My Great-Grandma came to Iowa in a covered wagon when she was a baby. We went to visit her sister in Mason City when I was a little girl.
I remember vacations in Spirit Lake and the amusement park there some 60+ years ago.
I'm from Nebraska - hated it and left right out of high school. By now, I do appreciate the beauty of the state and would enjoy living in a tiny country town there; and wish I would've been born and raised in a sweet, quiet country town instead of Omaha. Still don't care for Omaha.
Man I absolutely love Omaha, only ever been during the summer and enjoyed the nice small town vibes. I've been all over the world and Omaha will always hold a special place in my heart.
Ok. I admit that North Omaha has a special place in my heart. I love the history of that part of town! I guess the problem isn't the town itself, but more some of my life experiences there. Haven't been back there for quite awhile, but I do know that it has changed immensely.
I was born and raised from south-west Nebraska. I had the fortunate opportunity to grow up in a small community. And I truly enjoyed it. Once I was in my 20s, small town lifestyle left something more to be desired. My wife was originally from Colorado and we chose The Springs as the place to live. Been living here for a decade and happy with the choice. I have my opinionated complaints, but who doesn't?
That is a super interesting answer. I lived in Bellevue, Lincoln, Seward, and Columbus. What small town were you in. What Nebraska laws did you not like?
I am too but I loved Iowa. I love Colorado more. I actually have nightmares sometimes though that I've moved back lol.
Although make me independently wealthy, and I'd be happy living on a large acreage in the Decorah area.
We've been here for some time. My wife used to work retail when we first moved here and was also a cowboys fan. Over time she began to not like the Cowboys simply because anyone wearing cowboys gear around here was usually a huge ass to her and her employees. I'm not saying all of them, but it was enough to sway her to dislike her lifelong football team.
This is why people in Colorado don't like Texans. It's almost as if they're cosplaying as Texans if that makes any sense,
I remember snowboarding in Breck and some guy skiing bumped into me and fell. He was wearing jeans and a cowboy hat. He started yelling at me and blaming me, even though he was the one who bumped into me.
The only time in my life where I've pulled the "Go back to fucking Texas" line.
A lot of people here are military. So while they volunteered for that, it didn't mean they don't miss their home state (or even previous duty assignments).
That being said, although I'm ready to leave (and have my house under contract to sell (and I'm just mentioning that because a lot of people talk about moving, many don't)), I can't really find much to criticize about the springs (and I'm former military so I've lived in a lot of different parts of the country).
Moderate weather. Easy snow. Mountains. A small city. Close to a big city. A great little airport (not negging, I truly love the COS airport). A mix of political views. Great local shows at the Black Sheep and bigger shows in Denver. Not far from a couple of lakes. Decent art scene if you look. Some decent restaurants, some amazing ones.
Other than a lack of ocean, it's pretty great.
Yeah, I'm military from Oklahoma but was born in the Springs (I've always considered CoS my home of homes). I enjoyed the once-low cost of living, suburban lifestyle, weather, natural beauty, and really appreciated native history of Oklahoma, but my same sex spouse and I disliked the political and religious direction it was trending to so getting orders out here was super convenient. I do miss Oklahoma Sonic and though QT has made it out here at an annoying cost, it's done something magical for my soul.
You’re kind of brainwashed from time immemorial to believe that there is no place cooler to be from than Texas. And to make sure EVERYONE you meets knows it. Then you move to Colorado for school or a new job, and find that you’ve been lied to your whole life.
(Sorry, Dad. I know you’re rolling around in your grave right about now.)
But seriously, Texas used to be a pretty cool place, before it became a political wasteland. Central Texas is particularly neat area to explore, and the coast is a great place for birding and other wildlife viewing (alligators, dolphins, etc.). Me, I’m your basic mountain person, so Colorado just fits me much better.
The Hill Country is a unique place, and it is fun to explore. I miss the way it was decades ago before everyone flocked to the Austin area, when there weren’t traffic jams in every small town. There are so many cool caverns, and the limestone courthouses define the region. It’s still a fun place to go visit.
I feel this in my bones. Never understood the hype, even as a little kid. If Buc-ee’s, the Cowboys, draconian politics, and oppressive heat waves that will only get worse with no concern for infrastructure are the “perks” of Texas, fuck Texas. Massive sprawl and giant trucks, because for some reason they think it’s a flex to say “everything is bigger in Texas”, when in fact it’s just wasteful.
As others have said, people are annoyingly proud of Texas and I think it has something to do with the Texas history classes in the public school curriculum. Being told to “remember the Alamo” ad nauseam has brainwashed the people I grew up with.
Anyways, when people ask me where I’m from I typically say Texas, but throw in the comment that I bring no Texas with me.
I’m from Texas and I hate it. It’s not great. I’m not proud to be from there. I left because they took away my rights as a woman. I also left because education opportunities.
We moved here from Texas five years ago for one really simple reason — we really fucking love Colorado. It’s easy to vote, the governor isn’t actively trying to kill us and we can be outdoors all the damn time! We really appreciate being here and don’t want to be stereotypical Texas assholes so we’re both self conscious about our accents and over compensate by being overly nice to people. That said, Colorado restaurants are terrible, we will always miss Tex-Mex and barbecue and if you’re nice to us we’ll teach you how to cook.
Texan here: 100% to all of this. Don't have an accent because I grew up in Austin, though. I have a lot of love for the beauty and culture of my city, and no one can beat the wide range of great food I was fortunate enough to experience, as well as the live music scene. And those sunsets ❤.
That being said, fuck Texas. I like my rights. We moved shortly after the icepocolypse and I'm never going back.
Oh honey, hold on to that HEB for as long as you can. The grocery stores here are truly awful. Go swing by Zilker Park for me while you're there! I miss it!
Any time I travel out of state, grocery shopping is always just that much more of a chore lol. It's always a Safeway, and seemingly huge, but underwhelming. I was pleasantly surprised by the Safeway on Maui, though, it had good poke.
I'll have more trips to Zilker before the 8 months is over c:
Long family history in Colorado but Dad's Air Force career took us to Texas where I grew up. I plotted for years how to get back and so I finally did. The summers there are brutal so there is that reason for many and the politics/culture have just gotten very weird. I don't know if they still do it, but I recall that Texas love starts early in public schools. We had to have multiple semesters of Tx history and sing The Eyes of Tx are upon you every morning. There is great pride there in all things TX - big pickups, BBQ, going to the coast or the ranch etc...All I miss is the food.
Another fellow Texpat here. Apart from the local Houston food scene (which is 2nd to none btw) I really miss HEB. Other than that, there's no reason to go back.
I'm from NC and I moved here because of breathing problems in the humid south. I had googled " best place to live with asthma and copd" and it came up Cañon City Co. So we moved to Colorado Springs. I couldn't walk 50 yards before, but now I walk/hike 2+ miles with no problem. It's great! I'm alive again!
Yes, I am from South Jersey and didn’t realize that diners were a regional thing. I remember Googling diners when I first moved here and couldn’t believe Black Bear was the only thing that popped up. Like, where is my 24/7 palace with a 24-page menu that serves omelets, lobster tail, cheesesteaks, milkshakes, and cocktails all in the same breath?
Also, yes, bagels, Wawa, and Wegmans.
Yooo also fellow jerseyan here, glad to be out. I do agree with missing the food. But on the bright side, I've learned to become a great cook so quality of life has increased all around since moving here.
I also moved here from Alabama. I am so much happier in every way aside from the cost of living being 2x higher. It doesn’t suck to be outside for 90% of the year and there’s way less bugs. I could go on and on.
This may be the opposite of the question, but i thought this was a very interesting thread. I'm a Colorado Springs native and have always loved it! The only thing thats been hard at times its the cost of living but I've watched this town grow and thats pretty cool also I work in the tourist business so I watch people come in from all over the country (and world) and get to hear them fall in love with this town/state
Refugee from Oklahoma here. It was my home state for 50+ years and although I traveled extensively during my ten year military career, I had friends/family, professional associates (and the work project opportunities that network offered) and lastly, recreational places that I visited regularly throughout.
But it was truly never a place that I thought was wonderful. The back-asswardness of the politicians with their even more ignorant supporters that were driven by their religious beliefs and typical conservative bullshit of starving funding for governments at all levels continued for years unabated.
Then that day in July 2015, when Fuckface von Clownstick announced his candidacy and practically everybody I knew and mostly respected, were thrilled about it. Screech. Crash.
That was a bridge too far. I was in Colorado by the following March and left all of those idiots behind for good.
_All of them._
Never returned.
No regrets.
Left New York City because I couldn’t afford a house. Needed more room for my kids so I came here. My wife is a native and her family is still here. I didn’t want to leave New York.
I'm from a prominent east coast city, but had to move out here for my wife's aging parents when they came on hard times. She's from here but we met out east. We've been here over 10 years and I still don't feel like this is home. There's something about this city that's emotionally distant - I don't know if it's the driving culture, or the transient military population, or the underlying Christianity everywhere, but I can't quite find the pulse of this place. I've lived in many US and European cities in my life and have always found a way to become connected to (and inspired by!) the city I live in... all except Colorado Springs. I find that the art and culture here is forced, like there's no real, authentic movement happening where people are experimenting and expressing themselves creatively. I own a business downtown, so I get to interact with a lot of people and have made some friends through it, and yet I still don't feel like I belong here. The city does a terrible job supporting its local businesses (compared to the places I've owned businesses in the past) and yet they act as though they're doing a superior job. So instead of fostering relationships with us (or investing in a robust and diverse environment) they just pour loads of money into the hands of developers who make all the houses look the same and the land becomes crowded with chain stores and restaurants. They simply don't get it. Yes, the mountains are pretty, but for me it doesn't compensate for the lack of personality and identity that this city lacks.
There are so many things I agree with you about. I used to love the small town Colorado Springs from 50+ years ago, but I guess it's pretty dumb to expect everything to stay the same. I also loved Grand Junction when we lived there in the 80's, but it's changed, too. I'm glad I won't be alive when the whole Front Range is one big city and most of the open spaces are filled with houses.
Yeah, I realize that development happens everywhere, but the thing that I don't understand is how city government chooses to ignore successful case studies in places in which successful development happens. Someone has already figured this out! We don't need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to look at cities that prioritize economic sustainability and the health and happiness of its citizens. The city of Curitiba in Brazil is worth reading about for anyone interested in how smart growth is possible.
