Moab bound

From “Go Utah”

After nearly twenty years in Colorado’s Front Range,  I am moving to Moab, UT.

No secret that I’ve wanted to get out of the Front Range for a while now for reasons I’ve stated before.

New Mexico is still where I wish to call my home at some point in the future, but for now, I’ll be in Moab. And it will be an interesting place to explore for a bit!

Why Moab?

When I hiked across Utah last fall, I resupplied in Moab and walked on to the Colorado border.

Joan graciously offered to host me as I came through her town. Over the months, our friendship turned into a deeper relationship. And here we are almost a year later. A different path than one I expected, but an exciting one.

Her career path is tied more into the area where she works. And my IT skill set is more portable.  I plan on “hanging my shingle” and performing a mix of residential and small business IT support, pursuing more freelance writing, and quite possibly more guiding, too.

I don’t expect to make what I did on Colorado’s Front Range.  But I also don’t want to be where I ended up being last year: Tired, losing my free time, burnt out, slowly putting on weight, and generally not happy.  

Both Joan and I have simple needs, and we’ll make it work.

Is Moab where I hope to be permanently? Probably not.  However, exploring the canyons, red rock country, more of the Ancestral Pueblo areas, and enjoying the lightly used nearby La Sal mountains sounds rather enticing for now! And Joan’s passion for the outdoors mirrors mine.

The Front Range is only six hours away, and I hope to still see the community I’ve built up over twenty years.

Much like Rhode Island, Colorado will always be part of me.  If Rhode Island formed who I am growing up, Colorado formed me during the first stage of my adulthood. My outdoor skills developed, grew, and matured out here. And I picked up a techie skill set that I may curse at times, but ultimately makes sure I have money in my bank account!

So the start of my middle years sees me trying a new place, a new relationship, and perhaps finding a balance in my career path. We’ll see!

For those who know Joan and me, give us a shout if you find yourself in Moab. We’ll try to have some good craft beer (Colorado roots), no doubt try to feed you (Rhode Island roots) and always welcome the company of our friends and family (both of us!) 🙂 .