The Cheese has come to a conclusion that she needs to make a major move. This is not a decision that was reached lightly. I do not do well with change. But a big change has to be made. I cannot continue living in this area. The cost of living is far too high. I am currently paying $650 a month mortgage plus nearly $500 a month ground rent for the mobile home I have lived in for nearly 10 years. I will not find anything any cheaper in this area, and if I move into subsidized housing, I'd have to give up my furry friends. To me, this is not acceptable. I am sick and tired of having to ask for money from others to make ends meet. So I have decided that as soon as I have finished the studies to obtain my nursing license, I am moving to the western slope next spring.
I have lived in the Denver/Boulder metro area for most of my life. The area I will be moving to is 350 miles away. My son fell in love with the area when he went to college there (hoping he will go back in the not too distant future) and I liked it when I went down there to visit him. He is moving back there and when he does, I will have nothing to keep me here. My parents live 25 miles away, but its time to cut the apron strings after these many years. My brother has been trying to convince them to move to Arizona and I think they should. They would be near him that way. I know they want me to move there too, but I don't want to.
The major industries on the Western slope aside from agriculture are hospitality and health care, both of which I have experience in. The salaries are slightly lower than they are in the Boulder area, but the housing costs are significantly lower. Gas and groceries are about the same.
I would have a chance to break even for the first time in my life. This is something I have to do.