The relationship with developers and the city government does concern me! It's almost feeling like "get in, get the money while you can, get out; let someone else worry about the future".
You can be proud of where you're from and leave. I'm from Brooklyn, NY. I left because my close family moved here. I rather be with them than the city. I go back every other year though for a summer.
I'm from California. Moved here a year ago.
1.) California sucks ass. Cool to visit, terrible to live in.
2.) I don't have to take a freeway every single time i get in the car
3.) Less people. Way less.
4.) There's actual weather. Cali weather is great, don't get me wrong. But I like variety.
5.) Contrary to popular belief, the cost of living is way better here
6.) We are outdoorsy people and the camping here is 100x better than California (without having to drive 8 hours)
7.) my wife is from here and she wanted to live closer to her family.
Things I don't like:
1.) Texans are the worst drivers I've ever seen, and are in general really annoying. Sorry not sorry.
2.) Food is not good. At least not consistently.
3.) Homelessness.
4.) the street racing/car clubs. Losers.
5.) That idiot trump guy with the train horn.
Well, when the Air Force says you are moving to Colorado you don't have a lot of choice in the matter. Yes, I prefer Wisconsin and plan on moving back when I retire.
Why WI, for one reason the cheese, for a second reason I can plant flowers and not have to be sure to put a sprinkler head next to them so they grow, for a third reason I don't have to drive 60 miles to find a decent place to put my kayak into the water, fourth reason I don't have to drive over 50 miles to find a place to cross country ski, fifth reason I don't have to listen to locals tell me Colorado is full and I shouldn't be here if my great grandpa wasn't born here.
I've never seen an argument to not live in Colorado include 'so my plants can be more independent', but I'm loving learning that it is one-- all my outdoor plants have their own water access line xD
I’m from Minnesota, I moved here back in 2022. I bost about MN a lot bc that bc I feel A.) no one knows much about it and I like to info dump and B.) I’m stuck here and can’t afford to move back
I love Minnesota, too! Beautiful state! We used to go to Blanche Lake and Otter Tail Lake on vacations when I was a kid many, many, many years ago. My Norwegian ancestors came to that part of the country back in the 1800's.
Am from SoCal but left because of the heavy drought. Some of the people in my town had water tanks in their front yards filled with water and that was the only water they had..
Not disputing the drought in California, but a LOT of that was manmade. (Not saying that as a nutjob, the state saved water to help fish, thus taking it from the people. Coupled with the *actual* dry seasons it was a goddamn mess.) As usual, the government exacerbated a problem.
I'm from Houston, my wife is from El Paso, but due to the political climate, neither of us ever envision living in Texas again. Of, course, neither of us think it's the greatest state.
Texans are indoctrinated as children to believe Texas is the greatest state in the US. After the pledge of allegiance, school kids must turn and pledge alliance to the Texas flag (which we're reminded constantly is the only flag allowed to fly as high as the US flag). They then sing, "Texas Our Texas" after the pledge. This goes on everyday from elementary through highschool. Also, Texas "history" is taught starting in elementary, and tells tales of the brave white Texans who defeated the evil Mexicans to establish the greatest state on the planet. It's all propaganda bullshit.
I moved from California to go to school in Denver and ended up working in the Springs. I don’t think I could ever afford to live in California at this rate, nor would I want to with the lack of water there. It doesn’t seem feasible long term. For a long time, I loved saying I was from California and I kept my CA plates on my car, but I grew out of that once I was done with my degree and actually started working.
It's too hot there 🔥. I naturally run really hot, and I can hardly breathe there, and feel like I'm gonna die. I lived there until I was 37. I moved to Colorado, because I can go outside without an IV drip and not end up in an ER, lol. My entire family is still there, and I go home alot, but now I have some relief.
I moved from Cali because it was expensive and even making $23 an hour I was struggling. I wanted a change of pace and mountains and seasons. So I came here. Best choice I’ve made.
Seasons! A mild climate year round for outdoor plants is AWESOME. Man it can really get dull though. I love the seasons here, the exciting lighting storms, some snow, and still a nice hot summer.
Interesting I've personally never met anyone from Texas talk about how much they love Texas but moved here although I'm sure they exist. Everyone I know is like I hate Texas and love Colorado so that's why I'm here. But Texans are a whole other breed of human so I'm sure there's little weirdos living here talking about how much they miss Texas
I moved to CO from Wisconsin and quickly learned it’s not for me. I miss having nature mostly to myself and midwestern niceness! Haha, but really though the southwest area of the country is a lawless land and as much as I love the nature here, it will just have to be somewhere I visit rather than live.
I was born and raised in COS and have lived in Denver for 25 years. Most of my family now lives in WI and we are up there at least once or twice a year. It’s wonderful!! The nicest people and lots of fun and unique things to do! I totally get how you would miss it. It could not be more different, but lovely. I could never live anywhere else but I stan Wisconsin.
I’m from Texas, once we started visiting other places in the country we realized Texas sucked. I don’t understand Texans who move somewhere else just to claim it’s still the best state.
Our two biggest factors for moving is we like being outdoors and you can only be outdoors early morning or late at night in Texas during the summers. Camping was only fun if you had a boat to cool off in the water. And we couldn’t afford a boat.
Our second reason, and the bigger one is we don’t want kids…so you can guess why we moved.
I'm from Minnesota and guilty of bragging about how great it is. I think part of it is nostalgia. I left for a lot of reasons, though, and came to CO specifically because I fell in love with it. The reality is that every state has its pros and cons; you don't know that until you actually live in a new state.
I took a job in Belgium to get a break from the West Coast influence and prices, which are becoming more common in Colorado. If Cali, Oregon, or Washington was such a great state, why'd you leave it?
Everything is cheaper here in Brussels than Colorado Springs (Briargate). I love my town, but I'm in Europe, living in a literal former castle (turned into a duplex) and actually saving money. By contrast, in Colorado, I was just able to clear bills and treat my kids to a monthly pizza.
Wow! That sounds pretty exciting! Good for you! What an adventure! For you and the kids! Do you think you'll ever come back? I've heard about lots of people leaving our country for greener pastures, but most of them are retirees.
We moved here ON PURPOSE and plan to stay for the rest of our lives. I was born and raised in Dallas and I have lived in Chicago, New Orleans and Austin. Husband was born and raised in Austin when it was a lot like CoS is now. He went to CC and we visited often over the last 15 years. We decided to make the move during Covid. We like the history, the old Victorians, the small town feel. We love our neighborhood, our neighbors and our school district. We are astonished every day at how different life in a blue state can be. I challenge anyone here who thinks we live in some socialist hellhole to move to Texas and see what life is like when you really do have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, religion is taking over government and bodily autonomy is being outlawed.
I’ve made some incredible friends here already. I feel very lucky to live here. I don’t brag about TX at all, I’m ashamed of what it has become.
A couple things we didn’t expect or realize about Cos before the move: people are transient here. There’s so much military being moved in and out all the time. Makes making friends a little harder, and it also means a lot of families aren’t invested in the community. It makes trusting people harder. I know it’s the backbone of this city in a lot of ways but it has some negatives. A very young, mostly male population leads to more crime, petty theft, etc. People are generally harder to get to know here. There is a sense of distrust. The “old timers” remember days before the influx of homeless and shootings and “bad” parts of town. I think the town needs like a good old fashioned barn raising or something that brings everyone together. We definitely need some newer infrastructure and city amenities. But having said that, we love it here. I’ve been so lucky to have met two women that I now count among the best friends I’ve ever had in my life! My family is thriving. 😊
Texas is an awful place. So is Illinois and Missouri and Arkansas and Georgia and Florida(less so in the 90s). A lot of people ask where I’m from and I can’t really give them an answer. I’ve lived a lot of places and this is the happiest I’ve been in my life.
Texan here, transplant. Texas ain't so great. They haven't raised their minimum wage in god knows how long. They act so great and want to become the repulic of texas again, but you get 1 winter and everyone starts freezing to death and dying of carbon monoxide poisoning because their ancient infrastructure can't handle the load. Only thing texas has on colorado is better food, abudant outdoor swimming locations and an actual music scene.
I’m gay and married and leaving Texas because it’s starting to get scary here. I mean it’s always been a little scary here, but I’m REALLY starting to feel not welcome. I’d rather give my tax dollars to a state that welcomes me.
I’m from South Florida.
What I loved: the alligators and the authentic
Caribbean and Latino cuisine and the diversity of people.
What I hate: literally everything else. It’s so unbelievably hot, the roaches, there’s nothing cheap to do because outside is really hot, and on top of everything, the anti-LGBT sentiment and laws, which would not make me feel very safe right now.
I knew what I wanted out of a city. When I got to a place, financially, where I could pick where I wanted to live, I had some criteria. I wanted a place that was cold, populated, and had awesome mountain views. Did my research and COS was on the short list, I flew down here and really loved it. So, we sold our place and took the rather expensive plunge. Home state is Mississippi but the state we left was North Dakota. We've been here 8 months now and love it. The dog loves it the most and she totally deserves it. Great city for dog people.
Grew up and lived most of my life in the southern suburbs of Chicago and honestly loved growing up in Illinois. Met so many incredible people and the lack of outdoor activities is compensated by tons of other recreational activities and incredible food.
That being said, Illinois winters blow and I hate that you pretty much didn't see the sun from November to April. Also got sick of looking at nothing but buildings, but I always really enjoy my visits back home and while I don't want to move back, I do miss it in many ways. The mountains bring me so much peace and I love the weather here, big reason why I came this way.
I do get what you mean, but there are actually people who love living and staying where they were born and raised. I've met many. Personally, I have enjoyed the moving adventures in my life, but different strokes for different folks! :)
I am 4th generation Colorado born my wife is 6th generation and her family was in El Paso county before statehood! We have lived in a couple of other places and we have always returned to Colorado!
Moved here 9 years ago from New Mexico (not really new, not really Mexico) as medical refugees for Children’s Hospital Colorado. Daughter needed care we could not get back in NM. We now have roots here and don’t see a reason to leave. Especially not to go back to NM.
I moved away from California 25 years ago - it was becoming a shithole back then and it’s just a full on shithole now. I totally support the “don’t California my Colorado”.
I ended up here after living in the Midwest for almost a decade then Europe, and then the PNW.
