Dillon Mitchell loves Colorado, but, it's "too expensive, too busy and there's just too much going on right now."
After 24 years, he and his family just left his home for a new start in Iowa, where he says he’ll pay $472 per month for a two-bedroom.
He’s struggling to save money while paying bills and raising a young daughter with his wife. It’s a battle over limited resources.
“You get stuck in traffic, even when it’s not rush hour. You have to have an incredible job just to be able to pay your rent … When it’s just me and my wife, we can go without some things. We can kind of live on the edge or whatever, there’s no worries. When you have a child, you want to be able to save money,” Mitchell says.
"Transplant" isn’t a dirty word to Mitchell. In a letter he posted online, he writes, “So transplants, sorry for that. This place is as much your home as it is anyone else's . Enjoy it. Take care of it. Cherish it, because if you treat her right she will give you all you could ever dream for.”
Mitchell, who has lived in Bailey and Glendale, came back from Iowa on Monday, to pick up his car and say goodbye to Colorado. He joined us on Next for the debut of our new segment, “I love you Colorado, but ___.” While he's happy to see his home flourish and evolve, Mitchell told us, "If you're moving here from out of state, you moving here can displace another family who's already been here."
You can watch our piece with Mitchell above. Read his original letter below.
A lot of people have love for Colorado, and a lot of those people have a “but.” Do you have an end to the sentence, “I love you, Colorado, but____?” Let us know by emailing next@9news.com, through Facebook or with #HeyNext.
This is more for me to have closure than anyone or anything else so disregard if you so choose. I've lived my entire life here in Colorado. 22 years in Denver and 2 up in the mountains. Colorado will always be my home, always be special to me. But it's changed. No longer can a family find a large apartment for an affordable price. No longer are other bills doable, because rent has become so high. And there's nothing wrong with that! Denver has grown up from that cool teenager to an upscale suit wearing master businessman. It's been incredible to be here, to watch my daughter be born here, to see it morph into something unique that draws millions of people here. So I'm doing the opposite of trends, and as a native I'm leaving. Next week my family restarts life in Iowa, in a $472 2 bedroom. Where I can afford to save, get a nicer car, splurge once in a while. I cannot express my love enough for denver, so it's very bitter sweet for me. But when the cost of living is so low I just can't pass it up. For my daughter sake. As I said... This post is more for me and closure on being here. I've always been very prideful of my state (2 native stickers haha) but as I'm moving now I see that there are many reasons one would choose to move from ANY state to another state. Everyone has different goals and priorities and denver has pull on many people because of what a fantastic place it is. So transplants, sorry for that. This place is as much your home as it is anyone else's . Enjoy it. Take care of it. Cherish it, because if you treat her right she will give you all you could ever dream for. Take care everyone,I'll stay on the sub to keep up to date on all the happenings. And wish me, my wife, and my amazing motivation called my daughter luck! We're off to start a new chapter of life in a place that while may never be quite as fantastic, will give us opportunities to do so much more for our daughter. Stay mile high everybody haha.
