Boise, Boise, yes Boise

I ran into my daughter’s friend Tori the other night. It was good to see her. Only a couple months ago I said good bye to her as she packed for the move back to her native Montana.  The move didn’t last; she has come back to Boise, a place she is comfortable to call home. She said she didn’t how much she had liked Boise, and she was excited to be back.  Boise is a special place; all kinds of people, both those native and those who have relocated, find it easy to call home.

Both my son, Kellen, and my daughter, Katie left Boise and went off to the cool big coastal city for college.  Shelly and I were both sure that Boise would only be a place to visit as they made their way in the world.  We were wrong; each has moved back to the Boise Valley, starting up their homes and independent lives.  Boise is a draw, I am not sure how to describe it; it is beautiful, but there are more stunning places; the downtown is cool, but not very large; the shopping and dining is convient and practical, but not unique; the entertainment is as complete and varied as anywhere, but  small in scale. We do have the best in recreation options.  If you leave California out of the conversation, Boise’s weather is the country’s best.  We have with Boise State Football the best team in the nation.  It is when you package all that Boise has to offer, and combine it with an intimacy created by size, remoteness, and then mix in a people who have a passion for life and the place; you come up with a special area to call home.  The Boise sense of place and home keeps drawing people back and new people to try it out.  My children and their friends have shown that to be so. 

If Boise is not home yet, don’t be afraid to try it out. Boise is a great place where everyone can feel at home.  For those us who already know Boise as home, we are very lucky.