It’s official: We really hate Colorado
Official diagnosis
We hate it here.
No offense to The Freds, who shared the opportunity, but it’s just been one huge disappointment after another.
Remember not long ago I wrote about the brat from upstairs who sounds like he’s racing horses over our heads, throwing bowling balls down the stairs and yelling through our closed, blinds-pulled window at our dog? Well he’s only part of The Noise Factor now.
We have neighbors above (the kid, his brother and his mom), neighbors beside (students who just moved in) and neighbors above them (also students). The last two nights, the student factions have been out on the porch/balcony smoking and chatting. Now they’re not talking at a really high volume or having a party or anything but the talking is right outside our bedroom window. And it’s loud enough that it carries right through the window and wakes us up.
And when I say “us,” I include the dog. So then the dog has to bark or growl at the strange human voices. So we get next to no sleep. So we try to sleep in a little, the never-ending construction on the church across the street starts up. There’s so much dust on our patio table and windowsills that even if I wanted to, I couldn’t open the windows. And I don’t want to b/c the town smells like cow shit.
We heard on the news tonight that our town, which I’m now calling “Whazatsmell,” had 15 100-degree-plus days in July. I grew up in Florida and even I have to say that’s fucking ridiculous. At least in Florida it rains once in a while.
Speaking of growing up in Florida, there’s some kind of bugs that are feasting on me. The backs of my legs are so raw they hurt. I think they’re ants. Fire ants wouldn’t surpise me in the least. I’ve seen some fire ant-like hills near our streetside sidewalk. Hawk and Jake don’t seem to have a problem but I sure do. It’s also on my hands and arms but not nearly as bad as on my legs.*
So anyway, that’s part of the problem. The only solution we can come up with is that as I write this, Hawk is actually moving our bed from the master bedroom into what was the baby’s room. The computer room will become the baby’s room and the master bedroom will become the computer room. And I can’t help w/ this furniture-moving so Hawk is doing it all himself. As he said, “I’m going to have to be up at 5 a.m. I can’t be laying awake until 2 while they have cigarettes and talk.” Which is what happened last night. I drifted off and was woken up every hour on the hour by the talking and then woken up for good by the construction.
By the end of next week, we’re going to have a baby in here. How am I supposed to get a baby to sleep w/ people constantly making noise that sets off my dog (who is an easy-going dog and it takes some effort to disturb him enough to get him barking)? Moreover, how am I supposed to rest while the baby rests when all night I have students yakking it up and during the day I have Spartacus cavorting around over my head?
I didn’t share that I was at Home Depot last week and when I came out there was a flyer on my windshield. It was a flyer for this apartment complex. When we looked at the complex, we were led to believe that there were families, retured couples, etc. living here. It’s ended up being well over $1000/mo for student housing and it pisses me off. But we’re locked into a lease. Hawk says we could afford to get out of it, if need be. But who wants to move again after all we went through to get out here?
I swear, I get more respect for the covered wagon pioneers every damn day.
*Note: This turned out not to be ants at all but the effect of the extremely dry air. When I went in to have Zoe, the hospital staff was so concerned about the state of my legs that they almost kept me another day. Cure? Moisturizer.
I agree, Colorado is a piece of shit state. Above all, it was virtually impossible for me to land a stable position even though I have experience in government and am a New York attorney. It appeared to me that Colorado does for its natives more than anyone else. If you’re an outsider looking for a position, good luck! When something becomes readily available, the revolving door begins to turn and ALL of the insiders almost always have an “in” no matter what their experience and educational background. To me, it always appeared that if you were a cousin of Jim Bob, Bubba Ray, or some tight ass yuppie then you were basically given the position without much effort.
As for the people, I have nothing good to say about them either. I lived there for two years and noticed that a majority of them go with the stupid phases such as the, retro mohawk, the black leather jackets with the orange pinstripes, and the ever so annoying backstreet boy look. In Boulder, it’s the opposite, rich hippie college students with dreadlocks, babies in sling sacks, and women who don’t shave.
In essence, I gauge that this shit kicker state with the mix of yuppies is not accustomed to people from the east coast. For those from the east coast who managed to fit in, I would love to know their secret because I was always at a total loss. As for me, I moved back to New York. I loved the scenic views, but the people were assholes.
You know, it isn’t nice to say that. Colorado’s jobs are amazing, and maybe if you were to give it a chance, it would work out. I am from Texas, and when I moved here, so many open possitions were for me and my mom in Colorado. It is a beautiful state with amazing people. And, maybe, you have these stupid oppenions because you are a yankie! No one cares in Colorado where you are from. There is gangs everywhere for your b.i. info, infact, you probably have WAYYY more gangs in New York. Colorado has nothing to do with jobs and “shit” Try California….then you will have something about “exculion” to talk about!
Yankees? Wow (get over it??!) I would like to comment on how it is so amazing how people really dont know what they are talking about. In this instance what does having been a yankee have to do with anything? (Northerners never refer to people as yankees or confederates). As far as the subject of jobs it could just be the economy. I am also pretty qualified and am having extreme difficulty finding a job in Colorado. Seems like too many people stereotypes about people from other places in general. I have lived in Colorado for a little over a year now and the people here definately know your not one of them. People living on the East Coast encounter people from different ethnicities all the time and hardly even take notice. Out here as soon as you open your mouth and they hear an accent they jump all over it. I hear things like Your from NJ ??!! And i reply yes and they say “Well Ive seen the sopranos you know! Which always takes me aback I lived in Northern NJ before coming here and it was really a beautiful place – horse/farm country. Jackie O Malcom Forbes, Whitney Houston etc…. all have homes there. It seems that the people of Colorado that have not traveled much especially to that part of the country just seem to have a misperception of the diversity NJ actually has. NJ has beautiful country towns, very nice beaches and urban areas too! Since I moved here I seem to constantly be defending the state. I would never insult someone elses state when i met them!! Personally i would take that opportunity to ask what it was like. It especially amazes me how people make comments about places that they have never even been to! Everyone should just respect everyone for their differences and not make judgements. Play nice.
This was the same as our experience in the end. Our attorney (also from NY) said the exact same thing. I had more culture shock in Colorado than I did in Europe. Happy to be back east now
I hate it here too and I love you! We are trying to sell our house (2 years and counting) so we can move back east. I am so ready to Run screaming that my head might explode. This place is like crazy-backwards-bizarro-world, no?
I hate CO too! Also from east coast (MA)
We have been stuck in purgatory for 3 years now.
As soon as the market picks up we are so back to MA.
People do not understand personal space here at all! They say NY and Boston drivers suck. People here have no clue. Things that are missing are: culture, good food
and intelligence. Hope you make it back east soon.
We left Colorado in June 2004 and have been happy in Pennsylvania ever since. You might be surprised how many comments, e-mails and other correspondence I’ve had from people (usually eastern transplants) who had the same reaction and experience.
i hate colorado, they wouldnt let my dad get a job there and there was nothing bad in my dad’s background. they say it is hard for a forginer to get a job in colorado and my dad is a doctor. he is very samrt and everything but they wont let him get a job thre
I hate colorado. I just have to vent and thought this was the perfect place to do it. I lived in boulder for two years and hated it. Now I live in westminster and still hate it. The people in boulder are just a bunch of rich hippies that don’t work and ride their stupid bikes all over the place and think they own the roads. Good luck finding a place to park in boulder on the weekend, they have more places to park bikes than they do cars. Westminster is just a really bad suburb. Every strip mall in Westminster has a liquor store in it, hmmm…I wonder why? The new place we move into, and are renting is so freaking lame. We had to move from Boulder (like I really cared leaving that place) because the rent was too high for us to afford to get a bigger place. The price of rent in Boulder is f-ing insane!!! Anyway, at this new place, I NEVER see any of my neighbors. I go outside all of the time hoping to meet some people and no one is ever out, not even on the weekends. I guess they are all getting liquored up from the liquor they bought at the 500 liquor stores available within a 10 mile radius. Then, last but not least is the snow. I can’t say enough bad things about the snow. Maybe colorado does get 300-something days of sunshine a year but it is to damn cold for half of those days to even go outside and enjoy yourself without freezing your ass off. I miss my home state of Texas. People in colorado are NOT nice. The are strange, hippie, tree hugging freaks! I am all for taking care of our environment, etc…but if you go to boulder they shove it in your face….If I have to walk down pearl street on a nice day trying to enjoy myself one more time and have some stupid person trying to get a few minutes of my time for a survey to save this or free tibet, I think I will have to punch them in the face. Screw Colorado, I want to move back home to Texas, I miss the heat and humidity. My skin here is shrinking and I have so many wrinkles now that I never had before.
You’re not alone. I get an obscene number of hits for “I hate colorado.”
Move. Your skin will think you. My daughter’s skin still hasn’t fully recovered but at least it’s not scaly anymore.
Wow! I thought I was alone in the I HATE COLORADO world. I live in the smallest part of Colorado… it’s not even a city-it’s a villiage. I have an MBA and there are no possible jobs out here. Unless you are into education or AG then forget it. The people here are horrible. If you have not grown up here, then forget it… it’s like you have the plague. I miss my home in Texas. Life made sense there. People actually had personality, thoughts (other than the “town” thought. Seriously people there is a BIG world out there. BTW thanks for the skin thing… I thought I was just going crazy with my skin. I have aged like 10 years. I HATE COLORADO!
You have to slather in lotion and use high-output humidifiers constantly. My daughter’s skin has never properly recovered from the scaly state it was in in Colorado (in addition to regular skin cream & lotion, we had to use prescription skin creams on her legs; she was less than a year old).
