A Love Letter to Boulder, Colorado, Sherpani's Hometown

Feb 13, 2024

By Tess Victoria

It's Travel Tuesday, and we celebrate every week by posting on the Sherpani Travel Blog. Today's post is a little different. Rather than exploring somewhere new, we are reflecting on the wonders of our own backyard.

It's no surprise that we love to vacation, but we love to "staycation" as well, and that's because we live in a very special place: Boulder, Colorado. Sherpani was founded here in Boulder in 2002, and today, our headquarters resides downtown, where we also have a storefront (come say hi!).

Since Valentine's Day is tomorrow, we decided to speak about our hometown in a format befitting for the holiday - a love letter. Without further ado, here is our ode to Boulder:

Dear Boulder,

These days, there are many whispers about how you've changed throughout the years. We, too, remember the days before traffic, of buying a vinyl from Bart's on a less-crowded Pearl, and we, too, find comfort in the collective nostalgia.

However, we have learned the art of zooming out to find a more inspired bearing. We learned this trick from you, from the boggling scope of all you have seen. For goodness' sake, today, we parallel park our cars in spots once marked by the footprints of dinosaurs.

We regard your mountains as a constant of our world; even through the rare fog, they remain. Of course, there was a time before our Rockies were born. Though tectonic plates - and a pinch of fate - made the ground give way. Today, your playground of peeks serves as a reminder of how much it is possible to grow.

Your mountains teach us to celebrate the beauty of every season. They are beautiful, coated in powder; they are beautiful, dotted with wildflowers. We are grateful to know the delight of spending a day on your trails, whether on foot, mountain bike or skis. Afterward, we direct shaky legs to barstools and toast in your name by clinking tiny glasses from a celebratory flight of IPAs.

We love how our community has embraced your space. How we gather for the Farmer's Market or shop our way down Pearl Street. How we balance paddleboards on reservoirs and stroll alongside Boulder Creek. Thank you for being home to many small businesses that enrich our lives. Be it a bookstore, bakery, or boutique, each one is a gem, and all are unique. Your galleries hold galaxies, and your cafes are caffeination havens. Your venues hold us while we create and witness art. In dark times, we light the Flagstaff star.

Our hometown pride is a piece of us; we call this our Alpine Heritage. While we love our Buffs and our brews, our roots run deeper, there is no doubt. We love that you are the worst-kept secret. We get what all the fuss is about.

With Deepest Affection,

The Sherpani Team

* Sherpani recognizes that the city of Boulder sits on land that was once home to the Ute and Arapaho tribes of the Native American people.

Thank you for celebrating our city with us! As you can tell, we are proud to be from Boulder. What do you love about the place that shaped you? Could you write a love letter to your hometown?

Regarding Valentine's Day, there are no wrong answers for how to celebrate; we appreciate how this holiday has evolved beyond only romantic love. By the way, today (February 13th) is Galentine's Day! What started fourteen years ago by the popular television series Parks and Recreation has evolved into a real-world holiday. Galentine's Day is to celebrate and honor the female friendships in your life - we can hardly think of a better cause. 💕

All these reasons to celebrate have us feeling warm and fuzzy! We'll see you next week for another Travel Tuesday.

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By women for women, the Sherpani Travel Blog talks about all things travel (& all things Sherpani!). Explore topics like solo travel, destination guides, women's travel safety, personal essays, and much more! This is a space to amplify female voices and celebrate our belief that travel restores the human spirit.

A Love Letter to Boulder, Colorado, Sherpani's Hometown

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