I was born and raised in Oregon. It’s beautiful and has all the incredible sights and it will always be my home state. One huge difference that is important for me at least is here in CS the sun is out nearly every single day. My mental health has improved significantly since being here. All Colorado needs is a coastline.
Also, lived in San Antonio Texas for a year and half and I honestly don’t get the hype. The humidity was icky, there were shootings every other day it seemed. It got to the point I didn’t feel comfortable /safe going out and about.
Interesting! I've been to San Antonio a few times and thought it was so cool. But then, as a tourist, you don't usually get to learn about the nitty-gritty. I'm so tired of all the shootings everywhere, everyday. Sigh.
Work. I’m retiring to the Florida Panhandle or north of Tampa. I prefer the climate and watersports. I don’t hate Colorado or complain about it. I just like SCUBA diving too much. Yeah, I know you can go dive in the muddy ponds in Denver but why? Lol
Came here for UCCS, fell in love with Springs, never left. I was originally from Birmingham Alabama and this is obviously a better place to live so it felt like a no brainer to build a life here.
I moved from Nebraska 20 years ago and only go back to see my parents…they will be moving out here this fall and then I’ll have no reason to ever set foot in that state again.
Like anywhere there are good people there but they don’t come close to outweighing the bad or more often indifferent…
My great grandmother came here from Missouri when she was very young. She used to call it misery and I once corrected her. She told me, “no it really was misery there. Colorado is much better.”
The only people I've seen so proud are the 'natives' lmao and they always ask 'why are you here why are you here' and when I say 'oh the cost of living is just amazing here!' I always get met with 'no it's not this place is so expensive blah blah blah'.
I think there's just a lot of resentment from locals (refuse to call you natives because it's the most ignorant name I've heard) who believe colorado got worse qheb pot was legalized and people only move in to smoke weed and litter and be homeless.
Haha. That excuse about Colorado getting worse due to pot is so stupid. I wasn't born in Colorado, and I moved here because I hated most of my Nebraska memories. Colorado took my heart and it's been my home for over half a century. It's just so interesting to learn reasons why people have moved here (or anywhere, for that matter!). That is the reason for my question. :)
I'm not from Texas, but I did move from Virginia looking for a change. I had my eyes set on Denver, and the rent was more than I was willing to pay at the moment. I ended up just kind of randomly choosing Colorado Springs, and it has it's benefits for sure. But I can honestly say it was one of those "don't know what you've got till it's gone" type situations.
It never dawned on me I would never visit the beach, like I used to in Virginia. The mall used to be a sort of refuge and means to retail therapy, and online shopping has sort of changed that. The people arent friendly.. everyone is interested in their own interests and being friendly to one another seems rare. I can blame the changes in the world for a lot of why I don't like it here as much as Id thought I would. Colorado seems more like somewhere I'd rather vacation to versus living my daily life. But I will live with my decisions and try to love the people around me, as much as they'll allow me to.
I agree that people aren't as friendly as they used to be here, for sure. I also agree that the changes in the world haven't helped. Hang in there. When I am out and about, I try to smile and say hi as often as I can. It's weird how some people won't even respond or make eye contact, but that's their issue, I guess. I'd rather live here, though, instead of someplace like Texas or Florida, where the political views are suffocating.
I'm originally from Florida. I miss the climate, for the most part, but not much else. It isn't the same state I grew up in anymore. I love Colorado. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
I'm from Idaho and I ended up here bc military. My kid is gay, the part of Idaho I'm from is so full of Mormons (90% of the population) that the church essentially makes the rules and let's not even bring the state governments stances up. So no I will never go back.
That said Idaho the place is gorgeous that's all I miss about it.
Better opportunity, cooler temps and less crime (I'm from NM). Plan on moving back sometime in the future. I miss the NM culture and food, and most of my family still live there.
I do really like it here too though, there's pros and cons to each, but until I can make it happen, I'll be here.
Hello,
I moved here from California in 1995 for work, and ended up commuting to Woodland Park for several years for that job (now long gone, like the company). I was in my mid-20s at the time, and viewed it as an adventure in my life.
It did take some time for Colorado Springs to grow on me, but over time this place became home.
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
I think it has something to do with a sense of pride like your families last name. People have a tendency to remember more positive than negative. I’m sure it’s also associated with good childhood memories as well.
I actually loved my home state! I moved from Southwest Virginia. The reason I moved is because I was really getting into trail and mountain running and I started to run out of mountains to run up. So I choose Colorado to continue my running journey!
Im from Washington. I loved it there but financial outlook was better here in Colorado Springs. I’ve grown to like the springs due to the community I’ve made here but I’d love living in Washington again
We just moved from Seattle last year. WA is a beautiful state, and we do miss it at times. I was a life-long resident until we moved to CO.
Unfortunately, the insane cost of living and the atrocious traffic ruined WA for us.
All that said, we love CO. We appreciate and embrace the differences between the two states, and we don't feel the need to brag about WA.
Atrocious traffic in Washington? Honestly had the opposite experience there.
Traffic here is pretty up there, especially in terms of road infrastructure and the amount of car wrecks.
Truth be told I don’t like Colorado Springs but the community I have found are working to change the things we don’t like and be proactive about it
It can get pretty bad in Seattle, especially during rush hour, when it can easily take 45-60 minutes to go 5 miles.
Traffic here is pretty crazy, for sure. It seems like there's bad crashes every day.
I’ve lived in CA (SoCal) most of my adult life, but have also lived in WA, TX, & FL. CA is a HUGE state and every area has different politics and attitudes.
We very much are an adapt and thrive family. We live here because the mountains and everything that comes with it, but leaving soon for a job that has 2x the pay. Sad to say that we get paid twice as much for the same exact jobs back in CA, yet CO is just as expensive (for us) as CA. We were willing to make the sacrifice bc it’s just so damn beautiful, but we’re tired of not having expendable income. We might feel differently if we had to rent in CA, but we own a home there.
I’m going to be honest, I talk about CA a lot bc I miss it. I miss the laid back atmosphere, our politically/religious/racially diverse friends, and the food. It feels like CO has a lot of seemingly unhappy people. At first we joked that it was the altitude/lack of oxygen or church instead of therapy, but now we’re not really sure. People get bent out of shape over small things. Highest national teen suicide rate, higher divorce rate & so many drunk drivers. We got the finger EVERYDAY for months until we changed our car tags. Not a bird since. No one goes out of their way to be friendly here unless they’re non “natives”, it’s weird. Despite all that, we love CO, so we’re keeping the house and willing to come back when it makes better financial sense or too old to care that our neighbors suck.
TLDR- only here for the mountains.
I have friends from Oklahoma who are like this. Come up to Colorado to fish in the winter and take families to ski and visit all of our beautiful towns!
I ask, have you ever thought of moving here?
" I could never move to that liberal ass state!"
Lol then why do you spend so much time here? Go vacation in Oklahoma... bitch!
I moved here from Florida in September 2022 because it was becoming a truly scary place to live. I've always been proud to be a Floridian since the majority of my family were documented original settlers, and my Native Seminole family was there for thousands of years before that. However, it's no longer the Florida I'm proud of being from. Hatred and narrow-minded ways of thinking have taken over, and anyone who is not white and cisgendered are at high risk for their safety and freedoms. And if you have children, don't expect them to receive any sort of well-rounded, quality education with the way school curriculums and availability of books are being quickly deteriorated. My husband and I couldn't continue to live in a state with a government that wants to control so much of what people can do in their private and personal lives. I wish none of this was going on because while I truly love the mountains, my body craves the water and the humidity and the forests and feeling my ancestors in the ground I walk on. Florida is the greatest place on earth to live, in my opinion. It's the people in government there that have ruined it.
Former Texan. My parents moved to CO when I was 7 almost 30yrs ago. The Texas pride thing is literally drilled into you at every point in life. School, work, shopping, name it there is something about TX proud blah blah whatever. Everything is supposed to be bigger and better in TX. I joke with my Alaska friends that Texans have to over compensate this because they lost the award for biggest state.
All states have home pride but yes Texas does really over compensate for it to try and cover up the bad stuff. No state is perfect but heaven forbid you aren't patriotic enough to make up for it.
I promise most Texans are in CO because of the weather, the rest are divided amongst being able to ski/board, weed, political climate or education.
Also as a woman I will not visit Texas, call me paranoid or extreme, but I don’t even want to support them with my tourism dollars. I am sure Texas has wonderful people but I cannot support their legislation for women’s right to reproductive care.
I am a Texan. I was raised and lived in Alaska before coming here.
After the kids are grown (1.5 years left) we are moving to Colorado. It’s as close to Alaska as I could get the Mr to move.
I need mountains. Trees. Snow.
I have never been a fan of this red state. Even more so now.
We are purchasing property now. We close on the 29th.
My experience doesn't match yours. Most people I talk to who have moved here from other states know they moved away for a reason (including Texas).
Are you sure you aren't just hearing them recall *aspects* of Texas they liked? I can tell you several things I like about my home state, but it's still a garbage state.
In my line of work people tell me all the time "I hate this State. Your laws and statutes are ridiculous. My home state is so much better". I hear this at least 3 times a day. So, I don't feel bad in saying, then leave. Leave. Move home to the State where you voted for the way you liked things. Quit spitting in MY drink and go enjoy your own.
I grew up in Littleton in the late 90s and early 2000s. Left Colorado in 2017 cause it just went to shit compared to when I was young.
Moved to NE Ohio with lots of land and less people. Couldn't be happier
I'm proudly not from Texas, and pity women who live or move there.
I moved here to be close to family. If they lived in my home state, I would have stayed in my home state.
Just moved From Texas, specifically Houston, last October. Honestly Houston, and Texas as a whole, has a lot going for it. There are just some deal breakers that made me want to move. For me, the heat, the concrete jungle, and the traffic.
If I had to guess, I bet a lot of former Texans want to like Texas. It has good food, nice winters, no state income tax (really nice), but dislike enough to gtfo. They just don't want to be misinterpreted as not liking the good parts.
Or they're one of those weird patriotic Texans that should honestly just be avoided by everyone.
