Glamorous vs. fun: In Colorado, why choose?

It’s a beautiful Sunday, the sun is shining, and I am getting ready to go to the theatre – alone. I can’t get any of my people to go with me. I don’t blame them; this is a long–awaited spring to get out and enjoy the weather. And this is Colorado.

A few years back, my friend, jewelry designer Andria Li, and I were talking about one way of living an authentic life: living in Denver for the lifestyle, while producing products that others expect only from New York or LA. Many people feel that when you love great food, art, theatre and fashion, you’ll leave Denver for a bigger city. But many stay in Colorado and love those things anyway. The added bonus is that in Colorado it’s seen as perfectly reasonable to blow off the theatre for a hike.

Or, the ultimate community gatherer: firing up the grill. They’re warning of snow tomorrow, but most of us have work tomorrow anyway. Today’s a perfect day for Sunday Funday.

Here we love the fabulous just as much as any other community, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the outdoors. In big cities, getting to nature usually takes planning and a decent drive out of town. Here, we’re 30 minutes from Red Rocks. We love a great party and a chance to dress up, yet also lying in the grass drinking mimosas in the park, or throwing the dog, the cooler and ourselves in the car for an afternoon in the mountains.

It’s why the gays here love a patio so much: for funshine and fabulousness simultaneously. If a drive out of town isn’t practical, X Bar or Eden have both.

Faced with a choice – get ready for the theatre or just enjoy the sun – everybody bailed. If my wusband were here, she would have bailed too.  She would want to wash the car or something wusband-like.

I am from the city, where, if you have tickets for the theatre, you go. In the city, you are obligated to do. It’s the reason everyone who lives in a big city says they live there.  There’s so much stuff, so of course you do stuff. Colorado keeps a slower pace; there’s just as much to do, but we live “come as you are” – there’s a choice.

Transplants from all over bring their city lifestyle to our slower setting. We are creating this wonderful, vibrant, integrated community here, and I am really proud to be part of it.

The thing that keeps making me smile is that all of that “big cityness” has only sped up our pace a little bit. Colorado is big, so it slowed people down way more than they sped us up. This way Nic Garcia can wear a jacket and tie with shorts and flip flops and Jerry Cunningham and JC can wear jeans. It’s a great mix of all of who we are.

So, the funshine is calling and my compatriots have answered.  I’m going stag. I love theatre. I’m going to have a blast. I love that I live in a place where everyone wins.