Always a Beginning

Sunrise of the Flatirons located west in the foothills of Boulder on Marshall Mesa
(Photography credit: Kim Weincek)

 

Transient Culture

"A culture that is characterized by short-term stays with little or no commitment to the communities in which they move temporarily. Usually for groups of people that travel for business, education, or nomads."

(*Self-made definition) 

 

I am a proud Colorado native. No I haven't left from the beautiful places I was born and raised. Yes, I am still here and I love this place so much. But there are some negatives to the culture here that I think have only become more apparent overtime, especially as one whom identifies themselves as a millennial. 

The definition of a millennial according to Merriam Webster is, 

"of, relating to, or belonging to the generation of people born i the 1980's or 1990's: of or relating to millennials" (“Millennial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millennial. Accessed 30 May. 2026.).

As one who was born in the 1990's, 1992 if you care about specifics, I've observed over the last decade in my life some huge shifts in the beautiful state of Colorado. One, the massive migration of Americans from other states that have higher living costs such as California, Texas, and Florida. According to the Department of Local Affairs from the State of Colorado website, over 200,000 individuals migrated to Colorado from many other states. Keep in mind, the end of this range is the beginning of the pandemic you can probably add another 200,000-400,000 relocating to Colorado from states with strict pandemic restrictions. Colorado did not close parks, national parks, playgrounds or trails during the pandemic that really helped all people to cope with these restrictions. See graphic below with link in caption to view original source.

Image from Department of Local Affairs of the State of Colorado website link.

Secondly, Colorado is one of many sanctuary cities like California, Maine, or New York amongst others. According to Pew Research there are 25k-100k of illegal immigrants that have been welcomed into Colorado in 2023. See graphic below and view this link to original source.

Okay, let's pause and take a moment to consider this massive population influx into Colorado. Considering Americans migrating to Colorado plus the average of 2023 unauthorized immigrants to the state of Colorado being around 260,000 people added to the population! This is just an estimate! If I could find more data for 2020-2026, I'm sure we can probably add another 400,000. We'll just have to wait for the 2026 Census data to come in. 

The Colorado population in 2020 was 5.7 million people. That would be a 4.5% increase as a low estimate from my measly inaccurate numbers. According to United States Census Bureau from late 2021 article titled, "Colorado Among the Fastest-Growing States the Last Decade". The Colorado population in 2010 from the last Census according to Wikipedia (the data wouldn't load from the Census, I known I'm sorry) was about 5 million. That is a huge increase!!

Why does the increase in population matter? 

Because it effects quality of life in every area. The biggest qualms of Coloradans (natives) are housing costs, traffic, a shift in political affiliation, and an increase in population density effecting outdoor pursuits and many other areas. 

Colorado is no longer affordable, full of road rage and traffic dense, and our trails are full of people where one has to travel deep into the backcountry or more than 2 hours to find solitude in nature. Competing for jobs from all remote workers that relocated during the pandemic and have shifted mountain life in large ways (this is a very big issue that deserves its own article) by pushing out locals because of the increase in housing prices and rent, with little put into the local economy because of remote work. Think Crested Butte, Telluride, and other mountain towns. 

The I-25 and I-70 corridors are full of congestion, highly dense traffic patterns (remote work didn't help...), and 3+ hour one-way ski traffic in the winter on I-70 when it used to be 1 hour Keystone resort from Golden. 

Who wants to have their daily commute from 20-30 minutes increase to +45 minutes one-way? Colorado has historically had above average housing costs but with this increase in population it's surged to not affordable at all especially for renters. According to USA Realty, Denver housing prices have doubled since 2016 from about $300,000 to $600,000 (source found here). 

To cope with all these changes it's been tough for those who have been living in Colorado for decades or who were born and raised here like myself. I will be the first to admit that these changes have happened over a decade and that is plenty of time to adjust, but during the 3 years of the pandemic like many other states, these changes were rapid. 

Why this matters for a millennial who calls the suburb of Denver home? 

I've decided to take some time to write about these rapid changes in Denver because it matters to me. But also because I know that I am not the only one who has been effected by these rapid changes. I meet people every day who have the same complaints as me whether a rare native or a new transplant. 

As a 1992 millennial, I want to connect with other millennials to find meaningful community. The Colorado front range has many universities, colleges, and higher education programs. I cannot tell you how many millennials I have met that move here temporarily to earn their degree then move out of Colorado or settle in a different area of Colorado. To the reader, this may sound normal, and I would agree with you except for the following cavets...

