Spring 2013.
We had reached a point in life where we knew it was time to make a major decision for our family. After years in Kuwait, we wanted a different future for our children — one that offered space, opportunity, community, and a different pace of life.
At the time, MSN was still one of the dominant search engines. One evening, while researching family-friendly cities in the United States, I came across an article ranking the ten best places to raise a family. Fort Collins was ranked #4. Redmond, Washington was #2.
Those two cities became our focus.
The plan was simple. Travel to both places during the summer, experience them firsthand, then make a decision.
July 4, 2013: An unforgettable day to arrive in America
On July 4, 2013, we landed at Denver International Airport. An unforgettable day to arrive in America.
As we drove north toward Fort Collins, I remember feeling slightly unsettled. I had imagined winding mountain roads and dramatic elevation changes — something closer to Tennessee, or the images people associate with Colorado. Instead, we drove through wide open plains with the Rockies stretched across the horizon like a painted backdrop.
But something about it stayed with me.
The morning that changed everything
We rented a furnished apartment off Timberline Road for the scouting trip. The next morning, around 6 a.m., I sat on the carpet beside the open balcony door with a cup of coffee in my hand. The cool summer breeze drifted through the apartment while the city quietly woke up around us.
This feels right.
That feeling only grew stronger.
Old Town: warmer than expected
The first time we visited Old Town, I was genuinely surprised by how warm and authentic the city felt. The Town Square was alive, but never overwhelming. People were relaxed. Families lingered outside coffee shops. Small businesses lined the streets, each one feeling original rather than manufactured.
We wandered into shops like The Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Company and Walrus Ice Cream, and somehow even those small moments became memorable. There was personality everywhere.
What stood out most to me, though, was the people.
I remember telling myself how genuinely nice and welcoming everyone seemed. Complete strangers smiled at us, asked where we were visiting from, and enthusiastically shared recommendations on places to explore, restaurants to try, and events happening around town. None of it felt forced. There was an openness and warmth that immediately resonated with us.
At the end of the day, it was not just the scenery, the events, or the charm of Old Town that stayed with us. It was those interactions — the kindness, the smiles, and the effortless way the city made us feel welcome without trying too hard.
The painted pianos
Then there were the painted pianos scattered throughout downtown.
At the time, I had no idea they were part of the Pianos About Town program, a collaboration between the Bohemian Foundation, the City of Fort Collins, and the Downtown Development Authority. Local artists transform donated upright pianos into public art pieces that people can actually play. Nearly 200 pianos have been painted over the years.
But as a visitor experiencing it for the first time, it simply felt magical.
A summer of discovery
That summer, we immersed ourselves in everything we could. We attended Cheyenne Frontier Days, explored Estes Park, listened to live music, visited the Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur, and spent countless evenings simply driving around neighborhoods trying to imagine what life here would feel like.
Fort Collins kept answering the question before we could even ask it.
The decision that surprised even us
By the end of the trip, we made a decision that surprised even us.
We canceled the Washington portion of the scouting trip entirely.
Instead, we registered the children for school in Fort Collins, flew back to Kuwait, packed up our lives, closed one chapter, and began another.
I have never regretted that decision.
More than a decade later
More than a decade later, I still understand exactly why Fort Collins captured us the way it did. It was never just the scenery, the events, or the charm of Old Town. It was the interactions, the kindness, the smiles, and the effortless way the city made us feel welcome without trying too hard.
Fort Collins balances growth with character, energy with calm, and community with individuality in a way that is difficult to explain unless you have experienced it yourself.
Some places impress you.
Some places stay with you.
Fort Collins did both.