“If you don’t take risks, you’ll have a wasted soul.” ~Drew Barrymore

Words to live by. I have loved to write ever since I learned how. I was greatly inspired by my one-of-a kind third grade teacher. I say this because he was the most calm, genuine, creative, soulful and thoughtful human being I have ever known. He walked to the beat of a different drum, in the best possible way. He made you feel like you were seen, heard and special. 

I walked into class one day and found a small journal on my desk. It was covered in red fabric with a tiny floral pattern in pink, blue, green, yellow and speckled with teeny white hearts and dots. It was blank inside except for a quote penned in his neat, unique handwriting that said:

…for your beautiful words and thoughts.

Love,
Spencer

When you are young and impressionable, it means so much to know that you have someone in your corner, someone who believes in you. Maybe the things that I wrote in that little journal were silly, because I was only 8 years old, but I still have it to this day. 

I wrote in it then, but also back in July of 2020, when Spencer passed away. I wrote about the impact he had on me not only in third grade, but throughout my life, as he was also (by no small coincidence I’m sure) my college professor when I began my elementary education program. 

He believed so strongly in “connections” (we once met for coffee and the cafe we went to bore the same name, and he told me that’s why he had chosen it). How fortunate I was to have him as my teacher again! Not surprisingly, the essay I had written to get into said program was about who my inspiration for being a teacher was and you guessed it…I wrote about Spencer. 

I continued to write off and on over the years. Short stories, picture books, even a novel. I actually started a blog many years ago, but never truly gave it a chance. I never focused my attention on it enough to attract and grow an audience. I made up excuses and lacked the ability to concentrate and make my writing a priority. 

I’m simply saying that wanting to do something and actually doing the thing are entirely different! This time though, I am proud to say that I am ACTUALLY DOING THE THING!!!!! And for me, this is a huge deal. 

My fascination for small towns began when doing research for the historical fiction novel I have been writing for years. After leaving a teaching job that caused me so much stress that I ended up in the hospital for 8 days, I decided to do something I never had before. I took a trip to the tiny town of Cripple Creek, Colorado…by myself. 

I realize that might not sound so crazy to most, but it was for me. I married young, had a lot of kids, and with that, a lot of responsibilities. I didn’t have a lot of time or money to travel, and to be honest there was a certain sense of guilt I had with leaving my family and doing something for myself. I would suspect there are many women who feel the same, warranted or not. 

What was truly so intriguing was that in its heyday, Cripple Creek was “The World’s Greatest Gold Camp”…a booming gold mining town with a population of about 50,000 people and a plethora of opera houses, saloons, brothels, newspapers and even a stock exchange. 

Yet so many years later, you would never know unless you had done your homework. While it is nestled down in a pretty little valley and many of the Victorian style and brick buildings exude charm…the town itself is sleepy. Here is an excerpt from a journal entry I wrote during my visit…

June 26th, 2018

Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am actually here. I would imagine most people don’t dream about coming to a sleepy little town like this…but that’s because they don’t see it like I do. I wish I could go back in time and see it when it was bustling and prosperous. When gold was what people sought, the prospect of striking it rich. When young men and women were eager, when there was hope for the future. Before raging fires, union strikes, and abundant crime. Before greed and corruption took over and destroyed their hopes and dreams. I’m going to bring it back to life…and that is why I am here. Sleep no longer, Cripple Creek…it’s time to rise up from the ashes again. It’s time to wake up!

My time there made me wish I had money to invest in the town…to revitalize it. To remind people of its rich history, but at the same time, be able to draw them there with arts, entertainment and more restaurant options. 

I loved that the place I stayed was one of the old hospitals turned into an inn, and that an old school had been turned into a bed and breakfast. I love the idea of old turned new. 

I could envision the town being so much more. At one point, I wandered off the main street and saw some dilapidated old houses and I wanted to buy them all, remodel them and sell them or run them as vacation rentals. 

Seeing them all abandoned made me wonder about what they once were…what they looked like, who lived in them, and what stories their walls held. If walls could talk, right? It also brought me great sadness for their current condition. 

And so…while I do not have the funds to restore and revive these towns with their charming little histories, I do have the ability to share their heart and soul. To share the stories that brought them to life in the first place, and the secrets that they keep. 

After years of thinking about it and dreaming about it, I’m finally doing it. I am feeling the pull to do the research, take the trips, and tell the stories. 

If you feel encouraged to get out and do the same, I’ll share tips for places to stay, and where to find the best hidden coffee shops, bakeries and bookstores. You don’t have to go far to find them…some of the most charming towns in America might be right under your nose! 

*****This post is dedicated to the beautiful, sparkly, Stacey Marie Lemke, my BFF who would have turned the big 5-0 today. I can envision us celebrating on a cruise ship, her looking spectacular as always! I can picture her now…in a rose gold outfit, hair and nails on fleek, makeup = absolute perfection, copious amounts of glitter, and a cocktail in hand. I miss her every single day, but I know she is with me on every journey💖