It’s a very closed community, I agree. The illusion is that it’s open and accepting in that western-romantic way. It’s not. We lived there a year and wished someone would prove us wrong on that front. No one ever did.
ok I had to vent. I don’t understand in people in Colorado. Why do they seem to be so open minded (tree0-hugging hippy), but are actually so closed minded. I am so tired of things that people here find so important, but in reality it REALLY is not, like for example where you came from… should that be any indication of who you are or what you can do. Anybody out there have any ideas how to get out here ASAP!!! Please, please, please!!!!
First, THANK YOU for existing!!! I was so overwhelmed with loathing for this parochial, culturally-deprived, white-bread-soccer-mom ignoramus superior-attitude sh-th0le that I simply *had* to Google, “I hate Colorado”.
Last November, I took a much-needed escape to the one, the ONLY true city in America, NYC. Despite the fact that, on the way to the Quality Inn, I had an argument with my Moroccan cab driver, and despite the fact that there was an incessantly-crying infant in the next hotel room, I was inexplicably gleeful. I had a sh-t-eating grin despite things that, in Colorado, would have made me go ballistic. I realized, then, that *I was SOOO happy to be out of Colorado* that nothing bothered me anymore.
After a fabulous week in New York, I had to return to sh-tville. At the airport gate, I was so despondent that I wanted to cry. I approached a Mediterranean-looking fellow, saying, “Doesn’t it suck to have to go back to Colorado?” With a truly doleful expression, he said, “Oh. I am sooo sad. Really, this is so depressing. I do not want to go back.”
I am Asian, and had been drinking in the unselfconscious, natural multi-ethnicity of New York. I am fr1ck1ng sick of the forced, selfconscious, self-righteous “liberalism” of Cambridge-wannabe cities like lame-o Boulder. It’s jaw-dropping that ignoramuses in Boulder actually think that Boulder is cutting-edge, far-out, creative, and interesting. Boulder is a shining example of a small town thinking it’s the sh1t. Few places on Earth suck more than Boulder CO.
Each and every post on this site rings true with my personal experience. However, I beg to differ with the initial post about how the “town smells like cow shit”. It’s NOT JUST COW SH1T, it’s also the smell of blood from the slaughterhouses!!! I was told by my alcoholic neighbor (He can’t help it–his wife is the nosiest vampiric female sick-o ever.), “Oh, that smell? Hehe. They must be slaughtering cows in Greeley today. I live in Fort Collins. Greeley is over 50 miles away!!!
Oh and, a few years ago, do you remember “Them” voting Fort Collins as “America’s most liveable city” or some such? One of the things “They” mentioned was Fort Collins’s ***”thriving arts scene”***. Oh God, Give me a F0CK1NG BREAK!!! “Arts scene” my A$$!!!
I have somehow managed to survive here for over 12 years largely because I spent several of those years going back to college in computer science, where most of my classmates were Asians from India or Malaysia. I also spent tons of time at home with my many house rabbits. I had *no time* to realize how boring most people in Colorado are. I have simply GIVEN UP on meeting people here.
Something’s gotta give. I yearn to move to NYC, but don’t have the balls or the cash. Maybe this site will help to keep me from settling for continued life in this sh1thole.
You’re right — it is the slaughterhouse smell as well. There’s a place on 85 between Denver & Greeley that smells like raw meat and feet. When I knew it was coming , we just had to fan our noses in anticipation.
Fort Collins was okay, esp compared to where we were. The mall there didn’t make you want to clutch your purse and carry pepper spray. Our refuges were Broomfield (for shopping) and RMNP for scenery and fresh air and pretending we were on vacation.
You’re right about the diversity too (or lack thereof). We saw a lot of Hispanic people but rarely any black people or Asian people. A lot of thin white people who looked like they came from the same family though. Physically, we did not fit in. I remember going to the hairdresser and every other client was blond (or about to become blond).
My suggestion to people who want to get out is to move east gradually. Have you considered Chicago before NYC? Pittsburgh is a wonderful city and has a low cost of living.
Hawk & I were talking the other day about how no one in Colorado uses the toll roads b/c they don’t want to pay. When they opened that loop to Broomfield, it saved us tons of time and it was like having our own private road for less than $1 in change. It’s a bizarre place.
Yes, you are right. Fort Collins *is* the least “suckulent” of the major Colorado cities. The place doesn’t get in your face the way Boulder does–I worked in Boulder for several years. Driving through Boulder is disgusting. You have to go at about 20 mph because of all of the “What Have You Done for ME Lately?” self-absorbed college brats shooting in and out of auto traffic on their multi-thousand-dollar mountain bikes. I remember some tree-hugging b1tch *leisurely* walking her golden retriever diagonally across one of the busiest East-West avenues in Boulder–a very obtuse, meandering diagonal path. Pedestrians have the right-of-way, and boy do they take it! I truly could go on and on about the evils of Boulder.
People who attend the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder) act as though it’s the apex of academic excellence. They behave as though they were “The Chosen”. For people from my high school in Honolulu, CU Boulder was the “party safety school”, where the wealthier kids went who couldn’t get into “real” universities. Guess CU Boulder hasn’t heard about Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, University of Michigan, Wash. U. in St. Louis, Franklin and Marshall, University of Virginia, etc., etc., etc. Pitiful. Disgusting.
Poor Fort Collins doesn’t get in your face. You can think your own thoughts, but you have to do it alone. Although Boulder and Fort Collins are “college towns”, the students are so stupid that all that that means is that you have noisy, unkempt student rental units all over the place. Instead of saying, “I would have …”, almost all college students say, “I would of …”. I’m of average intelligence and the people in town are so uninformed and badly-read that I feel like some sort of cultured genius. Most people here haven’t eaten Indian food, and kind of squirm when you mention rice.
Thanks for the tip about moving east gradually. I lived in the Boston area for over 10 years, also in Washington D.C.. However, New York City is someplace special and, unfortunately, rents reflect that!
I just googled “does anyone else hate colorado” and I am SO glad I am not alone!!! We moved here in October from New York City, and Boston before that, and I was really trying to give it a chance. But, alas, it is not for me. My fiance just bought us a beautiful house- that is one thing CO has that NY doesn’t- reasonable housing cost. But I still miss it out east.
Firstly, I LIKED taking public transportation. It is so much less stressful when someone else just takes you where you need to go and you dont have to have road rage on your way to work every morning. The drivers here are SO SLOW, they might be MASSHOLES in Boston, but you get where you need to be when you need to be there. I became a masshole driver when i was there and am always using my horn here. In NY, I didnt need to drive, there were plentiful subways, buses, and taxis. All the tree huggers are out here with their big SUV’s, driving slowly. Hypocrites.
Secondly, there are no good, inventive restaurants. Also, there are no real cultural neighborhoods like out east. No Little Italy/North End, no Chinatown. Enough said.
Thirdly, they are so into being “NATIVE”. Well they can shove it. I dont want to be here as much as they dont want me here. I lived in better places than they will ever know, because they are too closed minded to appreciate big cities full of culture, diversity, and great restaurants.
Thanks for letting me vent with you. I am hoping we will move home sooner than later.
No worries
Actually to us as western Pennsylvanians, the housing costs were ridiculous. We paid less in a (100%) mortgage on the 2500+ sq ft house we’d sold before moving than we did on rent for a 900 sq ft shack in a crime-ridden neighborhood. Of course we didn’t know it was crime-ridden when we rented it; we were just getting out of the apartment building mentioned in this post.
And $5+ for a gallon of milk? Come on! Cost of living was ridiculous.
And LOL @ the “native” thing. I’d forgotten about that. Much more attractive shorthand than a bumper sticker that says “asshole.”
I have just returned to read more comments. I see it is a balmy 51 degrees in Denver today, IN AUGUST. I am SOOOOO glad to be out of that hell hole. Life can’t get better than it is now that we have left the Bad Place. And the people we knew there are still stuck in the vortex of evil and being unhappy, but medicating to overcome it. Yeah, good luck with that.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I took a chance and googled “I moved to Colorado and really hate it here” and didn’t expect to find this site. That alone makes me feel better– what a relief to know there are comrades in arms. We moved here three years ago and said we’d give it two years and if we didn’t like it, we would move back to Chicago. Guess what– I hate it, my son hates it, my daughter could go either way but my husband LOVES it here and refuses to move back. So it’s get a divorce or stay… and divorce is sounding better and better.
I am so sick of hearing “but the weather is SOOOOO great!” If the only thing positive you have to say is “the weather is great” something’s missing. I admit, I pushed for the move, needed a change from where I’d always lived, blah, blah, blah… So we left the suburbs of Chicago for Castle Rock (we wanted to feel like we were really living in the mountains– foothills, views, triple the amount of snow– and I hate snow). Yech!!! The schools suck, the people are NOT friendly, and the only thing they talk about is THE WEATHER! I am living in the middle of nowhere and all I do is drive all day (lovely with the price of gas these days) to get where I need to go and to get my kids to school and to actually see their friends so they can have a social life.
Our house is for sale, but the market stinks so who knows how long it will take to sell. My husband thinks we are moving to Cherry Hills Village…. HAH! This will never be my home. Thanks for letting me vent and reminding myself that I am not the crazy one.
I was just telling my husband yesterday that I still get comments on this entry. Maybe if you start in CO or the west, it’s a different feeling but I think it’s such a different world to an easterner or southerner that it can’t be remedied.
My advice as always = move. You can get nice weather elsewhere but you can’t change the attitudes of your neighbors.
