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“Why did you decide to move to Boulder?”
It is hands down the most frequent question I have received in the past few months. Ever since I launched this crazy plan to move across the country, it has been the question on every one's mind. Friends to family and anyone in-between has asked me and the simple answer is this: I needed change. I wanted be in a place where I did not know my surroundings, the people and the culture. I craved a blank slate where I could create my future.
Boulder stuck out specifically because of the feeling it illuminates. People have dreams here, as tall and beautiful as the mountains that border them. The potential here is beyond great and it feels amazing to be around individuals who are constantly trying to better the environment around them. Everyday I wake up and see all that I can accomplish, want to accomplish, will accomplish.
As much as Boulder as a part of my future, Charleston, South Carolina will always be a part my past. It was more than just my hometown: it was where I gained my foundation of who I am. Fond memories, teenage mishaps and life-changing lessons will always fill my heart whenever I look back at home. Friends and family have changed some naturally, but I can still call home and fall into familiar territory. Even in my day to day living, I compare the events and people I encounter to experiences from home.
Together Boulder and Charleston represent my present. They both contain the love and support of a community each vastly and utterly incredible. To be able to have two homes where I am constantly receiving and giving positivity is above and beyond anything I could have ever hoped for. Because of these wonderful attributes, it seemed only natural to have a series establish the theme of connection. We all come from different places and different backgrounds in this melting pot. What holds us together is the desire to relate to the world we surround ourselves. We want to be able to create roots in wherever we decide to land and grow.
I desire to put up my work at Out Boulder because I am inspired by them. I admire the changes that they strive to make in the LGBT community and the awareness they bring to every demographic. It is exactly the kind of path I wish to create. I am honored to be a part of this amazing family and cannot wait to continue making changes and growing as an individual and as part of this wonderful program.
Becky Guidera