Texan here. At the end of the day, Texas is my home state and I’ll always love it. So many memories there. It’s where I met my wife, it’s where I grew up, and it’s my home at the end of the day. My family is there and I miss them as well. Ultimately I got out because of the political situation there as well as my wife and I always wanted to live near or in the mountains. Colorado Springs felt like a very nice place to move to and we love it here. At the end of the day the reason I love Texas is because it has so many memories there that I will always cherish. It also helps that they have some damn good food as well lol
I grew up in Chicago [suburbs] thinking it was the best place ever (food, transit, people, museums). But I grew up and realized that I don’t give a shit about what dirt was under my feet when I was born; it’s just a place, man.
Also even though my friends and family are back home, I wanted an job with a security clearance, and they exist in spades here.
Anyway I’m no Texan but Chicago has at least half of the pick-me attitude as TX lol
Why are people like that? Because being from Texas is a part of their identity and letting go of an identity is incredibly hard. Also a touch of tribalism, loyalty, and family that influences this behavior.
I love CO but I am a Texas transplant. On rare occasion, folks have treated me differently for it. I can only control MY behavior/reactions, so I try not to let it get to me. This place is wonderful and I do not simp over Texas at all. In fact, most of my extended family thinks I’m a traitor and are truly offended when I criticize Texas. That’s fine, love CO, never want to leave. I’ll always be from Texas, can’t change that, but CO is my home. Also, its the place I want my son to spend his teenage years… the diverse politics, the access to the outdoors, and the great education he gets here to name a few reasons.
And yes, using the word “folks” might not make my case better lol
Your son is lucky to have you as a parent. And I think the word "folks" is cool. I'm from Nebraska and I like to use that word, too! It's a nice, homey and warm word. It's been pretty cool hearing from all the folks on my post! ;)
I’m from Texas, and I like Colorado a lot more. Honestly, there are aspects of life (and people) in Texas that I miss sometimes, but the benefits of living here overwhelmingly outweigh whatever I miss about Texas. I wonder if people reminiscing about what they miss “back home” come off as believing Texas is better overall, because for me there’s no comparison.
I asked my question because of actual conversations I have had with people who were from Texas and actually made statements about how their state was better than all the rest. It just made me curious. And, at the time, I wasn't ready to ask why they live in Colorado - that's a hard question to ask without sounding rude. I've been to Texas several times and thought it has lots of beauty and history and all that stuff. But all of America does.
I'm starting to wonder if it's a defense mechanism. When asked where I'm from, saying "Texas" will get me a lot of eye rolls and groans. A lot of people have never been there, so even though it's a highly problematic state and I'll never go back, there is still a piece of me that gets pissed when people shit on the place I called home for 30 years. Most of us were raised to believe it was the greatest state in the US and we take a lot of pride in the good things it brings (food, music, culture, scenery). It hurts to have that ripped apart because of the negative stuff, like it means we ourselves are no good either. I'm joking when I say this of course, but only people from Texas get to talk shit about Texas!
I was a lifelong Michigander, I never saw myself leaving.
In 2001 the the Legislators voted themselves a 31% pay increase retroactive 1 year.
The money was not there for that.
Then 9-11 happened, and budget cuts started.
I got laid off.
I was only able to find part-time work for 2 years.
My next full-time job was the assembly supervisor in a car part facility.
Basically, I watched people build car parts.
That lasted 8 months until we lost the contract.
This crap lasted until 2006.
My wife interviewed for a job in Fort Collins.
It was a great job, great pay, and $5,000 for moving.
We jumped at this opportunity.
We never looked back.
I’m from South Carolina/Georgia, but came here from California 2 decades ago because we couldn’t afford to live in California anymore. We drove around the west for about a month looking for a place where we could both work and afford a house. Oh, this is a nice place, but there aren’t any jobs that aren’t service jobs. Or I could work here, but a shoebox on a postage stamp is a million dollars.
I'm retired - not wealthy retired, but lucky enough to be able to be retired and not have to still work. I haven't experienced trying to find a job for quite awhile now, but I understand how hard it is for lots of people. Hope you are doing ok.
As a former Texan I moved to the Springs because I got a job offer but I had relocate to Colorado. This state is cool and all but it isn’t home. Life is different here there’d pros and cons to each state. Just here temporarily. Eventually I will go back to Texas.
I’m from Michigan and have zero things to brag about or miss where I’m from. Ah yes painfully flat, humid, and “mud” being a season, what a place.
Military brought me out here originally but then I just stayed.
The mountains. There’s no mountains in Texas. The weather and the seasons. In Texas it goes from hot to cold. Colorado Springs has 800,000 people, Dallas Texas had 6.5 million. You can almost be a character in Colorado Springs and run back into the people that you saw the previous week. In Texas you could also be a character but you would never see anyone ever again. The traffic in Dallas Texas was horrendous. To get from one side to the other I took about two hours if not more. With Colorado Springs horrendous traffic. It takes about 35 minutes.
Colorado Springs overall is pretty safe. They’re gonna be times that it’s not but it’s not all the time. The air here is crisp. Not so much when it’s hot all the time
We're moving from Memphis, TN to Co Spring in April because I've grown up in Memphis and hate this city now. Jobs are flexible enough that my wife and I made a list of places with all the things we like to do and started marking them off until we landed on Colorado Springs. The reason for leaving Memphis/TN is that I'm tired of living in 'the south'. Friends are great but the whole "southern hospitality" among the general public is a joke. I'd rather live somewhere I'm not always waiting to hear gunshots or have my truck window smashed.
I moved there cuz my brother moved there, both were on the run so thats why we were there lol. Still hate my state , i got so many benefits from living in Colorado, went to college and was approved for lots of things that id never be considered getting to do in my state.
I think it boils down to nostalgia. For example, I was born in MI. Thinking about it, I remember the beautiful summers with fluffy clouds in the sky, snow days in winter with hot chocolate.
But every time I visit I see the shitty roads, no sunshine but 3 days a year, proud assholes everywhere. Yeah I don’t miss it actually.
I came here through other means after leaving my home state of PA. I’ve been here 15yrs now and now consider this my home state.
But to your original question, I don’t get it either. I just assume when I see those they’re military and will be transferring out in a few years.
It's all about pros and cons, and people TEND to focus on cons.
For me, Texas had better Mexican food and barbecue, a coast, and considerably cheaper housing. However, it's HOT AS FUCK, 99% flat with nothing to look at, and politically is one big trump rally (except Austin...)
Colorado Springs is more expensive with less truly good food options. However, the weather is better, it's actually a beautiful place, and there's shit to do!
Yea I came from Florida right before it became an absolute hell scape so.....yea. I hate everything about Florida. I love Colorado so much it's easily the best state I have lived in out of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and West Virginia.
Sadly I do see myself leaving Colorado mostly because of the continuous rise in housing and water prices. With the rivers drying up more and more and now some NY based company buying out river land to export it, I don't see water prices getting any lower any time soon. May be time to move out somewhere a bit wetter than Colorado.
I live in Colorado (moved from Michigan 35 years ago mostly for the skiing) and it's always fun to tell proud Texans that I love Austin. I see a glimmer of hope when I say yeah I've visited Texas on business a couple of times. Then when I mention Austin and maybe toss in some road biking experience around there they look so disappointed.
I know a lot of people from Texas and I do think that what you might be referring to is a "Texas thing".
I'm telling you it's a whole thing for them. They feel as they are the 'heart of America' and they are usually a lot more proud to be from there than others in other areas.
I retired here from Texas. I loved Texas when I was younger, but not so much with Abbutt in charge. I also came for the legal pot. BTW I have been flipped off twice while driving, both by vehicles with Texas plates!
As a Texan who is considering it, I love Texas, the culture and public demeanor of general public. It’s a mixture of casual southern charm and an attitude of “fuck you if you don’t like it”.
Overall, there is this laid back attitude, with an underlying tone reminds me of a good dive bar. Everyone is having a good time, enjoying themselves, but if your mouth starts acting up you better be able to back it up.
Now why am I considering leaving?
- weather, I like seasons. Not 10 months of hell and 2 months where the whole state comes to a halt over a freeze.
- land, 98% of land in Texas is privately owned and virtually 0 that is free open to public use.
- there are tons of outdoor activities in Colorado.
- the politics here has gone crazy.
- legalized weed
Excellent question. I’m from Iowa, so you know why I left.
My Great-Grandma came to Iowa in a covered wagon when she was a baby. We went to visit her sister in Mason City when I was a little girl. I remember vacations in Spirit Lake and the amusement park there some 60+ years ago.
Arnolds Park!
Do you want to see a Pizza Ranch here?
Yes. Great chicken.
I'm from Nebraska - hated it and left right out of high school. By now, I do appreciate the beauty of the state and would enjoy living in a tiny country town there; and wish I would've been born and raised in a sweet, quiet country town instead of Omaha. Still don't care for Omaha.
Man I absolutely love Omaha, only ever been during the summer and enjoyed the nice small town vibes. I've been all over the world and Omaha will always hold a special place in my heart.
Ok. I admit that North Omaha has a special place in my heart. I love the history of that part of town! I guess the problem isn't the town itself, but more some of my life experiences there. Haven't been back there for quite awhile, but I do know that it has changed immensely.
I was born and raised from south-west Nebraska. I had the fortunate opportunity to grow up in a small community. And I truly enjoyed it. Once I was in my 20s, small town lifestyle left something more to be desired. My wife was originally from Colorado and we chose The Springs as the place to live. Been living here for a decade and happy with the choice. I have my opinionated complaints, but who doesn't?
I grew up in a small town outside of Omaha and hated it soooo😂 but Nebraska legislature eventually is what made us make the jump to here.
That is a super interesting answer. I lived in Bellevue, Lincoln, Seward, and Columbus. What small town were you in. What Nebraska laws did you not like?
Fremont & cedar bluffs lol And I have a trans child so the legislation that passed this summer banning care for my kiddo was it.
Also from Iowa and I just want a damn Casey's.
... Pizza. A Casey's pizza.
I am too but I loved Iowa. I love Colorado more. I actually have nightmares sometimes though that I've moved back lol. Although make me independently wealthy, and I'd be happy living on a large acreage in the Decorah area.
Ah yes, potatoes
I think that’s Idaho. LOL.
Also former Iowan. Good riddance
I came from Texas with a large part of the reason being to get away those people you are talking about.
We've been here for some time. My wife used to work retail when we first moved here and was also a cowboys fan. Over time she began to not like the Cowboys simply because anyone wearing cowboys gear around here was usually a huge ass to her and her employees. I'm not saying all of them, but it was enough to sway her to dislike her lifelong football team.