It was definitely cool to find this site. I’m from Connecticut, but my dad moved to Denver a few years ago for work. I can’t believe how disgusting it is out here. Back east neighborhoods have a quaint feel to them and each house is different. Out here streets go on for miles with the same exact house! AND NO TREES! I don’t understand how people can live in neighborhoods without trees. Coming out of the Denver airport is probably the most disturbing site I’ve ever seen. Nothing…nothing…nothing…a huge square with identical houses built next to each other.
I want to go back east. I hate how expensive colleges are. Dammit.
When we came back here, even for a visit, it was very much “OMG! Trees!” The other odd thing about not having any trees is that there are consequently no birds. And that’s eerie.
wow, im surprised. I googled We hate colorado…cause i F’king HATE IT HERE! It’s literally hell, I’ve never been so insulted, amazed at the stupidity and lack of education and ‘real-life’ experience. I moved here over 3 years ago to go to school, an art school! so you can oly imagine the hippy, drugged, ‘feed africa and america sucks’ rich hippies, philosophical, Neitze, Everything is so much grander than it actually is, angry, political (liberal), hypocritical, Bull-S*ing A-holes that attend my college.
Ive tried so hard to find a friend here who wasn’t dumber than the dumbest person i ever met back in my home state of Kansas. (seriously…the average person here is as intelligent as our town idiot people used to make fun of, no one believes me until i tell them the stories of how dumb and selfish people really are here). I made one friend…well I was HER friend, honestly she drove me insane but after getting on anti-depressants cause i was so mentally F’d from this state i started to like and tolerate her a bit more…that is until she broke me and my husband up and started sleeping with him and moved into my apartment and i had to see the scene daily.
After he kicked her out, realizing the idiotic events that took place she still thought she had a chance at shoving me out of my own home and him living with her forever and dating her. then she blamed me cause supposedly i said that i could never ever get mad at her and i lied by getting mad at her for sleeping with my husband and trying to kick me outta me home…i told her that was the equivalent of me wrecking her car and throwing it over a mountain and then getting angry at her when she got mad…she didn’t get the connection. but she said i shoulda been supportive of her because she did what made her happy! AHAHAHA…no. im serious.
The only person I’ve made friends with here in CO in over 3 years, a girl from Oklahoma! I hate it here, the people are more retarded than a box of rocks…i think one of them was actually called retarded by a retard (sorry for the use of retard. Mentally challenged, nothing against them but it is funny when that happens! I mean…come on! school systems here are terrifying!)
Most have never had jobs, mom and dad pay for school and their idea of real life is working at walmart (after they boycott it at school). Needless to say, they are not friendly, think they are more intelligent and free thinking than anyone else and thinks colorado is the greatest thing in the world. I like to mention to them as much as possible how dumb a lot of people are here and how much i hate the school systems and that it’s sad how immature and ungrown these people are. they just look at me either dumbfounded, they don’t understand, or they babble, stuttering over their words to try to come up with a retort as to how I’m wrong and that I don’t know what I’m talking about. Colorado is the greatest place in the world, even though they’ve lived there their entire lives!
…yeah people in colorado are freaking dumbasses.
Wow, a bunch of people seem to have such lowly opinions of Coloradoans and yet I have to assume it was your choice to move here.
Personally I think it is a bit ridiculous to classify everyone in a given area as a “dumbass” or to label an entire state as unintelligent. Comment after comment states how close-minded people from Colorado are and that’s exactly what the people who leave these comments are being.
I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion but if you hate it so much… you’re free to leave.
OMG! Dude, finally not a low-life person who wastes their time talking about how “horrible” it is! It is beautiful, and Colorado is number 3 on state education charts…so what is uneducated? How can you people say that? I would never say such things about a state. The point is, it is in the United States of America, and if you “HATE” any state, then clearly you are not a true American. If you don’t like it, move,instead of wasting your time on this!!! Don’t have money to move? WHY DID YOU MOVE TO A REALLY PRICEY STATE? It is the west people, and if you dont like their agriculture, then it’s just not a place for you, but instead of bagging on when you should be either making the best out of where you live/lived, think about what is great about it! You freaking people are waayyy to negative, and I will tell you something, anyone who takes their time to be negitive should have never gone to Colorado in the first place! Do research, RETARDS!
And just about all of us have.
If you have an issue with the commenters, step up and send it to them instead of posting it here. This is not a public forum or bulletin board.
And since my opinion is the one that goes here: I think you just reinforced exactly what the many, many people who’ve commented (and e-mailed) in agreement with this post have said about Coloradans. Take that as you will.
You people havent seen all of Colorado. I agree that some parts of the state is shit but fort collins is the best place in america. Move there and tell me if its the same.
Ft Collins is definitely NOT the best place in America. It’s not even the best place in northern Colorado & I’m intimately familiar with Ft Collins.
Seriously, get out into the world dude.
Haha, before I stumbled across this site, I googled: “I hate Maine.” I think this tiny state has pretty scenes, but Lewiston is sorta lame. *shrugs* Oh well. I would like to make my way to upstate NY…. That’s another story, though!
It seems like a lot of you are from the east coast! I just moved out here and I think New Yorkers are crazy, just like you think Coloradoans are imbred weirdos. LOL I’m not trying to be condescending or anything… I’m just amused at how we’re all so annoyed with one another! Like I said earlier, I live in Maine right now, but I visit NYC quite a bit because I LOVE the diversity. (Not much diversity or culture in Lewiston, ME. Some of the Asian restaurants are “suckulent”) NYC definitely has some intense culture–nothing you’d ever get in CO or in Maine. (‘Scuse me, I just vomited a little in my mouth due to the mere mention of Maine.)
I love NYC. At the Jamaica bus station, there’s a dinky, questionable little restaurant that sells Jamaican food. Yum. I’ve never had Jamaican food before!! The sushi on the east coast is heavenly, too–FRESH! I never knew what fresh fish tasted like until I came out to the east coast. Woot woot! It melts in your mouth. *drool*
Seriously, though, it’s really interesting to read about what you guys disliked about Colorado. Since I’m from CO, I’m biased: I think it’s ok.
(Mostly because my family is there and I know where all the good Asian food is at: janky Federal Boulevard.) haha! Totally dig the dim sum and restaurants on that junky Latino/Asian strip. Anyways, I just wanted to say: even though CO is my home-state, I absolutely agree with your opinions, especially about the Boulder people! I’m glad that I’m not the only one who realizes that the rich “hippies” living in Boulder are icky, gross, and fake. Seriously, CU Boulder does act like it’s the Zion of colleges, too. I hated the vibe I got during each visit to that campus (ever since middle school!). See? I’m a smart Coloradoan. I know “stupid” when I see it. haha 
So, some of you think Colorado folk can’t drive. Well, there you go: you’ve encountered the Asian population in CO right there. haha, just kidding!! (I’m Asian, so I can make a racial joke about myself, if I want. :p My driving skills are pretty amazing, by the way.) I think the most diversity you’ll ever encounter in CO is in northeastern Denver (15 min from DIA). That’s where I grew up. Walk into the high school or local elementary schools out there and you’ll see nothing but us minorities: Asians (although, still very little–I was one of two Asians in my graduating high school class; everyone else was Hispanic or African American–literally, oh with the exception of two Caucasian dudes). Gosh people! You were lookin’ in the wrong places for diversity! Just kidding again. Once again, my little neighborhood is nothing compared to the plethora of cultures in good ol’ NYC. It was a shock to make it out to the east coast. The shock was something I expected and totally welcomed. 
But what’s up with the NY drivers honking for no good reason all the time? Red traffic lights = stop optional. haha!! Crazy east-coasters. 
Well, I guess that’s all I have to say. Take care.
P.S. I hope CO treats you better!!
That’s what it is: culture shock. I’m glad to read something from someone going the other way.
Maybe an easterner in Colorado will offer you an exchange program
it’s so funny how much people hate colorado. it also cracks me up about how many people trash boulder for riding their bikes. we’re sorry we’d rather live the healthier way of life. 85% of boulders businesses are individually owned and operated. no starbucks for you, but that’s how boulder is and has always been. for the original poster, it’s not the state’s fault you live below a bowling ball chucker. my next door neighbor practically plays his trumpet into our house but i still love colorado for all it’s scenic glory. yeah, the people are a little cocky…but i don’t know any metro city that isn’t. our people are original though, especially in denver/boulder and honestly, they don’t give a fuck of what you think of them. if you’re driven out of colorado for that reason then they’ll just laugh in your face.
if you want a good experience, go to fort collins. it’s a college town…yet so is boulder so don’t get your panties in a bunch…
anyway, fort collins has old town, horsetooth, classic restaurants and such friendly people.
basically i’m saying you shouldn’t base your experience in colorado off a 6 month stay in westminster. i’ll even say that’s a shitty town. go to fort collins (foco), the springs, red rocks, evergreen, estes park…
those are the real colorado cities and towns that are worth experiencing and i PROMISE, once you go there you’ll change your mind.
i’ve lived in colorado all my life so i’m used to the dry weather and applying lotion to my whole body is routine…but it’s better than having to walk out of your house and breathe in water.
You need to direct your comment at the person who made the comment about Westminster, not at me. I lived in northern Colorado for a year, spending more than my share of time in Ft Collins.
Estes Park and RMNP are a different world, absolutely not indicative of the Colorado we experienced on a daily basis.
We all have a right to our opinions and none of them are wrong.
