How Old Town, Fort Collins charmed a foreigner like me
Ever since I was a little first-grade girl, all I have known was travel. With travel comes discovery and knowledge of the world we live in. I followed my parents everywhere they went, so that meant places all over the globe. All I remembered growing up was big cities, fast paced living, and a very metropolitan setting.
Fast-forward to present day me. I am a Saudi Arabian that is studying in a small town in northern Colorado named Fort Collins. Fort Collins was founded as a military outpost of the United States Army in 1864. To be honest with you, I would never have been interested in it if Iwere to read that sentence right there. This is why I am going to present Fort Collins and its Old Town more personally through my eyes.
I have come to notice that the essence of Fort Collins is low-key. Low-key can be seen as a negative connotation with the town, however it is not. Low-key is beautiful when it comes to Fort Collins and its Old Town.
November 16, 2015, was the first birthday I celebrated in Fort Collins. We started the night by going to the local shops of Fort Collins in Old Town, and strolled through the twinkling lights that were placed on the overwhelming large trees. Since I was used to metropolitan cities, it came as a shock to me that Old Town was considered the downtown of Fort Collins at first. However, I grew to adore its cozy, rustic, and simple yet modern aesthetic. We went to a little hookah bar in Old Town called, Algiers, where I found a different setting than what i was used to. It was small, comfortable and very interactive. By that I mean it’s set-up in a way where its like the whole place is one table, so you meet all kinds of interesting people. When the night ended i realized that the streets were completely empty… it was only 10 o’clock. I fell in love with the peace and quiet, which i didn’t expect as a city girl. I ended up cherishing that night, because it was the night that made me fall in love with Old Town.
Now, as a girl raised in the city, I may have a different view of its simplicity. Meaning that, I was drawn to Fort Collins as a new way of living. Locals and other newcomers may argue that it is a boring, small town with nothing to offer and that they don’t see themselves evolving here. In my opinion they are taking the concept of Fort Collins all wrong. When you realize that Old Town’s local shops, small population, and humbleness is beautiful, you can begin to be enchanted.
Feel free to share your Old Town stories in the comment section below!
