I feel as though I am at the top of the world here in Frisco. Elevation 9,000 feet and surrounded by mountains even higher in elevation. Staying with my friend Mo at her hotel-like comfortable guest suite only reminds me how lucky I am.  I have friends in high places😉

But it’s not all about comfortable beds and blankets. We skied Copper Mountain with Mo’s friend T who snowboarded while we skied. It was so cool to see this woman, only a handful and a half years younger than me, carve it up on a board.

We got 4-6” of snow during the day so we had what all skiers long for—a few turns in powder. For as much as I have skied over the past five years, I’ve only had a few true powder days. Many people don’t even go out when it is snowing. Everyone is different, and the key is what gives you joy. If fighting with fogging goggles, snow down the neck, or struggling with turns changes fun into foe, why not stay inside and drink hot chocolate. There are worse ways to spend a few hours.

From where Mo lives, she’s about fifteen minutes from Keystone, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain. She’s within 25 minutes of Loveland, A Basin, Vail and Beaver Creek. I’ve probably missed a few. Enough to say she lives in the epicenter of some of the finest skiing in North America.

The town of Frisco is a great little western mining town. The mainstreet is lined with gift shops, sporting goods, and artwork. I love fossil rocks, and I love Big Horn Mountain Sheep having come from the Big Horn Mountains in Montana. So it was with great surprise when Mo and I walked into an artists’ co-operative and front and center was a ammonite horned mountain sheep sculpture. I live in the second largest art community in the country (Santa Fe) but I dropped some cash on this amazing sculpture.

A person can’t help but compare—my life and where I have landed and Mo who has a fabulous townhouse with priceless views. Of course there are pros and cons to everything. Following are a few:

Pros of Frisco, Colorado	Cons of Frisco, Colorado
Epicenter of SkiingWestern mining town historyEasy to fly into/out of Denver within an hourSummer recreationRocky MountainsDestination areaCloser to home, both MT & MN	Traffic jamsCostLoss of local colorInflux of Denver populationInflux of new folksCost of housing
Pros of Santa Fe, NM	Cons of Santa Fe, NM
Ski Santa Fe one hour away, Taos Ski Valley 2.5 hours awaySmall city feel—population <100,000Cultural diversity—Native Pueblo, Spanish, Hispanic, EuroAmerican influence.Historical significanceArcheological sitesLess expensive (slightly)Arts CenterRocky MountainsSummer recreationDestination CityPueblo architecture lending SW feelNot “just” a ski townCapitol of New Mexico	Fewer ski áreasSki areas further from homeHarder to get to—Albuquerque airport is a secondary hub, flights into Santa Fe more expensive.Poorer socio-economic demographicsExpensive, but not quite as expensive as Frisco.Lots of new people like me

OK, I will admit, I love New Mexico. I love Colorado, too. I lived in the Denver Metro back in my 20’s and I would never give that episode of my life up. But now, at this stage of my life—some would say the fourth quarter—New Mexico gives me so much of what I have been looking for. Skiing, art, writing community, cultural diversity, easy access to nature, a return to my roots in the Rockies.

Who’s to say I will feel the same way in a few years. I’d be the first to say I don’t know. But for today, as much as I love Colorado, I love New Mexico more. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate and take advantage of what Colorado has to offer. I am lucky to be able to stay here with my girlfriend Mo. Home?

Home for today is New Mexico.