Yep, Colorado still sucks…
It’s funny how many people are defending being assholes, by being assholes on your blog. This proves the point. And, I wouldn’t go back to Colorado if the rest of the US blew up and it was the only placed left. I would die happy not having to go back. It was a mistake, not a choice, to move there. A job took us there and we decided in the end that we would rather be poor and living in the land of Normal than live there. There is no amount of money that would make me go back.
i’m sure you found yourself in commerce city little miss stacey. why don’t you drive five minutes in any direction away from where your shit-hole was located and get your wedgie out while you’re at it.
LOL — yes I’m always amused when some Coloradan with a chip on his shoulder pops in to scold us for having opinions contrary to his. There have been occasions when people say “I understand your opinion. This is mine. Maybe the twain could meet.” That’s what normal, reasonable people do. But holy shitballs do I get sick of having to defend not only my opinion but my right to have it and state it here in my space.
Oh and the woman who had that last nasty comment? She had another calling one of the non-CO-fans a “dyke” and all kind of other bullshit. That’s not happening on my blog. But it is indicative of much of what we encounteed so I was tempted to leave it up as a shining example.
BTW: I’m currently rereading “The Shining” and one of the many things I love about it is how he captures isolation, something I strongly identify with the setting he uses (Colorado).
I think all these posters talking about employers only hiring natives are on to something. I have a great work history, a lot of performance bonuses, employee of the month, etc. but all in California. My resume gets NO replies. Never ever had a problem getting a job in California, here I can’t even get an interview. We should build a giant wall around Colorado so that no one ever makes the mistake of thinking this is a nice place to live. I was the only white kid in my neighborhood growing up, but I felt more welcome there than I do in Colorado. We’re planning on moving either back to CA or to Missouri where we here the people are pretty friendly. God I hate it here
Steven Seagal. Every guy in CO reminds of Steven Seagal. They all think they’re super bad ass and boy do they do their best to act the part. Sigh. Thank you Ms Eden, I could go on forever. I needed this. I hate Colorado so fucking much. If it weren’t so creepy to do so, I’d tell my daughter “you were born in CO, but you were conceived in CA. That makes you a Californian like mommy and daddy”
I have lived in Colorado 6 years. I want to move back where I belong in California. Yes, it was my own mistake to move here. I have had some good times here, but most of the people are mean and ignorant. I am tired of freezing my ass off. I think the people that want to live here are the ones that have to or don’t know any better. Where I live the kids go to school, then get married or go to college in fricking Sterling or Greeley for a couple years. Then they come back and think they have been out in the world. That is the kind of intellect I am dealing with here. I wanna go home!
Greeley/Evans is where we were for almost a year. It is not a different world. It is the same world.
Steven Seagal! Perfect! And the old, puffy Steven Segal with too much tan, leather skin and claiming to be “in shape”, driving a Hummer and shooting wildly out of the car window. That one. That is Colorado.
What a great website, I hate it here also, I am a TX native and have never gotten used to the winters here. Unfort, seems I am stuck b/c I don’t see my bf/bd (baby daddy) moving back to tx with me since he has another child, living with her mother here. There are so so many things I hate about Colorado but I was just wondering if anyone else hates the fact that it is always blindingly sunny here? Makes driving not only a real pain in the ass but dangerous!
It rained twice in the year we lived there, one of those times on the day we were moving from a tiny apt to a tiny house. I said at the time that it was like living in The (old) Sims. My husband’s least favorite part of CO was the blinding sun (that came up at about 4 a.m. b/c it was so flat to the east).
I stumbled across this website trying to find a store that sells “Native Colorado” bumper stickers. I read through a few comments, got bored, and decided to provide you with some free advice.
If you like the east coast better, then move there. No one is keeping you in Colorado except yourselves. I have traveled to NYC several times to visit (we have native CO friends who moved there) and can’t say enough great things about that city. There isn’t a single word that sums up how wonderful it is!
Seriously people get off your computers and get moving. If you don’t like CO, I will gladly show you the exit.
We did, dear. It’s called “reading comprehension.”
If you have further comment, I suggest you contact individuals instead of posting a comment on a blog entry that’s five and a half years old thinking that people will snap up your “free advice.” I’m sure everyone who loathes Colorado as much as the many people who’ve commented here (and sent private messages) do would love to hear from you.
I hate Colorado so much. I have been out of that festering square of a state for several years and only lost one total year of my life there (1/25) which isn’t too bad but was definitely 365 days too long. I HATE THAT PLACE SO MUCH I tell everybody I know about it, and coming from a vegan pacifist they always get so surprised how much hate I have (they deserve it). I went to CSU for a year (I feel bad for people that say Fort Collins isn’t so bad, I’m happy I didn’t explore more of the state) and still deal with them because of outrageous student loan bs. Every time I think of it, it makes my blood boil. Once I am done dealing with them, I hope that I never give them the opportunity to get me riled again, it gives them way too much credit for people who don’t do ANYTHING except for talk about how much they like the outdoors and sit inside their shitty houses. For the record, I learned way more at a community college in my small hometown than I ever learned at that inbred excuse for a “school.” Anyway, I’ve decided to start a website about how much I hate it and use any and all of the proceeds I make to pay back these insane student loans. I’ll keep you updated.
For all the hits & comments I still get on this relatively mild entry, I guarantee the website would be popular. When you launch, post the URL.
Stop going to Denver and bolder head south to the springs. so much nicer down here, greener.
But for all you liberals who think because we here in Colorado are “out doorsie” we should be a bunch of tree hugging global warming retard. Well sorry you will need to go to bolder for that.. out side of bolder we are a bunch of “gun touting red necks” well not red necks…. but Colorado is largely conservative. Large christen and military influence, we are the healthiest state in the USA and last year we where the “horneyest” Coloradoans bought more prophylactics then any other state… We have a share of homeless but generally we believe in hard work and taking care of your own.
And no we don’t like outsiders all to much but that’s not east coasters fault. It’s the fault of Californians. So we now have the mine set if your not from here your taking up our “wide open spaces”.
Yes is dry here Yes it snows here, Yes it the weather here is like a Bi-polar mina-posing woman. Today its 70 tomorrow it may snow 3 feet, that’s life here, but if its what your looking for its interesting and fun. If its not, well looks like you needed to do a bit more reach before MOVING to another state, basing life changing decisions off of assumptions and not research… come one…
And for all of you complaining about boulder, if we could get ride of boulder we would. The rest of Colorado really dislike the spoiled better then thaw trust fund bolder babies.
You spelled “Boulder” wrong every time.
lol whops thats what I get for screwing off when I should be studying…..
LOL that you only called It out on spelling that one word wrong. And the Grammar, I think some studying time is certainly in order! Hit the books!
Holy crap. If South Colo is any indication of the average IQ of the residents of that state, it’s no wonder that anyone with half a brain would want to get the hell out.
As for studying, yeah, you might want to try that. Do you usually skip English class or what?
By the way, what the fuck is “mina-posing”?
What is “mina-posing?” A good example of what we (and Stacey and all these other people) dealt with every single day. Now go ahead & try to tell them they’re wrong and you’ll get another earful about how intelligent they are, how stupid you easterners are and how you should just “get out” if you don’t like it.
Colorado should have a wall around it. The residents would love it and it would serve as a warning to others. It would keep out all the “undesirables.”
Oh my gosh, I am SO glad I found this website! I hate Colorado too. And I grew up here. Thankfully, I can never have one of those “Colorado Native” bumper stickers (i.e. asshole identification stickers) because I was born in Houston and lived there as a child. But we moved to the foothills outside of Denver when my dad got a job transfer. I’ve told my parents pretty much every day since I was five years old that I hate Colorado and that I want to move somewhere else. I’m itchy all the time because of the dry air, and I hate the cold. Yes, we do get 300 days of sunshine, but it basically just burns your retinas instead of making you warmer. Since it’s winter here during three out of the four seasons and we get ten tons of show every year, what’s the point? Perhaps some of these comments are a little harsh, but most Coloradans (don’t let them tell you they’re “Coloradoans”) deserve it because one of their favorite pastimes is hating on people from other places. Coloradans LOVE to make fun of people from the south and make them out to be rednecks. But I go to college in Colorado Springs (it SUCKS, even by Colorado’s standards) and I’ve met more rednecks here than I have in my entire life. I’m talking about the sleep-with-a-rifle-under-your-pillow, bible-thumping, ignorant, intolerant types. And Coloradans always say that people from California are “shallow” and “terrible drivers.” But the worst drivers I have EVER seen are in Colorado, and there are enough bleached-blonde, UGG-wearing materialists here that the stereotype should be reversed. And, even though emo started in California, I think it’s passé out there by now. Emo lives on in Colorado. As far as the non-emos go, it’s not just the girls that are obnoxious…all the guys here are complete tools. Most of them buy their their clothes at Abercrombie or Hollister and use words like “epic” and “sketchy.” And don’t even get me started on those damn fake hippies. I usually just call them “Patagonia hippies” (because they wear really expensive outdoor gear when a real hippie would wear a coat he found in a dumpster) or “trustafarians” (rastafarians with trust funds). That is what everyone I go to school with is like. You think CU-Boulder is bad…check out Colorado College. At least at my school people are a bit more intelligent and they don’t burn as many couches as the CU troglodytes. And since I’m not a big fan of backpacking or skiing, there’s really nothing to do here. Admittedly, Denver is the best part of Colorado, but it’s such a small city and it definitely lacks culture. Don’t let ANYONE try to fool you into thinking that Denver (or anywhere in Colorado, for that matter) has a “thriving arts scene.” Just because it’s there, it doesn’t mean it’s good. People here have terrible taste in all forms of art, but especially music. I am SO sick of idiots trying to convince me that shit like jam bands and ska are “the illest” (imagine the scrawniest white person you know saying that). There is nothing I hate more than being stuck in ski-traffic next to a car that’s blasting Phish with the windows down. Skiers and snowboards. Dear God…I could go on for days about how much I despise them. They talk about it ALL THE TIME. No, I don’t care about your “epic weekend in Breck” or your “sick shred.” If the Colorado Native bumper stickers aren’t enough, a goggle tan is a sure way to spot an idiot. I really can’t stand living in Colorado and I will move at the first available opportunity. I only went to college here because I had a scholarship. I truly feel bad for the people who try to defend my sad-sack of a state. Thank you for reminding me that I’m not crazy!