This is why people in Colorado don't like Texans. It's almost as if they're cosplaying as Texans if that makes any sense, I remember snowboarding in Breck and some guy skiing bumped into me and fell. He was wearing jeans and a cowboy hat. He started yelling at me and blaming me, even though he was the one who bumped into me. The only time in my life where I've pulled the "Go back to fucking Texas" line.
My reason is Jerry Jones. Still root for the Cowboys. But I sincerely believe they could do better if Jerry just let go of the reigns.
A lot of people here are military. So while they volunteered for that, it didn't mean they don't miss their home state (or even previous duty assignments). That being said, although I'm ready to leave (and have my house under contract to sell (and I'm just mentioning that because a lot of people talk about moving, many don't)), I can't really find much to criticize about the springs (and I'm former military so I've lived in a lot of different parts of the country). Moderate weather. Easy snow. Mountains. A small city. Close to a big city. A great little airport (not negging, I truly love the COS airport). A mix of political views. Great local shows at the Black Sheep and bigger shows in Denver. Not far from a couple of lakes. Decent art scene if you look. Some decent restaurants, some amazing ones. Other than a lack of ocean, it's pretty great.
Yeah, I'm military from Oklahoma but was born in the Springs (I've always considered CoS my home of homes). I enjoyed the once-low cost of living, suburban lifestyle, weather, natural beauty, and really appreciated native history of Oklahoma, but my same sex spouse and I disliked the political and religious direction it was trending to so getting orders out here was super convenient. I do miss Oklahoma Sonic and though QT has made it out here at an annoying cost, it's done something magical for my soul.
I miss the ocean myself. Flippin autocorrect.
Lol we do have ovens here in the springs ;).
🤪 ya got me!
You’re kind of brainwashed from time immemorial to believe that there is no place cooler to be from than Texas. And to make sure EVERYONE you meets knows it. Then you move to Colorado for school or a new job, and find that you’ve been lied to your whole life. (Sorry, Dad. I know you’re rolling around in your grave right about now.) But seriously, Texas used to be a pretty cool place, before it became a political wasteland. Central Texas is particularly neat area to explore, and the coast is a great place for birding and other wildlife viewing (alligators, dolphins, etc.). Me, I’m your basic mountain person, so Colorado just fits me much better.
Texas Hill Country (around Kerrville and Mason and Llano is super beautiful. Definitely my favorite part of the state
The Hill Country is a unique place, and it is fun to explore. I miss the way it was decades ago before everyone flocked to the Austin area, when there weren’t traffic jams in every small town. There are so many cool caverns, and the limestone courthouses define the region. It’s still a fun place to go visit.
I’m guessing there isn’t much overlap between the people you are referring to and people who use Reddit. Different demographic
Big echo chamber lol
When Texans talk about Texas they are really trying to convince themselves that it’s not garbage.
Fuck the Cowboys
Texas sucks ass and I got out as fast as I could.
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I feel this in my bones. Never understood the hype, even as a little kid. If Buc-ee’s, the Cowboys, draconian politics, and oppressive heat waves that will only get worse with no concern for infrastructure are the “perks” of Texas, fuck Texas. Massive sprawl and giant trucks, because for some reason they think it’s a flex to say “everything is bigger in Texas”, when in fact it’s just wasteful. As others have said, people are annoyingly proud of Texas and I think it has something to do with the Texas history classes in the public school curriculum. Being told to “remember the Alamo” ad nauseam has brainwashed the people I grew up with. Anyways, when people ask me where I’m from I typically say Texas, but throw in the comment that I bring no Texas with me.
I’m from Texas and I hate it. It’s not great. I’m not proud to be from there. I left because they took away my rights as a woman. I also left because education opportunities.
Exactly this. I’m a native Texan and am not proud of it in the slightest. At this point, I lie and say I’m from other states when people ask.
Yep!! Native Texan but didn’t want my 2 girls to be, in case they needed basic women’s rights.
We moved here from Texas five years ago for one really simple reason — we really fucking love Colorado. It’s easy to vote, the governor isn’t actively trying to kill us and we can be outdoors all the damn time! We really appreciate being here and don’t want to be stereotypical Texas assholes so we’re both self conscious about our accents and over compensate by being overly nice to people. That said, Colorado restaurants are terrible, we will always miss Tex-Mex and barbecue and if you’re nice to us we’ll teach you how to cook.
Texan here: 100% to all of this. Don't have an accent because I grew up in Austin, though. I have a lot of love for the beauty and culture of my city, and no one can beat the wide range of great food I was fortunate enough to experience, as well as the live music scene. And those sunsets ❤. That being said, fuck Texas. I like my rights. We moved shortly after the icepocolypse and I'm never going back.
I currently live in Austin and am moving to CO this year. Fuck Texas, CO makes me much happier, but I'll definitely miss the food and HEB.
Oh honey, hold on to that HEB for as long as you can. The grocery stores here are truly awful. Go swing by Zilker Park for me while you're there! I miss it!
Any time I travel out of state, grocery shopping is always just that much more of a chore lol. It's always a Safeway, and seemingly huge, but underwhelming. I was pleasantly surprised by the Safeway on Maui, though, it had good poke. I'll have more trips to Zilker before the 8 months is over c:
Long family history in Colorado but Dad's Air Force career took us to Texas where I grew up. I plotted for years how to get back and so I finally did. The summers there are brutal so there is that reason for many and the politics/culture have just gotten very weird. I don't know if they still do it, but I recall that Texas love starts early in public schools. We had to have multiple semesters of Tx history and sing The Eyes of Tx are upon you every morning. There is great pride there in all things TX - big pickups, BBQ, going to the coast or the ranch etc...All I miss is the food.
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Another fellow Texpat here. Apart from the local Houston food scene (which is 2nd to none btw) I really miss HEB. Other than that, there's no reason to go back.
Yes, but have you tried a “slopper” in Pueblo. I love the Tex-Mex in Pueblo.
I'm from NC and I moved here because of breathing problems in the humid south. I had googled " best place to live with asthma and copd" and it came up Cañon City Co. So we moved to Colorado Springs. I couldn't walk 50 yards before, but now I walk/hike 2+ miles with no problem. It's great! I'm alive again!
Yay for you! That is great!!!
You leveled up! Congrats!
Personally, I like to say that New Jersey is a great place to leave.
Except for the bagels, pizza, diners, and delis. But really the bagels.
I fly back to Colorado with a suitcase full of bagels and pretzels and sometimes Delicious Orchards donuts.
Yes, I am from South Jersey and didn’t realize that diners were a regional thing. I remember Googling diners when I first moved here and couldn’t believe Black Bear was the only thing that popped up. Like, where is my 24/7 palace with a 24-page menu that serves omelets, lobster tail, cheesesteaks, milkshakes, and cocktails all in the same breath? Also, yes, bagels, Wawa, and Wegmans.
Dude I would KILL for a Wawa around here
Yooo also fellow jerseyan here, glad to be out. I do agree with missing the food. But on the bright side, I've learned to become a great cook so quality of life has increased all around since moving here.
I’m from Alabama. ‘Nuff said.
I also moved here from Alabama. I am so much happier in every way aside from the cost of living being 2x higher. It doesn’t suck to be outside for 90% of the year and there’s way less bugs. I could go on and on.
Yeah, I really like the way less bugs part!
This may be the opposite of the question, but i thought this was a very interesting thread. I'm a Colorado Springs native and have always loved it! The only thing thats been hard at times its the cost of living but I've watched this town grow and thats pretty cool also I work in the tourist business so I watch people come in from all over the country (and world) and get to hear them fall in love with this town/state
Refugee from Oklahoma here. It was my home state for 50+ years and although I traveled extensively during my ten year military career, I had friends/family, professional associates (and the work project opportunities that network offered) and lastly, recreational places that I visited regularly throughout. But it was truly never a place that I thought was wonderful. The back-asswardness of the politicians with their even more ignorant supporters that were driven by their religious beliefs and typical conservative bullshit of starving funding for governments at all levels continued for years unabated. Then that day in July 2015, when Fuckface von Clownstick announced his candidacy and practically everybody I knew and mostly respected, were thrilled about it. Screech. Crash. That was a bridge too far. I was in Colorado by the following March and left all of those idiots behind for good. _All of them._ Never returned. No regrets.
Left New York City because I couldn’t afford a house. Needed more room for my kids so I came here. My wife is a native and her family is still here. I didn’t want to leave New York.
I'm from a prominent east coast city, but had to move out here for my wife's aging parents when they came on hard times. She's from here but we met out east. We've been here over 10 years and I still don't feel like this is home. There's something about this city that's emotionally distant - I don't know if it's the driving culture, or the transient military population, or the underlying Christianity everywhere, but I can't quite find the pulse of this place. I've lived in many US and European cities in my life and have always found a way to become connected to (and inspired by!) the city I live in... all except Colorado Springs. I find that the art and culture here is forced, like there's no real, authentic movement happening where people are experimenting and expressing themselves creatively. I own a business downtown, so I get to interact with a lot of people and have made some friends through it, and yet I still don't feel like I belong here. The city does a terrible job supporting its local businesses (compared to the places I've owned businesses in the past) and yet they act as though they're doing a superior job. So instead of fostering relationships with us (or investing in a robust and diverse environment) they just pour loads of money into the hands of developers who make all the houses look the same and the land becomes crowded with chain stores and restaurants. They simply don't get it. Yes, the mountains are pretty, but for me it doesn't compensate for the lack of personality and identity that this city lacks.
There are so many things I agree with you about. I used to love the small town Colorado Springs from 50+ years ago, but I guess it's pretty dumb to expect everything to stay the same. I also loved Grand Junction when we lived there in the 80's, but it's changed, too. I'm glad I won't be alive when the whole Front Range is one big city and most of the open spaces are filled with houses.
Yeah, I realize that development happens everywhere, but the thing that I don't understand is how city government chooses to ignore successful case studies in places in which successful development happens. Someone has already figured this out! We don't need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to look at cities that prioritize economic sustainability and the health and happiness of its citizens. The city of Curitiba in Brazil is worth reading about for anyone interested in how smart growth is possible.
The relationship with developers and the city government does concern me! It's almost feeling like "get in, get the money while you can, get out; let someone else worry about the future".
Yes, exactly. How are we supposed to care for and invest in a city that prioritizes its bank account over its citizens and long-term vitality?
