quite applicable to many places.

I was reading a rather long article on the history of Colorado (specifically Denver), and was impressed how the author repeatedly points out that virtually everyone is an outsider here. And the other day when I visited Rock Ledge Ranch here in Colorado Springs, it was brought home to realize that that particular area was not really settled much until nearly Civil War times. As some one who has lived most of his life in Virginia, that's a lot different that Virginia settlements that date back to the 1600s.

When I began participating in a forum about Thailand and would state an opinion, I'd often get the "Come back and tell us what you think once you live here" attitude. Once I moved there for retirement, then I got the "Come back and tell us what you think once you have lived here for a few months" attitude. In fact, even after being there a year, it didn't really change...just the time line. Some people enjoy isolating others -- I refer to it as the Exclusionary Club, and when they do I am more than happy to speak up for myself. As of tomorrow I'll be an official resident of Colorado and the Springs. And to anyone who is bothered by that...to heck with them! I love hearing the diversity of opinions in forums like this...usually even those opinions I don't agree with. Vive la differance!

[BetterThanAliens]

Interesting thread and timely...

I have an interview in GJ (Clifton) next week and am really contemplating if this is the place for me. Lost my teaching gig outside Denver, but might be hired back in a few weeks. I figure while I wait, why not take any interviews my way?

A quick apartment search doesn't yield much – they hard to find out in GJ? Also, I was told people ride Fruita all year? After reading this thread, that doesn't sound possible? I'd say goodbye to city life for a bit to ride those trails all 12 months!

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by BetterThanAliens

A quick apartment search doesn't yield much – they hard to find out in GJ?

Not hard. But they're mostly advertised with "For Rent" signs. Not so much in the paper or online.

Also, I was told people ride Fruita all year? After reading this thread, that doesn't sound possible? I'd say goodbye to city life for a bit to ride those trails all 12 months!

You would have had a hard time riding it this past winter. We had three solid months of temps below 25 degrees with snow and ice that didn't melt at all.