I’m sorry this post is so long. I just released 15 years worth of suppressed rage.
By the way, did that “mina-posing” person above mean “menopausing?” Last I checked, that wasn’t a verb.
Wow. I love Colorado and am going to have to leave to attend graduate school back east (albeit southern eastcoast) and I am having fits. I am from NC originally. Maybe I missed something. I agree with the issues on skin and winters. I miss some humidity, but love the hiking and the views. I have never lived east of Broomfield while here and that is probably my issue and hike all the time.
I have been living in Colorado for the past 3 years and am leaving to attend grad school.
I have gotten to snowboard 110 days this winter and am still sick of all the people here. Kinda ridiculous that I can’t even live in the Vail Valley and enjoy this state. To all of you that have gotten out, and not become a ‘transplant’, congrats. I really don’t get why people need to express their individuality with bumper stickers on their identical Chevy pickups.
Yes — you’ve nailed it
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this post. I’m a temporary transplant who appreciates the mountains, but hates just about everything else here, especially the people and their insular attitudes.
I’m SO SICK of hearing rude people, who make my life miserable, bad-mouth the East Coast (I’m from the NYC-metro area, but also lived happily in Philly and Boston). If I had a nickel for every time I heard something about how we’re “snotty,” I could quit my job at the insane excuse for a school where I currently work.
For the record, I think they hate non-Natives because we, having attended and graduated from schools outside of this state, can actually read and write. This makes us “snobs” who have “bad attitudes.” You’re damn right, I have a bad attitude–now! That’s what happens when you’re driven batty by people who can’t tell up from down (but are oh-so-proud nonetheless)!!
By the way, has anyone else noticed that the squirrels here are also completely insane? When my fiance and I first started looking for housing here, we met one squirrel who was *carrying a jar of peanut butter and eating from it with his other paw.* (We should have taken this for the bad omen it has now proven to be.) As we moved in, another one camped out on our stuff, and refused to move until I charged straight at it. One (possibly our moving day friend?) literally waits for me in a tree above where I park my car, and throws things at me as I leave for work in the morning. And I swear our roof is going to cave in one day because of the constant thunderous running and fighting they’re doing above our apartment! I didn’t even know squirrels could *be* this loud!!
I’m a Denver native and college student, and I’ve been to many places all over the country (LA & San Diego, All over Texas, Louisiana, St. Louis, Minnesota, Chicago, Washington DC & Baltimore area). I just got back home from visiting Philadelphia and New York City and I have to say, I’m really sick of Colorado. The main thing is, I feel like it has no culture. We have nothing but strip malls and chain stores. The little culture we do have is that cowboy bullcrap, and i’m just sick and tired of it.
I loved Chicago and Philadelphia, but then went to New York City and decided I want to move there. I fell in love with the east coast and I’m really tired of it here in CO.
We moved to Colorado b/c we wanted to take a chance and try something new. It didn’t work out so well for us
I hope your decision works out for you.
A lot of people I know made the gradual leap, trying Chicago first… the rest went straight to NYC and never looked back
. I think if you fall for a place, you owe it to yourself to give it a chance. I’m going to bet you’ll not find that level of contentment in Colorado, having been out in the world. Best of luck!
BTW: Philly is one of *my* favorite cities and easy accessible to NYC by train.
I arrived here searching, “I hate Colorado,” as part of a larger depression about being stuck in a state that I dislike so much. I find Boulder bizarre and agree with many of the above rants. Let me also add that it is practically impossible to find reasonable people to date.
I’m stuck here for at least another year, which totally bums me out. Thanks for this post and the dialogue in the comments – everyone I know in Colorado worships this damn state, and the anti-Colorado solidarity here is refreshing. I feel a little better knowing I’m not the only one who is over Colorado nonsense.
YOU PEOPLE…I JUST LOOKED AT ALL THE COMMENTS! NOW, I HAVE HAD IT! GET LIFES! YOU DONT HAVE TO LOVE IT, BUT DONT SAY YOU HATE IT, OR YOU HATE AMERICA! THE EAST IS MY MOM’S PROBLEM, BUT I’M NOT GONA SAY I HATE IT! PEOPLE, JEEZ, ENOUGH SAYING YOU HATE IT, MAYBE IF YOU WENT TO COLORADO HISTORY M. IN DENVER THEN YOU MAY LIKE IT A WHOLLLEEE LOT BETTER! PLEASE STOP ALL THIS BULL SHIT, BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE AN OPINION, BUT KEEP IT TO YOUR SELFS AND TALK TO YOUR OTHER LONG NAILED, ANNOYING ACCENT, UNEDUCATED, GETTO YANKIES!!!!!!!
Get lifes?
Seriously?
What is it with the Colorado cheerleaders who continually come here and make these ridiculous comments telling everyone to shut up? In caps no less. Why don’t they just go away?
Oh right. It’s indicative of the very attitude we’re talking about. They just love to prove us right. Maybe it’s the altitude.
Your tone is the exact reason why I struggle with colorado, “you people” we disgust you with our distaste for “Beautiful Colorado.” I am sorry it upsets you so. I am sure that your colorado history is impressive. But it will not impress most of the east coast natives. Some of the states listed on this blog were a states over a 100 years before Colorado.
I am saddened that you feel that someone who doesn’t like colorado is un-American, must you love all states to be American? I am a proud american from the east coast who has the right to freedom of speech so I don’t need to shut up and neither do you.
I suggest before you stereotype the east coast you might want to visit it. Your comments like “long nails” and “uneducated” show nothing but ignorance. If you check most of the east coast states test higher and have a lower drop out rate (high school) than your beloved Coloradans. The east also contains the oldest and most accredited Institutions of higher education. I am guessing that you went to school in Colorado by you tone and also by your misspelling of “gonna” and “ghetto yankees.”
The most upsetting part of you comment above is the “annoying accents”. The most annoying thing about moving here was how unaccepting people here of my accent. I live on the east coast for 32 years, so of course I talk like I am from the east coast. Every time I say water(I say it more like wooder), people make fun of me. Yesterday I must have say water correctly according to natives here and I had an adult say she was proud of me for saying it right. I said “thanks for pointing that out that was really cool of you.” What is so wrong with being different? Why can’t you accept people and stop being self centered bigots.
I will not deny that Colorado is beautiful, has great weather and no humidity. It is a wonderful place to visit. But I miss diversity, culture, beaches, rain, low water bills and inexpensive car registrations and most of all my family and freinds. You should be happy that you love where you are and understand that to some the grass is greener on the east coast.
Well said
This site makes me so happy. I’ve been in CO since January and I hate it. Sure, I haven’t given it much time but I’m a GA native and would happily go back to pollen and humidity without complaining ever again. I have one year left until I’m out and it looks like Atlanta will be my home for good. I haven’t found a fun person to hang out with yet! I’m terribly lonely and the people that I meet are military and move as soon as I have the chance to get to know them. I made the decision to move here for the life experience and to be with the love of my life but have realized that there is no life experience to be had here. Even if I was an outdoorsy girl, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it because the weather SUCKS! Needless to say that the delicious Colorado beers have become my friends and source of entertainment because I, too, have had a horrible time finding a job. I miss you East Coast and beautiful Florida beaches!!!
We were lucky in that my husband & I had each other. We liked shopping at Broomfield/Flatiron and saw a fair number of movies just for something to do but you’re right. Even “social” opportunities that I tried were ostracizing “you’re not one of us” events. Even loneliness takes money out there
Just discovered your lovely website after Googl’ing “Coloradoans are retards.” I see that most of your readers are from the East, but as a former Midwesterner, I can only echo the comments about the general lack of friendliness here. People here don’t smile! You greet strangers on the bike paths or other public venues here, you smile, say hello, and all you get in return is a blank stare (the “Colorado Smile”). People live in this beautiful place, with really great weather (really, compared to the frigid crap I grew up with), but they seem determined to be unhappy. It’s really weird. And it’s getting worse every year, with road rage now a common, everyday occurrence on the highways. Colorado drivers will actually speed up to prevent you from changing lanes. Everything here is a f*&%ing competition.
A friend of my girlfriend, a native Coloradoan, recently moved to Wisconsin, and reported that the people there were “scary friendly.” HA! That’s just normal Midwestern friendliness. It only seems “scary” to someone who grew up in this isolated, semi-illiterate backwater.
Can’t wait to retire and move back to the Midwest.
Thanks for your blog!
LOL @ Colorado Smile. Our lawyer gave us one called “the Colorado Sorry” — a disingenuous, almost smarmy “sorry.” The example he gave was getting a flat tire by the road. He said in the East, someone would grumble, swear, call you names but all while helping you change the tire & be on your way, maybe even flipping you off as he drives off but at least there’s a modicum of humanity involved in the assistance. He said that a Coloradan (his words: “‘native’ Coloradan in his F350 and clean white cowboy hat”) would get out, look at the ttire and say “Gee, I’d like to help but I’m on my way to church. Sorry!” And leave you stranded. I thought the church mention was a nice touch too.
