It's so quaint,

you should move there. My home town made the front page of the nearest city's newspaper this weekend. Its charm and character are attracting more retirees and businesses, entrepreneurs and artists. I fear that soon all of the locals will be forced to move, an experience that many Coloradan mountain resort towns know all too well. The logging families and teachers will retreat further into the Hills. The volunteer firemen and gas station attendants and gift shop owners will sell the homes they can no longer afford in order to commute from more affordable housing.

The thing is, I'm proud of how my town has grown up. It is thriving and beautiful; not a tourist trap. The galleries celebrate our culture while other area towns' bargain barn souvenir strip malls mask it. I remember when the main city bypass was gravel and I remember when we got our stop light. I'm sappy and sentimental. I want to stay away in order to protect my memories. Heck, my hearts even a little broken that the basketball court where I played my earliest pick up games has been demolished. Will it survive my hometown's ascension to Quaint?