The College Vibe

This latest series of posts has sparked some dandy comments. We always like comments, but we're especially appreciating the most recent efforts of our lovely readers. Y'all seem to be approaching this new chapter of our adventures in the spirit in which it's being written: with fun. We feel like we're in good company. Thanks so much!

Before we get too far into today's subject, we wanted to address a couple of items from recent comments.

Our buddies Sue and Doug asked about landing in one of our favorite spots -- Gunnison, Colorado -- and bugging out during those 30-below winters.

We love Gunnison so! And, we have thought about the possibility of becoming snowbirds. But, as much as we love our favorite high-altitude town, we are more in love the idea of having a place where we could stay all year, if we so decided. We plan to do lots of extended traveling after we find our home base, but we don't like the idea of being forced to hit the road by Mother Nature every year. So, for now, we'll look for a place that's livable year-round. (And, you can bet Gunnison will be a frequent stop on our summer travel schedule!)

Now that we've put some of our critical criteria out there, we certainly welcome your suggestions for spots worth considering. ArkTravelers offered up Fayetteville, and we're so pleased to report that Arkansas is on our itinerary for this fall. We've been meaning to spend some significant time in The Natural State for awhile, but life kept getting in the way. We are looking forward to our visit to Fayetteville and surrounding areas. We'll definitely keep you posted.

The Odd Essay (I can so relate to that!) asked about how "when" we land might impact "where." And, that's a great question. This quest feels like such a moving target (no pun intended), it is certainly subject to change. At not quite 55 years old, we're not ready to hang out where most retirees retire. Our current criteria feels like it should appeal to us for at least the next decade or so. If not, I guess we'll move!

Jessica and Harry, who are currently "practicing" for their fulltime RVing adventures, made an inquiry that inspired the subject of this post. Thinking they might have missed the answer, they wondered about our fascination with college towns. And, we haven't said. (Or, at least I don't remember!) But, here goes.

There's something about college towns. For us, anyway. It's tough to put a finger on exactly why. But, we like the vibe. The seasonal injection of knowledge-hungry students gives a community a boost of energy. On the flip side, their summer exodus gives a community an annual cue to slow down, spread out and relax.

With a college town, you tend to get better and more fun restaurants. And, there's lots to do. Most college towns offer as many cultural activities as many bigger cities. In a college town, the whole place just seems to have a higher IQ. And, with an ongoing influx of new 18 and 19-year-olds, the community gets an annual dose of fresh energy.

For nearly a decade we lived within shouting distance of the UC-Berkeley campus. Of course, there's nothing "small" about Cal or Berkeley, and a lot of it is a bit over the top. But, there was a lot we enjoyed about football Saturdays, cool concerts and restaurants featuring cuisines from around the world.

In our travels, we've noticed how college towns stand out. Alpine could easily be a remote West Texas town. But, thanks to Sul Ross University, the place is buzzing. Among other things, it is home to a fine dining establishment that's a sister-restaurant to a 5-star place in Fort Worth. Missoula is definitely a crossroads town in western Montana. But, the University of Montana brings a cool vibe to town that made us think about moving in! And, we felt the shift in our beloved Gunnison last Fall when the 2,300 students came back to Western State College. The town came alive!

And, of course, there's our own college town. As we've said, Lawrence, Kansas is a place we might love to call home. Imagining life in the shadow of our very favorite University is easy, indeed!

All this said, we know well how life among college students can grate on your nerves. We had an uncanny ability to schedule a trip to the grocery store on the Sunday night before a new semester. Our local Safeway was crawling with kids who were three or four to a cart loaded with Ramen noodles, mac-n-cheese and Red Bull. Still, it was fun to be a part of it all.

So, that explains our infatuation with college towns. We'd love to be part of one again one day.

But for now, we need to wrap up our stay here in Kansas City. Tomorrow will be a day filled with tearful goodbyes and getting ready to roll.

We can't wait.