But it’s true. And that’s a Colorado sorry: a chirpy little “sorry” complete w/ exclamation point.
good fucking god have you said hello to everyone in this state? so you walked past susan who divorced rick and she wasn’t happy so she took a walk. then you walked past dave 45 minutes later who was probably distracted. don’t take everyone’s face so personally. i’m sure you’ve walked by a patron or two who thought your face was absolutely absurd and uncalled for. boo hoo.
Speaking of taking things “so personally” …
Laughing my Happy-to-not-be-in-Hell-Colorado Ass off at Alliepooooopie! And, you have a fantastic day too dear! Perhaps if you moved your head out of your ass for 10 minutes, you wouldn’t be so jealous of those of us that escaped. I’ll be at the beach tomorrow, will you be shoveling snow or cleaning up from a Tornado? Hm…decisions…
I love when they just prove us right.
I think sometimes people who have never experienced Colorado think we’re exaggerating. Now imagine comments like this — or a latent, smarmy version — every. single. day. everywhere. you. go.
Guys guys guys colorado is a wonderful state and just because you guys don’t like it doesn’t mean that it’s a piece of crap either! You have ot realize that there are people who enjoy that state and are made for it and you are telling me there are only dumb people in colorado? Now seriously and there isnt any dumb people in california or any other state? Oh and did we order the meteor that hit us to make our state perfectly square? I thought not.
Besides western colorado is the best part of colorado in my opinion. So straighten up and open your eyes cause you just got schooled by an 11 year old.
“Oh and did we order the meteor that hit us to make our state perfectly square?”
Oh.My.Gawd.
Laughing so hard I nearly knocked the monitor off the table…..
When they claim to be children, I don’t know the best way to respond. If that comment was serious, I think I would likely say something about the quality of Colorado’s public schools.
lol
schooled by an 11 year old… an 11 year old (allegedly) who said ” Now seriously and there isnt any dumb people in california or any other state?”
k, i’m a native californian, and by the time i was 11 i knew subjects, objects, and verbs were sposed to be in agreement with one another?
yes, caitijo, there are stupid people everywhere. but all these comments are making me very glad that when my father moved to boulder in the 70’s my mom didn’t follow him.
i did have some really killer pancakes in frisco once though.
Yeah I don’t get where this lax use of English is supposed to be “cool” or why people tolerate it. And people use it when defending their intelligence! I figure it’ll just put my kids that far ahead of others
All of you people who hate it here so much so move somewhere else. Go back where you came from or find someplace new. Colorado is one of the most beautiful states – with the most public land use available anywhere. So quite your bitching about Colorado and MOVE!!!
Excellent reading comprehension there.
Would if I could…
LOL. Maybe she’s 11 too!
OMG i hate this place!!!!!
i googled “i hate colorado” and voila im not alone! i knew i wasnt alone. im not crazy and i know that lol
i moved to colorado springs because of my husband who is in the military. and do i want to go back home bad….ive been to other places i didnt like and after a while i adjusted. but colorado….for some reason i just cant. and i totally understand why there are so many liquor stores….hello who makes it through a day without being drunk or high here.
i just wake up everday and say i hate this place. but now i feel a little better knowing i am not alone!
now i wouldnt question colorados public schools or anything its just that sometimes i type to fast and it messes up my words and btw id rather live in colorado where there isnt gangs on every corner that are willing to shoot you for a friggin klondike bar…unlike in california the gangs will slit your throat for a godamn pixie stick. Yeah and I’m an 11 year old with vocabulary.
I really suggest that you direct your enthusiasm elsewhere.
Sweet Cracker Sandwich…
Is it really THAT difficult to use the apostrophe and shift keys? In a medium such as this, Caitijo, people will think you’re a simpleton… an obtuse twit… if you don’t give them reason to think otherwise. So, I would suggest that if you want to present the best possible impression of Colorado’s inhabitants, you learn to type properly and use correct grammar. Perhaps a little summer school session would be in order?
But at least I did get quite the chuckle out of the sweeping generalization that the entire (very large) state of California is nothing but gang members knifing people for candy and ice cream.
Specifically “a godamn (sic) pixie stick” — remember, we’re supposed to be focusing on vocabulary
Ok do you want me to use proper grammar? Ok then I will… What I am saying is that Colorado is a completly peaceful state and in my opinion we are just fine. Since I was born here I am used to the climate and such.You should also be ashamed for calling an 11 year old a half witt. Maybe it’s you who is the half witt.
P.S. Don’t underestimate my street smarts(also if you were actuly you know in the now you would know that you don’t have to have perfect puncuation on the internet but since you requested it, here it is.
Im not trying to make a bad impression for Colorado! There is kind people in Colorado and you have to face it! I love Colorado and I always will… You can’t take that away from me!
whoops i had a typo on there is nice people in colorado.. it’s supposed to be there are nice people in colorado see I can use grammar when I want to.
Way to make a point. I spell checked it for you. See corrections in parentheses below.
Ok (remove ok and capitalize D in do) do you want me to use proper grammar? Ok then I will… What I am saying is that Colorado is a completly (correct spelling is completely) peaceful state and in my opinion we are just fine. Since I was born here I am used to the climate and such (remove and such).(add space)You should also be ashamed (add of yourself) for calling an 11 year old a half witt (correct spelling is halfwit). Maybe (remove it’s you who is and replace with you are) the half witt (correct spelling is halfwit).
P.S. Don’t underestimate my street smarts(missing a space) (also if you were actuly (correct spelling is actually) you know (remove you know) in the now (correct spelling is know) you would know that you don’t have to have perfect puncuation (correct spelling is punctuation) on the internet but since you requested it, here it is.
Im (correct spelling is I’m) not trying to make a bad impression for Colorado! There is (replace is with are) kind people in Colorado and you have to face it! I love Colorado and I always will… You can’t take that away from me!
Caitijo,
You have the right to love Colorado and others have the right to dislike it. No one on this site is trying to take that away from you. Maybe you should find an I LOVE COLORADO site to post these comments on.
I don’t think she quite understands that what she’s doing is underscoring the anti-Colorado sentiment instead of changing minds. As far as the spelling, grammar, etc., maybe when she goes back to school this fall, she’ll study harder in English. English/language is about being able to communicate, being understood and understanding in turn.
And yes, NJ, I do wish people would stop treating my blog like a public toilet. If they have manifestos to write, they can create their own webspaces and post them there rather than insulting me and the other people who comment in my webspaces.
OK WHY CAN’T YOU GUYS UNDERSTAND? I DON’T CARE ABOUT PROPER GRAMMAR,I JUST DONT WANT YOU GUYS MAKING COLORADO SOUND BAD! IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND YOU BETTER BELIVE THAT IT IS DEFINITLEY ONE OF THE BEST!
Do you understand that your manner of communication reaffirms what the majority of these people are saying? That’s the discussion that’s happening. If you don’t like it, the Internet is a big place and you are formally invited to go elsewhere and explore it.
Maaaaaaan maybe you guys are right maybe colorado is bull shit… Last Night they caught like 32 people doing drugs around clifton… one man hid his meth inside his genitals… maybe colorado isn’t such a great place after all.
Is this STILL going on? Man…I figured there wasn’t anything to DO in CO, but this solidifes that belief. Idiocy.
It goes on and on and on and on… like a Journey song.
I, too, googled “I hate CO” and made it to your post. Thank you for leaving this here as I’ve spent much of my miserable jobless morning reading it while checking my email for resume responses.
My husband and I chose to move back here after his military seperation b/c we have family here. But what a mistake that has been… We met and married here 10 years ago. You would think we would’ve learned our lesson b/c he joined the U.S. Navy so we could get out of this hell-hole in the first place! And, like idiots, we came running back thinking of how nice it would be living closer to family.
We are located in the strip-mall sprawl city of Colorado Springs. And here are just a few of the many negatives:
1. We have experienced more racism here than anywhere else in the country we’ve lived. And this is saying alot as I’m originally from Mississippi!! (I’m black/he’s white) People say CO is open to other races, but that only seems to be true when living close to multi-racial military housing populations.
2. The amount of alcoholism and drug abuse is astounding for the home of “Focus on the Family”. There are 4 or 5 liquor stores within just a few mile radius of where we live and this is supposed to be the “suburbs”. But I don’t mind b/c I’ll be considering “saucing up” too if I don’t find decent work soon. Outing the alcohol problem here is saying alot coming from someone who recently lived in the alcoholic haven of Key West, FL for 3 years.
3. Religious Madness! I understand why it has taken over here. B/c if you’re not drunk or high, the only other way to find some sort of happiness is to go to church. I swear that my friends and family who have been here long-term try to spend as many hours in prayer as possible. B/c when church is over, it’s back to depression…
4. Sh*tty low-paying jobs! If you’re not an engineer, doctor, or from “old money” stock, then watch out! Sooner or later, signing up for the Army starts to become a possibility even if it weren’t before. (Ex.>There is an open position for someone to read library books to kids 20 hrs. a week. It requires a Bachelors Degree and pays a whopping 9 bucks an hour!) And it was like this BEFORE the recession…
5. Oh yeah, our place of residence smells like ammonia, no-matter the new carpet, paint, etc. I recently read that could be a sign that there has been a crystal meth lab in the house at some point. Judging by all the skinny tweaking druggies I see on a daily basis, I wouldn’t be surprised. Thank goodness, there’s no young children in the house. We will have to get it tested b/c the police site only lists the places where they actually raided or busted a meth lab.