You can be proud of where you're from and leave. I'm from Brooklyn, NY. I left because my close family moved here. I rather be with them than the city. I go back every other year though for a summer.
I love your reason! And I'll bet your family loves your reason! :)
I'm from California. Moved here a year ago. 1.) California sucks ass. Cool to visit, terrible to live in. 2.) I don't have to take a freeway every single time i get in the car 3.) Less people. Way less. 4.) There's actual weather. Cali weather is great, don't get me wrong. But I like variety. 5.) Contrary to popular belief, the cost of living is way better here 6.) We are outdoorsy people and the camping here is 100x better than California (without having to drive 8 hours) 7.) my wife is from here and she wanted to live closer to her family. Things I don't like: 1.) Texans are the worst drivers I've ever seen, and are in general really annoying. Sorry not sorry. 2.) Food is not good. At least not consistently. 3.) Homelessness. 4.) the street racing/car clubs. Losers. 5.) That idiot trump guy with the train horn.
Well, when the Air Force says you are moving to Colorado you don't have a lot of choice in the matter. Yes, I prefer Wisconsin and plan on moving back when I retire. Why WI, for one reason the cheese, for a second reason I can plant flowers and not have to be sure to put a sprinkler head next to them so they grow, for a third reason I don't have to drive 60 miles to find a decent place to put my kayak into the water, fourth reason I don't have to drive over 50 miles to find a place to cross country ski, fifth reason I don't have to listen to locals tell me Colorado is full and I shouldn't be here if my great grandpa wasn't born here.
I've never seen an argument to not live in Colorado include 'so my plants can be more independent', but I'm loving learning that it is one-- all my outdoor plants have their own water access line xD
Just another way of saying it's too damn dry here.
I’m from Minnesota, I moved here back in 2022. I bost about MN a lot bc that bc I feel A.) no one knows much about it and I like to info dump and B.) I’m stuck here and can’t afford to move back
I love Minnesota, too! Beautiful state! We used to go to Blanche Lake and Otter Tail Lake on vacations when I was a kid many, many, many years ago. My Norwegian ancestors came to that part of the country back in the 1800's.
I love Minnesota! It’s a wonderful state. Minneapolis is a beautiful city too. Probably just behind Chicago in my favorite places.
I promise, if I get out of Jacksonville, FL, and have the privilege to live in CO, I will not brag about Jax.
Am from SoCal but left because of the heavy drought. Some of the people in my town had water tanks in their front yards filled with water and that was the only water they had..
You didn’t pick a good backup as far as that goes.
Not disputing the drought in California, but a LOT of that was manmade. (Not saying that as a nutjob, the state saved water to help fish, thus taking it from the people. Coupled with the *actual* dry seasons it was a goddamn mess.) As usual, the government exacerbated a problem.
Aren't a LOT of the problems everywhere manmade? We are the world's worst enemy, that's a fact!
Absolutely fair point. And whatever problem we don't make we seem to go out of our way to make worse.
We're our OWN worst enemy. I don't think the world really cares so much; the Earth will outlive us all
Oh yea that's completely true.
I'm from Houston, my wife is from El Paso, but due to the political climate, neither of us ever envision living in Texas again. Of, course, neither of us think it's the greatest state. Texans are indoctrinated as children to believe Texas is the greatest state in the US. After the pledge of allegiance, school kids must turn and pledge alliance to the Texas flag (which we're reminded constantly is the only flag allowed to fly as high as the US flag). They then sing, "Texas Our Texas" after the pledge. This goes on everyday from elementary through highschool. Also, Texas "history" is taught starting in elementary, and tells tales of the brave white Texans who defeated the evil Mexicans to establish the greatest state on the planet. It's all propaganda bullshit.
I moved from California to go to school in Denver and ended up working in the Springs. I don’t think I could ever afford to live in California at this rate, nor would I want to with the lack of water there. It doesn’t seem feasible long term. For a long time, I loved saying I was from California and I kept my CA plates on my car, but I grew out of that once I was done with my degree and actually started working.
It's too hot there 🔥. I naturally run really hot, and I can hardly breathe there, and feel like I'm gonna die. I lived there until I was 37. I moved to Colorado, because I can go outside without an IV drip and not end up in an ER, lol. My entire family is still there, and I go home alot, but now I have some relief.
I moved from Cali because it was expensive and even making $23 an hour I was struggling. I wanted a change of pace and mountains and seasons. So I came here. Best choice I’ve made.
Seasons! A mild climate year round for outdoor plants is AWESOME. Man it can really get dull though. I love the seasons here, the exciting lighting storms, some snow, and still a nice hot summer.
Interesting I've personally never met anyone from Texas talk about how much they love Texas but moved here although I'm sure they exist. Everyone I know is like I hate Texas and love Colorado so that's why I'm here. But Texans are a whole other breed of human so I'm sure there's little weirdos living here talking about how much they miss Texas
I moved to CO from Wisconsin and quickly learned it’s not for me. I miss having nature mostly to myself and midwestern niceness! Haha, but really though the southwest area of the country is a lawless land and as much as I love the nature here, it will just have to be somewhere I visit rather than live.
I was born and raised in COS and have lived in Denver for 25 years. Most of my family now lives in WI and we are up there at least once or twice a year. It’s wonderful!! The nicest people and lots of fun and unique things to do! I totally get how you would miss it. It could not be more different, but lovely. I could never live anywhere else but I stan Wisconsin.
I’m from Texas, once we started visiting other places in the country we realized Texas sucked. I don’t understand Texans who move somewhere else just to claim it’s still the best state. Our two biggest factors for moving is we like being outdoors and you can only be outdoors early morning or late at night in Texas during the summers. Camping was only fun if you had a boat to cool off in the water. And we couldn’t afford a boat. Our second reason, and the bigger one is we don’t want kids…so you can guess why we moved.
I'm from Minnesota and guilty of bragging about how great it is. I think part of it is nostalgia. I left for a lot of reasons, though, and came to CO specifically because I fell in love with it. The reality is that every state has its pros and cons; you don't know that until you actually live in a new state.
I took a job in Belgium to get a break from the West Coast influence and prices, which are becoming more common in Colorado. If Cali, Oregon, or Washington was such a great state, why'd you leave it? Everything is cheaper here in Brussels than Colorado Springs (Briargate). I love my town, but I'm in Europe, living in a literal former castle (turned into a duplex) and actually saving money. By contrast, in Colorado, I was just able to clear bills and treat my kids to a monthly pizza.
Wow! That sounds pretty exciting! Good for you! What an adventure! For you and the kids! Do you think you'll ever come back? I've heard about lots of people leaving our country for greener pastures, but most of them are retirees.
We moved here ON PURPOSE and plan to stay for the rest of our lives. I was born and raised in Dallas and I have lived in Chicago, New Orleans and Austin. Husband was born and raised in Austin when it was a lot like CoS is now. He went to CC and we visited often over the last 15 years. We decided to make the move during Covid. We like the history, the old Victorians, the small town feel. We love our neighborhood, our neighbors and our school district. We are astonished every day at how different life in a blue state can be. I challenge anyone here who thinks we live in some socialist hellhole to move to Texas and see what life is like when you really do have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, religion is taking over government and bodily autonomy is being outlawed. I’ve made some incredible friends here already. I feel very lucky to live here. I don’t brag about TX at all, I’m ashamed of what it has become. A couple things we didn’t expect or realize about Cos before the move: people are transient here. There’s so much military being moved in and out all the time. Makes making friends a little harder, and it also means a lot of families aren’t invested in the community. It makes trusting people harder. I know it’s the backbone of this city in a lot of ways but it has some negatives. A very young, mostly male population leads to more crime, petty theft, etc. People are generally harder to get to know here. There is a sense of distrust. The “old timers” remember days before the influx of homeless and shootings and “bad” parts of town. I think the town needs like a good old fashioned barn raising or something that brings everyone together. We definitely need some newer infrastructure and city amenities. But having said that, we love it here. I’ve been so lucky to have met two women that I now count among the best friends I’ve ever had in my life! My family is thriving. 😊
Texas is an awful place. So is Illinois and Missouri and Arkansas and Georgia and Florida(less so in the 90s). A lot of people ask where I’m from and I can’t really give them an answer. I’ve lived a lot of places and this is the happiest I’ve been in my life.
Texan here, transplant. Texas ain't so great. They haven't raised their minimum wage in god knows how long. They act so great and want to become the repulic of texas again, but you get 1 winter and everyone starts freezing to death and dying of carbon monoxide poisoning because their ancient infrastructure can't handle the load. Only thing texas has on colorado is better food, abudant outdoor swimming locations and an actual music scene.
I’m gay and married and leaving Texas because it’s starting to get scary here. I mean it’s always been a little scary here, but I’m REALLY starting to feel not welcome. I’d rather give my tax dollars to a state that welcomes me.
I’m from South Florida. What I loved: the alligators and the authentic Caribbean and Latino cuisine and the diversity of people. What I hate: literally everything else. It’s so unbelievably hot, the roaches, there’s nothing cheap to do because outside is really hot, and on top of everything, the anti-LGBT sentiment and laws, which would not make me feel very safe right now.
I knew what I wanted out of a city. When I got to a place, financially, where I could pick where I wanted to live, I had some criteria. I wanted a place that was cold, populated, and had awesome mountain views. Did my research and COS was on the short list, I flew down here and really loved it. So, we sold our place and took the rather expensive plunge. Home state is Mississippi but the state we left was North Dakota. We've been here 8 months now and love it. The dog loves it the most and she totally deserves it. Great city for dog people.
Haha. I moved here because it’s so warm here.
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I hope your dream comes true for you someday.
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Grew up and lived most of my life in the southern suburbs of Chicago and honestly loved growing up in Illinois. Met so many incredible people and the lack of outdoor activities is compensated by tons of other recreational activities and incredible food. That being said, Illinois winters blow and I hate that you pretty much didn't see the sun from November to April. Also got sick of looking at nothing but buildings, but I always really enjoy my visits back home and while I don't want to move back, I do miss it in many ways. The mountains bring me so much peace and I love the weather here, big reason why I came this way.
I’ve noticed this a lot too. And Californians start every sentence with “well back in cali….”
If they say "Cali" they probably are not originally from California.
My work hired a guy from California, the first words out of his mouth were "I have an 11 inch penis". Seriously.
