In Intro to American Studies today we discussed the myth of
the frontier and how there’s still an inescapable urge to want to move west,
leave civilization behind and start over by living off the land. It’s a
romantic idea, sure, but one that seems easier said than done. My dad, who’s a
lawyer in D.C., is as gentrified as they come. He plays tennis and likes to
unwind with a nice red at the end of a long workday. But every so often he
talks about moving west upon retirement, where he can live in our house in
Steamboat, CO and hike all summer and ski all winter. He speaks of the west
like it’s the only place he can feel free.