And I could go on and on, but I know this is a personal blog. Just had to add my 2 cents onto all of the other complaints from previous comments.
I had to smile, nond & giggle a bit through this. Been there, been there, been there. And as for “doctor pay,” we experienced that. It’s been five years and we still haven’t crawled out of the financial hole the Colorado Ordeal caused. I can’t imagine living there on less than $100k/yr, much less on minimum wage.
Oh god… If someone with “doctor pay” can’t make it here, there’s not much hope for me. I’m a massage therapist that used to make a great living in the warm tourist destinations we’ve lived, but, here, my job title is a joke. Most of the “therapists” here are prostitutes and those who are not make mere pennies. I’d do better at a Starbucks>> that is, if they were hiring…lol!!
I cannot stand Colorado, I live outside of Vail and this place and the people are enough to make me want to jump off a bridge! The competitive, self righteous behaviors of people is disgusting! I hope to god someday that I will get out of this hell hole and go back to where reality actually is a good thing. I hate the bubble that surrounds me, I hate how people flaunt there money. I wish someone would say they would like to go for coffee and have an intellectual conversation instead of “dude, I hiked a 14teener this weekend, it was so knarley” YUCK!!!!!
When I first heard we were to come to Co I was really excited. My husband’s company was hired to do a job for the pipeline. We RV full time with our children so we immediatly tried to get reservations for a RV park. That was our first experience with dealing with people from Co and they nearly had me in tears. They were so rude. I could’t believe how they treated us. So after about 2 days of calling around we “Finally” secured a spot at a RV park (1 hour commute). We couldn’t find anywhere closer for reasons listed above. My husband advised me to not tell them why we were coming (working for the pipeline) so I would tell them we were coming in on vacation.
After being here over 3 months (currently still here and can’t wait to go home) I have met the weirdest people that of course claim to be native co. As if being a native is so special. I do admit it is beyond beautiful here but that is quickly overshadowed by the ignorant people I have met. My husband and me both admit that we hate it here and never want to come back. I’m sure the people from here don’t care which makes them even more ignorant. This state is in such a financial crisis that they should love it when tourist come. Instead they are having to cut budgets (and threaten jobs) on the police and fire fighters force and on top of that getting ready to release prisioners due to these budget cuts.
(Hmmm……less police and more criminals on the streets…yeah Co your just so much smarter than the rest of the US) Also another one of my pet peeves about people in this state is how they drive. It’s NUTS! They are all like old grandmas on the roads!! It doesn’t matter what the speed limit is I swear they are determined to go 10-15 mph under it! They talk badly about out of state drivers well maybe they should look more closely at their own. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all to watch Co in the future drown in their own ignorance, suffering from their rude ways to tourist and other people having to live temp in their state. From the looks of it (looking at their financial state) they are’t to far from it.
Don’t you just love Colorado in the fall, the aspen trees changing color, the cool wind in your face –
Colorado is an amazing state if you’re not trying to survive, have a life, find a job, find friends with the same interest sure you can feel safe sometime~
If all you want to do is open your door and look west to see a huge wall then this is the PERFECT place for you to live come on over stay a while in hell!
I have traveled across this country many times over the last 7 years. I grew up in New York City (where I still reside) and lived in San Francisco for 4 years for college. I’ve seen ever state there is to see. I am an avid snowboarder for the last 15 years and I was amazed by the landscapes the Rockies have to offer. Aside from the nice view (which cant even compare to those of Montana, B.C., or Washington State). The people I met seemed like a bunch of stuck up uncultured assholes in CO. Denver SUCKS some hardcore balls. Most boring city I’ve ever stepped foot in. The music scene for the most part was garbage. Yeah I’ve driven through quite a few times and hope I never have to again. I’ll never go snowboarding in Colorado again that’s for sure. The people are prestigious morons. I’ve had a better time in UTAH with the annoying Mormons or with the Burnouts in Lake Tahoe. In my opinion nothing beats the north west when it comes to snowboarding. I have friends that moved to CO and all they ever say is how they cant wait to get the hell out. If you are a mindless uncultured moron that has something too prove to people but too scared to do it in a real state like California or New York then please go to or stay in CO.. If it was up to me I’d round up all the idiots in the world and ship them to Colorado. Enough said. FUCK COLORADO IT FUCKING SUCKS!!! You don’t deserve the beautiful landscapes. And don’t even think that your landscapes are that special. In fact In my opinion they are quite boring compared to most of the other mountainous regions in the U.S. and Canada.
Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this site, and am very impressed with the amount of strong feelings on both sides! Very entertaining!
Eden, thanks for letting your blog be a place for this discussion- who knew a simple statement of “I hate Colorado” could go on for so long.
I’m a Colorado Native who is well-educated, well-traveled, and can see both sides. But, to make a point: Colorado is in the middle of the continuum. Not the best place, not the worst. We like to say we’re the best because we are surrounded by the Midwest and a whole lot of space. We don’t compare to the culture of bigger cities and more diverse areas in the U.S. But we’re no South Dakota, either. Same for our natural beauty. We’re no Highway 101 up the Oregon Coast, and we certainly don’t have the fall colors of the Northeast, but our mountains, streams, and vistas are pretty amazing. If you want to complain about the weather, make it fair and whine about Arizona too. I always say, ‘Gotta have your color somewhere. Pick- do you want blue sky or green grass?’ If we all admitted to it, most of you in more humid climates have more gray days. Give us our due. And if we truly are confident about this place, we’d accept the criticism too.
The bottom line: home is home. If Colorado isn’t your home, it’s going to be a hard adjustment to make it such. I’ve been here for 30 years and have seen a lot of changes. Number one change: a whole lot of people moved here. My theory about why it’s so hard to make roots here? We’re not the huge mixing pot that the East Coast is, where everyone is from all over the world and celebrates different cultures. But we’re not the Midwest either, where everyone lives where they grew up. So half the population is new here and can’t seem to connect, and half the population is rooted here, and only sees what they’ve grown up with.
Folks, I hate to break it to you, but this could happen anywhere, not just Colorado. I lived in Turkey, and that was WAY harder (of course) to make home. We think because we all live in the same country that where home is can be interchangeable. But culture is culture and if there are distinctions between who you are if you’re from Thornton or Highlands Ranch, Boulder or Fort Collins, then why on earth wouldn’t it be the same for different states and regions? We all need an expanded perspective!
My husband and I sat on the steps of the Capitol Building here in Denver one day for fun while we were dating. We took pictures for tourists who asked us, and offered directions and suggestions. I take pride because this is my home (not necessarily because it is Colorado). I love showing people around and helping them get acclimated. And I’m not the only one. So leave if you need to and go back to your home- I understand. We hope you come back and if you don’t, that’s fine too. We just got mad because when everyone started moving here, we had more traffic and awful cookie-cutter housing. Can you relate? You probably hate that too.
Every single situation- good or bad- is often what you make of it.
I thought I was alone in this too. Colorado is the worst state I have ever had the unfortunate experience to live in. Corruption in the government is the top problems in that state. Not to mention the rude nasty people living there. I have found nothing but liars and cheats living in that state.
so glad to be living back in the east coast again. Colorado could fall off the map and take everyone with it for all I care.
I am so glad I found this. I thought it was just me, or my imagination. But, God! I hate this place! This must be my purgatory payback for all the rotten stuff I’ve done, and this is Karmic payback time.
And I will say right now for the Colorado fans who want to tell me if I hate it so much I can leave, and one who wants to escort Colorado haters out, well if you give me some money for my gas, and expenses, I will start packing, but I need money. Thanks to this hellhole I’m broke, and I’m stuck!
Let me start at the beginning. January 2007. I will try not to make this any longer than necessary, and I swear as horrible as it sounds, it’s all true.
Once upon a time I was bored in Iowa. I have no college, and can’t afford timewise or in any other way to go to school, so I had 3 minimum wage jobs. I worked all the time, an hour away from home. I couldn’t afford gas, so I had to borrow money for that, $5.15 an hour does not go very far, Meals were also scarce. My hand was out to my friends for handouts, despite my 12-14 hour workdays. I had medical bills to pay, from the pneumonia and bronchitis I got in either sauna hot or iceberg cold Iowa. I’d go back to that in a heartbeat compared to here, because at least there I had my dad, and my friends…
I visited Englewood where I had friends. Going from pop. 300 to Englewood was exciting. I didn’t smell hog manure. The scenery was pretty. I have a great view of Mt. Evans.
I wouldn’t have 2 hours to drive roundtrip to work if I moved in with my friends who were begging me to move there. I was spending $350 a month in Iowa in gas to go to my $5.15 an hour job.
I went back home and thought about the offer my friends made. They were older people who needed “a little” help around the house. My pets were welcome. They had this friend who ran an antique store down the street. “A real nice lady” who really wanted me to work there, FULL TIME! TEN DOLLARS a week! That was twice what I was making, and it was less than half a mile a way. I had 14 years experience in antiques.
I got pneumonia again back home.
I heard how “warm” Colorado is. (hahahahaha!!!) 60 degree winters. When it does rarely snow, it’s always melted the next day. You can wear short sleeves year round, and play golf all winter. I was freezing my ass off in Iowa. I was told that full time in Colorado was 30 hours a week, then you get benefits. No such thing as a 12 hour work day. And work breaks are the law after 4 hours in Colorado. Ha!
