Taking Action in Steamboat Springs
Photo by Chris Holder on Unsplash
Long time, no post — Woops.
My explanation: Since returning back to the U.S. from South America, I have been on the move. I spent a couple months with family back in Florida and while doing so, I prepared for my next adventure — this time to live in a beautiful, western mountain town called Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Why Steamboat? It’s simple really. Ever since I moved to Denver, CO in 2018, It’s been a dream of mine to live in the mountains of Colorado and when I found a rare opportunity to lock down reasonable housing, I jumped on it. I decided not to over-think which town I would move to and just go where housing fell together. However, the more I thought about Steamboat’s location, community and essence, the more living here seemed like the perfect next step for me.
Being from Florida, a lot of people wonder how I discovered I wanted to live in the mountains. My cheesy answer: I found my truest self through travel. First it was my travels in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia in 2016-2017. Then, it was South America. In every region of the world I’ve been fortunate enough to experience so far, I’ve always been most entranced by the smaller communities in mountainous regions (i.e. Glenorchy, NZ/Phrao, Thailand/Jardin, Colombia/Cotopaxi, Ecuador/El Chalten, Argentina/ El Calafate, Chile to name a few). While visiting these places and connecting with locals, I always came back to the realization that sustainable community development and responsible tourism is extremely important in places like these, in particular. If we want to preserve their natural beauty and cultural charm for generations to come, we must protect them. I also rekindled my love for the mountains I know best in places like these, often thinking about the Rockies in Colorado where many of my mountain adventures and passions evolved. While developing a deep appreciation for everywhere I was visiting, it became obvious to me that I wanted to live in the mountains of the U.S. to continue studying and practicing sustainable development of the mountain communities I’ve explored most, this time with a closer lens.
After just a few months in Steamboat, I secured an opportunity to work with the Steamboat Springs Chamber of Commerce in a Communications and Administrative Manager role so I can use my skills to support the economic development and vitality of the Yampa Valley region (where Steamboat is located). Through this role, I hope to study and learn all there is to know about the community’s strengths and needs, and be exposed to the challenges and issues that not only this town but many other mountain towns across the world are struggling with. I want to understand the needs of the businesses, residents and workers in a resort town and educate them on the benefits of tourism while working with them to reduce the negative impacts. My intention for my time in Steamboat is to immerse myself completely into a resort mountain community that is going through a major shift — growing into more of a resort town that caters to and relies on tourism from the small, ranching community it has historically been known as. I want to listen to the opinions and frustrations of long-time locals, meet with new business owners, educate the younger residents on who the Chamber is and why it exists, bring stakeholders together, and work with community to leaders to help create solutions to some of the most pressing problems.
It’s time to elevate my relationship with responsible tourism from learning and educating to taking action. I’m excited about my new opportunity with the Chamber as I see it as a valuable way to test what I’ve learned, gain a deeper understanding of the needs/challenges of mountain communities, and hopefully help me to realize how responsible tourism practices can have the greatest impact on places like this. Here’s to focus, immersion and the never-ending opportunity to learn.