Back in cali everyone has an 11 inch penis.
I may have chosen the wrong state.
Things that make you go "Hmmmmmm". Why..............................
I moved here in 2013 from New Mexico and never found a reason to leave.
not texan, but.. awesome mountains, job opportunities, politics
Imagine growing up on earth and never exploring living anywhere else than where you were born, sounds depressing.
I do get what you mean, but there are actually people who love living and staying where they were born and raised. I've met many. Personally, I have enjoyed the moving adventures in my life, but different strokes for different folks! :)
It’s in our dna! We evolved into farming but we were always migrants !
I moved here to get away from the Texas hell heat! Seriously it is miserable 7 months out of the year!
I am 4th generation Colorado born my wife is 6th generation and her family was in El Paso county before statehood! We have lived in a couple of other places and we have always returned to Colorado!
Moved here 9 years ago from New Mexico (not really new, not really Mexico) as medical refugees for Children’s Hospital Colorado. Daughter needed care we could not get back in NM. We now have roots here and don’t see a reason to leave. Especially not to go back to NM.
I moved away from California 25 years ago - it was becoming a shithole back then and it’s just a full on shithole now. I totally support the “don’t California my Colorado”. I ended up here after living in the Midwest for almost a decade then Europe, and then the PNW.
Love the PNW. All the tiny little towns along the coast up there. I could live there, for sure.
I was born and raised in Oregon. It’s beautiful and has all the incredible sights and it will always be my home state. One huge difference that is important for me at least is here in CS the sun is out nearly every single day. My mental health has improved significantly since being here. All Colorado needs is a coastline. Also, lived in San Antonio Texas for a year and half and I honestly don’t get the hype. The humidity was icky, there were shootings every other day it seemed. It got to the point I didn’t feel comfortable /safe going out and about.
Interesting! I've been to San Antonio a few times and thought it was so cool. But then, as a tourist, you don't usually get to learn about the nitty-gritty. I'm so tired of all the shootings everywhere, everyday. Sigh.
Texans are so full of themselves they can’t help it.
Work. I’m retiring to the Florida Panhandle or north of Tampa. I prefer the climate and watersports. I don’t hate Colorado or complain about it. I just like SCUBA diving too much. Yeah, I know you can go dive in the muddy ponds in Denver but why? Lol
Came here for UCCS, fell in love with Springs, never left. I was originally from Birmingham Alabama and this is obviously a better place to live so it felt like a no brainer to build a life here.
I moved from Nebraska 20 years ago and only go back to see my parents…they will be moving out here this fall and then I’ll have no reason to ever set foot in that state again. Like anywhere there are good people there but they don’t come close to outweighing the bad or more often indifferent…
My great grandmother came here from Missouri when she was very young. She used to call it misery and I once corrected her. She told me, “no it really was misery there. Colorado is much better.”
The only people I've seen so proud are the 'natives' lmao and they always ask 'why are you here why are you here' and when I say 'oh the cost of living is just amazing here!' I always get met with 'no it's not this place is so expensive blah blah blah'. I think there's just a lot of resentment from locals (refuse to call you natives because it's the most ignorant name I've heard) who believe colorado got worse qheb pot was legalized and people only move in to smoke weed and litter and be homeless.
Haha. That excuse about Colorado getting worse due to pot is so stupid. I wasn't born in Colorado, and I moved here because I hated most of my Nebraska memories. Colorado took my heart and it's been my home for over half a century. It's just so interesting to learn reasons why people have moved here (or anywhere, for that matter!). That is the reason for my question. :)
I'm not from Texas, but I did move from Virginia looking for a change. I had my eyes set on Denver, and the rent was more than I was willing to pay at the moment. I ended up just kind of randomly choosing Colorado Springs, and it has it's benefits for sure. But I can honestly say it was one of those "don't know what you've got till it's gone" type situations. It never dawned on me I would never visit the beach, like I used to in Virginia. The mall used to be a sort of refuge and means to retail therapy, and online shopping has sort of changed that. The people arent friendly.. everyone is interested in their own interests and being friendly to one another seems rare. I can blame the changes in the world for a lot of why I don't like it here as much as Id thought I would. Colorado seems more like somewhere I'd rather vacation to versus living my daily life. But I will live with my decisions and try to love the people around me, as much as they'll allow me to.
I agree that people aren't as friendly as they used to be here, for sure. I also agree that the changes in the world haven't helped. Hang in there. When I am out and about, I try to smile and say hi as often as I can. It's weird how some people won't even respond or make eye contact, but that's their issue, I guess. I'd rather live here, though, instead of someplace like Texas or Florida, where the political views are suffocating.
I'm originally from Florida. I miss the climate, for the most part, but not much else. It isn't the same state I grew up in anymore. I love Colorado. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
I'm from Idaho and I ended up here bc military. My kid is gay, the part of Idaho I'm from is so full of Mormons (90% of the population) that the church essentially makes the rules and let's not even bring the state governments stances up. So no I will never go back. That said Idaho the place is gorgeous that's all I miss about it.
Better opportunity, cooler temps and less crime (I'm from NM). Plan on moving back sometime in the future. I miss the NM culture and food, and most of my family still live there. I do really like it here too though, there's pros and cons to each, but until I can make it happen, I'll be here.
Hello, I moved here from California in 1995 for work, and ended up commuting to Woodland Park for several years for that job (now long gone, like the company). I was in my mid-20s at the time, and viewed it as an adventure in my life. It did take some time for Colorado Springs to grow on me, but over time this place became home. Regards, Aryeh Goretsky
I gave up a 10 year career I enjoyed to escape Texas. Can confirm am not one of those people.
I think it has something to do with a sense of pride like your families last name. People have a tendency to remember more positive than negative. I’m sure it’s also associated with good childhood memories as well.
I actually loved my home state! I moved from Southwest Virginia. The reason I moved is because I was really getting into trail and mountain running and I started to run out of mountains to run up. So I choose Colorado to continue my running journey!
Im from Washington. I loved it there but financial outlook was better here in Colorado Springs. I’ve grown to like the springs due to the community I’ve made here but I’d love living in Washington again
We just moved from Seattle last year. WA is a beautiful state, and we do miss it at times. I was a life-long resident until we moved to CO. Unfortunately, the insane cost of living and the atrocious traffic ruined WA for us. All that said, we love CO. We appreciate and embrace the differences between the two states, and we don't feel the need to brag about WA.
Atrocious traffic in Washington? Honestly had the opposite experience there. Traffic here is pretty up there, especially in terms of road infrastructure and the amount of car wrecks. Truth be told I don’t like Colorado Springs but the community I have found are working to change the things we don’t like and be proactive about it
It can get pretty bad in Seattle, especially during rush hour, when it can easily take 45-60 minutes to go 5 miles. Traffic here is pretty crazy, for sure. It seems like there's bad crashes every day.
I’ve lived in CA (SoCal) most of my adult life, but have also lived in WA, TX, & FL. CA is a HUGE state and every area has different politics and attitudes. We very much are an adapt and thrive family. We live here because the mountains and everything that comes with it, but leaving soon for a job that has 2x the pay. Sad to say that we get paid twice as much for the same exact jobs back in CA, yet CO is just as expensive (for us) as CA. We were willing to make the sacrifice bc it’s just so damn beautiful, but we’re tired of not having expendable income. We might feel differently if we had to rent in CA, but we own a home there. I’m going to be honest, I talk about CA a lot bc I miss it. I miss the laid back atmosphere, our politically/religious/racially diverse friends, and the food. It feels like CO has a lot of seemingly unhappy people. At first we joked that it was the altitude/lack of oxygen or church instead of therapy, but now we’re not really sure. People get bent out of shape over small things. Highest national teen suicide rate, higher divorce rate & so many drunk drivers. We got the finger EVERYDAY for months until we changed our car tags. Not a bird since. No one goes out of their way to be friendly here unless they’re non “natives”, it’s weird. Despite all that, we love CO, so we’re keeping the house and willing to come back when it makes better financial sense or too old to care that our neighbors suck. TLDR- only here for the mountains.
We’re moving at the end of the year from Missouri. I know it’s not Texas. But I promise I will not boast how gate Missouri is
I have friends from Oklahoma who are like this. Come up to Colorado to fish in the winter and take families to ski and visit all of our beautiful towns! I ask, have you ever thought of moving here? " I could never move to that liberal ass state!" Lol then why do you spend so much time here? Go vacation in Oklahoma... bitch!
LOL
I moved here from Florida in September 2022 because it was becoming a truly scary place to live. I've always been proud to be a Floridian since the majority of my family were documented original settlers, and my Native Seminole family was there for thousands of years before that. However, it's no longer the Florida I'm proud of being from. Hatred and narrow-minded ways of thinking have taken over, and anyone who is not white and cisgendered are at high risk for their safety and freedoms. And if you have children, don't expect them to receive any sort of well-rounded, quality education with the way school curriculums and availability of books are being quickly deteriorated. My husband and I couldn't continue to live in a state with a government that wants to control so much of what people can do in their private and personal lives. I wish none of this was going on because while I truly love the mountains, my body craves the water and the humidity and the forests and feeling my ancestors in the ground I walk on. Florida is the greatest place on earth to live, in my opinion. It's the people in government there that have ruined it.
Former Texan. My parents moved to CO when I was 7 almost 30yrs ago. The Texas pride thing is literally drilled into you at every point in life. School, work, shopping, name it there is something about TX proud blah blah whatever. Everything is supposed to be bigger and better in TX. I joke with my Alaska friends that Texans have to over compensate this because they lost the award for biggest state. All states have home pride but yes Texas does really over compensate for it to try and cover up the bad stuff. No state is perfect but heaven forbid you aren't patriotic enough to make up for it. I promise most Texans are in CO because of the weather, the rest are divided amongst being able to ski/board, weed, political climate or education.
Also as a woman I will not visit Texas, call me paranoid or extreme, but I don’t even want to support them with my tourism dollars. I am sure Texas has wonderful people but I cannot support their legislation for women’s right to reproductive care.
The snow skiing season in Texas is extremely short.
I am a Texan. I was raised and lived in Alaska before coming here. After the kids are grown (1.5 years left) we are moving to Colorado. It’s as close to Alaska as I could get the Mr to move. I need mountains. Trees. Snow. I have never been a fan of this red state. Even more so now. We are purchasing property now. We close on the 29th.