So I stupidly packed up and came.
The snow drift in the street in front of the house was 4 feet tall. When cars were coming I had to scale up that damn thing enough so the other car could pass. No snow plows on back streets. I have a low profile Pontiac, and soon the heat shield was torn off. In other car damage, I’ve had people back into my car more than once. My bumper looks eggshelled!
My welcome was while walking to Kmart one night I heard a “noise” minutes later a cop was interrogating me about the gunshot, and if I were involved…
When I came home, I was made fun of.
Within 5 days later, the man who I will call “D” was mad at me and as we were walking to the car I heard him say “F you, bitch” and he gave me the finger. Yup. The nice old man I was supposed to do “light” housework for.
I wanted to leave, but spent my last dime getting here. My family isn’t rich, so they cant help.
The Job
What was to be “full time $10 an hour” was really 11 hours a week, $7.25 an hour. I had a mortgage back home, and other bills.
I worked as hard as I could, and offered to wash windows, clean the bathroom, etc. Anything for a few extra bucks. 2 months later the managers druggie friend from California was moving back to Colorado, and needed a job, so I was fired. Later Ms. High times got fired to. The bosses reason was that she needed an assistant manager, Hello..I had 14 years experience.
Next I worked at a chain vitamin store for minimum wage. My job was to clean up the stores, get rid of expired merchandise, train everyone. Including new under age 20 managers with zero experience, then transfer and do it again, and again.
Next a vet clinic where they were going to train me animal dentistry, Wrong! I shovelled crap 14 hours a day, and I cant begin to say how much fun it is to carry a basset hound who is sedated up a flight of stairs with its i.v. bag in my teeth, by myself . To have it “go to the bathroom” or just lay there sedated , in the rain. My biggest job thrill was picking up dog turds outside on nice days.
14 hours a day of this…
In between all of this I went to jail. My housemate and I were arguing on the phone. I asked him if he wanted me to go back to Iowa. He refused to answer me. He did however tell me that nobody liked me, and everyone would be happy if I drove up to the mountains, and drove off. Commit suicide, since I have no friends, Then everyone would be happy.
I’m very popular back home. I belong to a car club. I have my dad. Friends everywhere. And its true. I do not have any friends here. Not a one. Not even after 3 years.
I asked how I had to get an answer to my question, a simple one. If he wanted me to go home, and he exclaimed “I’M CALLING THE COPS!” I told him go ahead, I hadn’t done anything but work open to close.
When I got in, he was on the phone with the Englewood Police Dept. I told him I didn’t want trouble, and that I’d leave. I got my dog, to go look for a flop house that would allow my pet. Then “D” described me, and my car. I left on foot. Within minutes I had a cop yelling “FREEZE!” with a gun pointed at my head. I was arrested. My rights were not read. I was not told the charges. I was taken to the Arapahoe County jail for 5 days.
In jail it’s 55 degrees. People cough like they had tb. The first night I was in a tiny holding cell with 13 other girls for 14 hours. There was 1 toilet, and one girl had to sleep on the floor in front of it. I had to lay down by prostitutes, drunks, and druggies. There is a fluorescent light on 24/7, and you’re in “lockup” 16 hours a day in an 8×8 room with 2 other people. They give you thin towels for blankets, and a wedge. I had to sleep on a cold concrete floor, and got very sick. When I collapsed with my blood sugar at 63 was the only time I got to see a nurse! During those 16 hour lockups my cellmate had diarrhea and vomited constantly. 3 feet from my face. I neither slept (too cold and too bright) nor ate (gag!) for 5 days!
At the vitamin place I was up for assistant manager and a $20,000 a year salary. Due to jail, someone else got my position.
I was charged with assault. Why? For hearing how he wanted me to kill myself, and I chose to leave with my dog? By that time, and I kept track, he called me 77 dirty names, and he liked to shove me around. He is a former cop…A former sergeant in the Army, and a martial arts expert…Yeah, he was so helpless with me at 5′3 and 110 lbs…
I made bail. I was not given an attorney. My salary was $6500 a year and I “made too much money”.
I had to go to domestic violence classes. How much more non confrontational can you be by leaving? What else could I have done? Ihadn’t assaulted him physically. My assault was to his ego by trying to leave!
There was a restraining order. I had no money, my hours were cut.
I ended up living off east Colfax, and for a farm girl from Iowa to say this was culture shock is an understatement.
I made a “friend” who was 62. The age in Colorado is that if you’re under 60 and you even slap someone over 60 (such as if a 60 year old man grabs your boob, and you slap him) you are arrested as a felon. They claim its over the O.J. Simpson deal. What they are forgetting was O.J. was a large football player man and Nicole was a woman.
I didn’t know my way around. I had no friends, so here was this guy willing to help me find my way around.
Later he became pissed off because I couldn’t be at his apartment watching tv with him while I was at work. (More on my word “multiplacing” in a bit.)
He started stalking me, and calling me all night long. I had to work constantly for my efficiency off Colfax, and I only ate 3 times a week. I could only get 10 bucks a month in foodstamps…
One day he threatened to destroy the radio I loaned him, and some collector books if I didn’t go to his apartment to get them. When I showed up, he opened the door, punched me in the face. Then when I went to leave he put his arm under my throat, and leaned back, so my feet weren’t on the floor, and carried me choking, around his apartment, asking if I was having fun. If I was having a good time.. I was dying… He threw me to the floor. When I got up, he hit me in the temple. Then in the back and head with a pair of skis. Did I go to the cops? Hell no! I was on probation, and he was over 60.
That’s Colorado law for you. Im a petite female. He’s built like a fat football player, and is a strong as a horse. I almost died that night. Colorado law doesnt remember that Nicole Brown was a woman, not an old man!!!!! Just because they’re old doesn’t mean they’re frail!!!!!!
The restraining order lifted. A woman was stabbed 5 timed outside my apartment, and I had a crack head knocking on my door every night begging for booty. My building was broke into, so I figured moving back to “D”’s place was safer and cheaper. I wasn’t eating.
He is sorry. And a lot of bad things happened to him since, like having to get a leg amputated.
Right now I’m unemployed because “D” has so many doctor and physical therapy appointments. He pays my bills, and is paying to have my record expunged.
Meanwhile though I hate it here every single day. My neighbor displays this ugly “modern art’ and had all her people park in front of the house. Her dogs bite, and bark, and have taught my dogs to bark. She calls code enforcement and lies that I beat my dogs, and she burns telephone poles in her fireplace giving me asthma attacks.
Nobody will hire my because of all the doctor appointments. In Colorado they demand you multi-place. Multi-placing is when you have to be at 2 or more locations at once.
My last boss on the day “D” had his leg cut off thought I could be on my 5 hour shift while I was at the hospital.
She knew a year in advance I had to be in Iowa on business and told me Id better be at the store those days while I was in Iowa.
2 of my vitamin chain store jobs told me I can to be at their store on a day they both scheduled me open to close. Do it or be fired.
Even the doctors. You have a 1 pm appointment. Be on the 6th floor, while you’re on the 3rd, while you’re 2 blocks away. I have at least 50 versions of this Colorado demand.
And the drivers with the green and white license plates. Oh my God! The next time you have a near miss, look at the license plate!!!! 9 times out of 10 its white with green letters…
Rudeness.
I’ve had pedestrians call me a “dirty whore” and spit on my car. And once at my retail job:
Me: Hi. Can I help you find anything?
Coloradan: Why are you talking to me? If you don’t know me, you shouldn’t be talking to me, and I dont know you, so… Why are you talking to me?
Me: because its my job to greet people, and if I don’t, I will be fired.
Coloradan: well, I don’t know you, so don’t talk to me.
At this same workplace an old bar fly wanted me to tell her in detail how to dye her pubic hair neon pink!
Coloradans also don’t look both ways before crossing the street or wait for the walk light, they cross wherever and whenever they want just daring you to hit them, and they’re teaching their little kids to do the same.
I’m hoping to move in a couple months. Id rather live in my car in another state than spend another year here! I used to be friendly, joke around, and smile. This place is changing my personality. I don’t have much to smile about, except when I’m looking at Colorado from my rear view mirror.
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest, and thanks for this site. Its better and cheaper than a shrink (who would probably be a Coloradan).
And yes, I know some of you will think I was dumb to move back to the house, but I tried living in an apartment and the checks were bouncing, and I wasn’t eating. It was $380 a month and out of my price range. I also lived in the car awhile. And like I’ve even tried to tell my mom. I have no money. My car doesn’t run on prayer. When that gas gauge needle hits E the car sputters, cuts out, the stalls, and wont start, so my escape is going to take planning, and money.
Have a tolerable day out there in Colorado-land.
I went in and gave you some paragraph breaks and spelling corrections to make this easier to read. Sometimes I forget about the day-to-dayness of stuff like demanding you be in two places at once w/o regard for the fact that you can’t. I don’t think people can believe it unless they’re experienced it but it’s true. And the people who come on here saying how wrong we all are (and then calling us some variant on “dirty whore” — no different from IRL) are either part of the problem or so deeply entrenched in the culture, they don’t see it.
The only place we went where we didn’t really sense this was Estes Park, likely due to the fact that being polite puts food on the table. Still, my husband and I would joke that once we were out of earshot, it was there.
Also: save as much as you can for gas, fill your tank and just go. It’s the only solution and you can’t be any worse off. We got from Greeley to Council Bluffs in a day and didn’t leave until afternoon. As soon as our place was empty, we were on the road.