The curse of Chief Niwot

So there is legend based on true events that we heard about soon after arriving in Boulder. During the Gold Rush as people headed out West they encountered more and more Natives. Here in Boulder County it was the Southern Arapahos that encountered the first whites. Captain Thomas Aikins led the group towards Denver but one glimpse of the mountains near Boulder caused him to veer off course and head toward them instead, convinced that they held the gold he was seeking. Chief Niwot saw them coming and it was in that moment that he proclaimed his legendary curse. According to the Chief, the curse of Boulder Valley was its breathtaking landscape: "People seeing the beauty of this valley will want to stay, and their staying will be the undoing of the beauty." As soon as we told people that we came to Boulder after visiting this summer they told it was the curse of Chief Niwot that brought us back. And honestly, I do believe it is true, though the undoing of the beauty I am not as convinced of. So many people have visited and then moved here as if drawn by something else. Before I left my friend Ali was saying how jealous she was of me. She had spent some time out here last summer as well and said it was seriously somewhere she could see herself living, the only place that would take her away from NY. My sister Jen lived in Boulder for about 8 years until she had my nephew. Convinced that she wanted to be closer to family she moved to NY. After living in NY for about 4 years, forcing herself to make it work and be happy, she realized it wasn't working. She then moved to Argentina to be with a different side of the family and though she loves it there, guess where she is moving to this summer? Yeah, Boulder. There is truly something about this place that is drawing you in. I feel as though I am finally home here.

We have been here a little over a week and it just feels comfortable. And there is not something that I can pin point that makes me feel that way, it is just a feeling. I do love being able to bike to work everyday on a bike path especially made for bikers, one that follows the lay of the land and rarely crosses any roads. I love that people out here are just nicer in general, just happier. I love that when I take my break at work I get to sit on the back porch outside Panera with a breath-taking view of the mountains. I love that we can go climbing and hiking any time we want and that the options are literally endless! I love all the little shops and cafes and places where you can find cool stuff and cool people. I love all the concerts and fairs and markets and culture! I love the Teahouse, the library, the Pearl street mall and all the performers you can find there. I love looking at the mountains as I ride to work and all the sunny days! I also love that it is far greener than I thought it would be and that all the flowers are in bloom!

I started working at Panera on the 11th and the first few days were rough. I just didn't really understand what I was doing there, working in something I really have no long term goals of doing. My GM asked me if I was working towards becoming a manager and I said no, she seemed surprised, oh well. I am a Shift Supervisor which is kind of like a junior manager. After a few days it got better. The atmosphere at this Panera is just so different. All of the managers are young and totally chill. This Panera gets way more business than my old one ever did and that's a great change of pace. I have applied to so many other jobs that I would rather do, but for now, this works. I mean until I start my Master's, there is very little I can do in my field which is one of the most frustrating things about Psychology. I plan to enroll for the Fall 2010 semester and hopefully that will open up some doors for me.
Anyway, thought I would give a quick update on how we are doing out here. Jay leaves for his Outward Bound training tomorrow so send some prayers and good vibes our way.