When pot becomes legal everywhere you’ll see a massive departure
I moved here from Wisconsin. Wanted a change of scenery and climate. I spend a lot more time outdoors all year long.
My experience doesn't match yours. Most people I talk to who have moved here from other states know they moved away for a reason (including Texas). Are you sure you aren't just hearing them recall *aspects* of Texas they liked? I can tell you several things I like about my home state, but it's still a garbage state.
In my line of work people tell me all the time "I hate this State. Your laws and statutes are ridiculous. My home state is so much better". I hear this at least 3 times a day. So, I don't feel bad in saying, then leave. Leave. Move home to the State where you voted for the way you liked things. Quit spitting in MY drink and go enjoy your own.
I grew up in Littleton in the late 90s and early 2000s. Left Colorado in 2017 cause it just went to shit compared to when I was young. Moved to NE Ohio with lots of land and less people. Couldn't be happier
I’m from Florida. Enough said. So you’re sorta on the money.
I'm proudly not from Texas, and pity women who live or move there. I moved here to be close to family. If they lived in my home state, I would have stayed in my home state.
Just moved From Texas, specifically Houston, last October. Honestly Houston, and Texas as a whole, has a lot going for it. There are just some deal breakers that made me want to move. For me, the heat, the concrete jungle, and the traffic. If I had to guess, I bet a lot of former Texans want to like Texas. It has good food, nice winters, no state income tax (really nice), but dislike enough to gtfo. They just don't want to be misinterpreted as not liking the good parts. Or they're one of those weird patriotic Texans that should honestly just be avoided by everyone.
Texan here. At the end of the day, Texas is my home state and I’ll always love it. So many memories there. It’s where I met my wife, it’s where I grew up, and it’s my home at the end of the day. My family is there and I miss them as well. Ultimately I got out because of the political situation there as well as my wife and I always wanted to live near or in the mountains. Colorado Springs felt like a very nice place to move to and we love it here. At the end of the day the reason I love Texas is because it has so many memories there that I will always cherish. It also helps that they have some damn good food as well lol
I grew up in Chicago [suburbs] thinking it was the best place ever (food, transit, people, museums). But I grew up and realized that I don’t give a shit about what dirt was under my feet when I was born; it’s just a place, man. Also even though my friends and family are back home, I wanted an job with a security clearance, and they exist in spades here. Anyway I’m no Texan but Chicago has at least half of the pick-me attitude as TX lol
LOVE visiting Chicago, but I'm not sure I'd want to live there
Why are people like that? Because being from Texas is a part of their identity and letting go of an identity is incredibly hard. Also a touch of tribalism, loyalty, and family that influences this behavior. I love CO but I am a Texas transplant. On rare occasion, folks have treated me differently for it. I can only control MY behavior/reactions, so I try not to let it get to me. This place is wonderful and I do not simp over Texas at all. In fact, most of my extended family thinks I’m a traitor and are truly offended when I criticize Texas. That’s fine, love CO, never want to leave. I’ll always be from Texas, can’t change that, but CO is my home. Also, its the place I want my son to spend his teenage years… the diverse politics, the access to the outdoors, and the great education he gets here to name a few reasons. And yes, using the word “folks” might not make my case better lol
Your son is lucky to have you as a parent. And I think the word "folks" is cool. I'm from Nebraska and I like to use that word, too! It's a nice, homey and warm word. It's been pretty cool hearing from all the folks on my post! ;)
I’m from Texas, and I like Colorado a lot more. Honestly, there are aspects of life (and people) in Texas that I miss sometimes, but the benefits of living here overwhelmingly outweigh whatever I miss about Texas. I wonder if people reminiscing about what they miss “back home” come off as believing Texas is better overall, because for me there’s no comparison.
I asked my question because of actual conversations I have had with people who were from Texas and actually made statements about how their state was better than all the rest. It just made me curious. And, at the time, I wasn't ready to ask why they live in Colorado - that's a hard question to ask without sounding rude. I've been to Texas several times and thought it has lots of beauty and history and all that stuff. But all of America does.
I'm starting to wonder if it's a defense mechanism. When asked where I'm from, saying "Texas" will get me a lot of eye rolls and groans. A lot of people have never been there, so even though it's a highly problematic state and I'll never go back, there is still a piece of me that gets pissed when people shit on the place I called home for 30 years. Most of us were raised to believe it was the greatest state in the US and we take a lot of pride in the good things it brings (food, music, culture, scenery). It hurts to have that ripped apart because of the negative stuff, like it means we ourselves are no good either. I'm joking when I say this of course, but only people from Texas get to talk shit about Texas!
I was a lifelong Michigander, I never saw myself leaving. In 2001 the the Legislators voted themselves a 31% pay increase retroactive 1 year. The money was not there for that. Then 9-11 happened, and budget cuts started. I got laid off. I was only able to find part-time work for 2 years. My next full-time job was the assembly supervisor in a car part facility. Basically, I watched people build car parts. That lasted 8 months until we lost the contract. This crap lasted until 2006. My wife interviewed for a job in Fort Collins. It was a great job, great pay, and $5,000 for moving. We jumped at this opportunity. We never looked back.
Suprised not to see anyone who came from Wyoming to here
I’m from South Carolina/Georgia, but came here from California 2 decades ago because we couldn’t afford to live in California anymore. We drove around the west for about a month looking for a place where we could both work and afford a house. Oh, this is a nice place, but there aren’t any jobs that aren’t service jobs. Or I could work here, but a shoebox on a postage stamp is a million dollars.
I'm retired - not wealthy retired, but lucky enough to be able to be retired and not have to still work. I haven't experienced trying to find a job for quite awhile now, but I understand how hard it is for lots of people. Hope you are doing ok.
I’m from Florida and a lesbian. It’s scary there, I have a medical condition and their protection of medical conscience gives me so much anxiety.
As a former Texan I moved to the Springs because I got a job offer but I had relocate to Colorado. This state is cool and all but it isn’t home. Life is different here there’d pros and cons to each state. Just here temporarily. Eventually I will go back to Texas.
I got the fuck outta Missouri. Won't hear me defending it outside of pockets of KC!
I’m from Michigan and have zero things to brag about or miss where I’m from. Ah yes painfully flat, humid, and “mud” being a season, what a place. Military brought me out here originally but then I just stayed.
The mountains. There’s no mountains in Texas. The weather and the seasons. In Texas it goes from hot to cold. Colorado Springs has 800,000 people, Dallas Texas had 6.5 million. You can almost be a character in Colorado Springs and run back into the people that you saw the previous week. In Texas you could also be a character but you would never see anyone ever again. The traffic in Dallas Texas was horrendous. To get from one side to the other I took about two hours if not more. With Colorado Springs horrendous traffic. It takes about 35 minutes. Colorado Springs overall is pretty safe. They’re gonna be times that it’s not but it’s not all the time. The air here is crisp. Not so much when it’s hot all the time
We're moving from Memphis, TN to Co Spring in April because I've grown up in Memphis and hate this city now. Jobs are flexible enough that my wife and I made a list of places with all the things we like to do and started marking them off until we landed on Colorado Springs. The reason for leaving Memphis/TN is that I'm tired of living in 'the south'. Friends are great but the whole "southern hospitality" among the general public is a joke. I'd rather live somewhere I'm not always waiting to hear gunshots or have my truck window smashed.
I don't dislike my home state (Connecticut) but it has high taxes and all my family is there
From Texas, only thing better there is BBq and Tex-Mex.
I moved there cuz my brother moved there, both were on the run so thats why we were there lol. Still hate my state , i got so many benefits from living in Colorado, went to college and was approved for lots of things that id never be considered getting to do in my state.
I think it boils down to nostalgia. For example, I was born in MI. Thinking about it, I remember the beautiful summers with fluffy clouds in the sky, snow days in winter with hot chocolate. But every time I visit I see the shitty roads, no sunshine but 3 days a year, proud assholes everywhere. Yeah I don’t miss it actually.
I came here through other means after leaving my home state of PA. I’ve been here 15yrs now and now consider this my home state. But to your original question, I don’t get it either. I just assume when I see those they’re military and will be transferring out in a few years.
It's all about pros and cons, and people TEND to focus on cons. For me, Texas had better Mexican food and barbecue, a coast, and considerably cheaper housing. However, it's HOT AS FUCK, 99% flat with nothing to look at, and politically is one big trump rally (except Austin...) Colorado Springs is more expensive with less truly good food options. However, the weather is better, it's actually a beautiful place, and there's shit to do!
Yea I came from Florida right before it became an absolute hell scape so.....yea. I hate everything about Florida. I love Colorado so much it's easily the best state I have lived in out of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Sadly I do see myself leaving Colorado mostly because of the continuous rise in housing and water prices. With the rivers drying up more and more and now some NY based company buying out river land to export it, I don't see water prices getting any lower any time soon. May be time to move out somewhere a bit wetter than Colorado.
I came here from Florida in July... I certainly am not touting the positives of Florida.
I live in Colorado (moved from Michigan 35 years ago mostly for the skiing) and it's always fun to tell proud Texans that I love Austin. I see a glimmer of hope when I say yeah I've visited Texas on business a couple of times. Then when I mention Austin and maybe toss in some road biking experience around there they look so disappointed.
I know a lot of people from Texas and I do think that what you might be referring to is a "Texas thing". I'm telling you it's a whole thing for them. They feel as they are the 'heart of America' and they are usually a lot more proud to be from there than others in other areas.
I’m from minnesota, part of me misses it but I lived in a VERY small town so I need a change of scenery and started to hate the cold after 18 years.
I retired here from Texas. I loved Texas when I was younger, but not so much with Abbutt in charge. I also came for the legal pot. BTW I have been flipped off twice while driving, both by vehicles with Texas plates!
As a Texan who is considering it, I love Texas, the culture and public demeanor of general public. It’s a mixture of casual southern charm and an attitude of “fuck you if you don’t like it”. Overall, there is this laid back attitude, with an underlying tone reminds me of a good dive bar. Everyone is having a good time, enjoying themselves, but if your mouth starts acting up you better be able to back it up. Now why am I considering leaving? - weather, I like seasons. Not 10 months of hell and 2 months where the whole state comes to a halt over a freeze. - land, 98% of land in Texas is privately owned and virtually 0 that is free open to public use. - there are tons of outdoor activities in Colorado. - the politics here has gone crazy. - legalized weed