I grew up in the land of the “True, North, Strong and Freezing.”
OK, so maybe I edited Canada’s national anthem just a wee bit.
I love my hometown Calgary. I always will. When I left to come to college in the United States, a part of me knew I would never live there again. I was OK with that but every time I return home, something pulls at my heartstrings and I want to move back.
Until I endure a millisecond of their excruciatingly long winters.
My next love was Salt Lake City. I moved there after graduation and had the time of my life as a swingin’ single. I ran mountain trails, backpacked the desert, dated a lot, found myself and established a great career as a publicist in Utah’s travel and tourism industry.
And then I met Mr. Lord of the Gourds, my greatest love of all.
He lived in Denver and I fell in love with the packaged deal immediately. When we sat down to decide upon where we would live, three things sealed our fate: he lived in a fabulous city, had a great job and his wonderful parents were nearby. I packed up everything I had worked so hard to build in Utah and never looked back.
Until now.
Jamie’s parents are moving to Utah to live near the majority of our extended family. They put their house on the market early-September and it was sold a few weeks later. They will be gone by the end of the month.
They have been such an integral part of our children’s lives and this has completely rocked our boat. I had envisioned we would live and die in Denver. I love Colorado and we had everything we needed. But now, a very important part of the “everything” formula is leaving and I’m left to rethink our status.
Could we someday move back to Utah? Would we be as happy there as we are here?
These are answers I never thought I would even ask. I had left it all behind. And now here I am lately thinking about all my friends and former employers. How I would love to go back and explore all my old haunts with my three great loves in tow.
Of course, these are all just “what ifs” but after living with “this is it” the last seven years of our marriage, it is unsettling to me.
And so I turn to you: Is this it for you? Are you living where you want to be? How important is it to be close to family? And no, I’m not going anywhere for a good long while. 
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 