🥕 I call myself a native and you call yourself a transplant

As a native to Colorado, I call Colorado home, and I want to have a quality life. Good job, roof over my head, earn a living wage, and explore the beautiful wilderness that is just a quick drive from Denver. I'd rather live with friends, have roots in community, and start a family. How does this all happen by getting connected with other millennials and meeting new people through meet ups, workplace, and community organizations. 

The people I tend to connect with most and seek out are other millennials. These millennials using have just relocated or migrated to Denver temporarily to earn a degree or have moved here to experience the great outdoors or a better balance of affordability (depending on the time frame). Most are here to try it out. I'm more than welcome to meeting new people and building relationships. The trend that happens though is that after 2-4 years, most millennials earn their degree, marry, or move out of Colorado or relocate to begin their lives. What does that mean for a native like myself? It means that every 2-4 years I lose friends, and I have to start over. 

I like to call this cycle, a transient culture. For single working professional and a person of Christian faith, this is very tough. When I find my people after years of effort finally building the foundation for a long-term friendship they earn their degree and say goodbye. Or others try Colorado and don't appreciate the quality of life because of the affordability, horrible traffic, and difficulty finding jobs so they move on. For a Denver Christian Millennial this is absolutely devastating when it happens once, but every 2-4 years create a sense of hopelessness to find a spouse, or at least a community of people whom I can rely on for the hard days or emergencies that end up coming at one time or another. 

The trend in transient culture as defined at the beginning of this blog post is lots of lonely, depressed or anxious millennials longing for deeply rooted friendships but not actually building long lasting friendships or community because of their temporary status in Colorado typically earning a degree. These transient transplants are welcoming wonderful people but with a different goal in mind. I've found that I connect with these millennials, but once they choose to move, I feel used, not valuable enough as a reason to stay and build a life here. I cannot blame them they have a vision and goal in life which is always good, but it hurts. 

On the other hand, those who have chosen to build a life here in Colorado tend to close themselves off to other new comers once they find their people. When you find your people in a faith community, at work, or in other activity groups like meetup most are welcoming, but unavailable consistently to build a solid connection. Most the people you meet here are genuine and sincere but just busy individuals not willing to make the sacrifices necessary for deeper friendships. 

🥕🥕 You say you are welcoming and you can find community in the church, but your actions show that this is not true

For example, churches are supposed to be welcoming and usually are but in a surface level way where they say you're welcome here, but their actions don't actually show it. The trend is welcoming, but not deep, open to conversation on a Sunday but only during those specific Sunday gatherings and no other times. Can I blame people for choosing to cling to others they have spent a long time building that foundation of connection? Absolutely not, because trust me I understand a little too well the journey you took to finally find your people. 

I know that you have to work extra hard to earn a living to have a house, and that requires a lot of time for a commute where you're tired from the end of the day. So thinking about driving another 30 minutes out of your way after a long work day to connect with someone you don't know seems like a little too much. That is the sad truth of transient culture. Y'all I am so tired of meeting new people, laying the ground work with people who are interested in friendship but I learn months later by their actions that they don't have the time or are just too busy for another new friendship or connection, or they are moving towards their vision that doesn't mean building a life here in Colorado. 

🥕🥕🥕 Stuck in a beginning, moving no where, finding transient community not a life

The title of this blog post is 'Always a Beginning'. At 33, at a lost for deeper friendships and longing for just a few people whom I can call best friend or spouse, my heart hurts and I wonder deeply if this cultural trend will improve or if I can fix this problem by relocating to a new state or county in Colorado. 

What is the solution here? Pray? Of course, keep trying with hope but a heart that is sick (Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick.") Bringing this hurt to the Lord and having faith that He will work out all things for my good and his glory (Romans 8:28 paraphrase). I love living here for the most part because I love the easy access to the outdoors and the climate, but there are things I don't like too. Do the bad out weigh the good enough to relocate? For me this has been the question I ask myself year after year. How long Lord? How long? 

Reader, if you are also feeling this way, you are not the only one. God sees you and your pain. Maybe next time you're at church and you see a new face, say hello and choose to sacrifice some time to let others know you get how hard it can be. Choose to love and hope even when it's tough. 

God bless, 

Kim