Being an out-of-state student from Hawaii, I come from a pretty heavily populated area. Transitioning from a place of density to the small town of Grand Junction was definitely a significant adjustment.
As a senior, I remember looking back as a freshman and thinking, “what is there to do here?” It took me a while to truly appreciate the beauty of a different kind of outdoor setting, as well as the town and community of Grand Junction itself.
I traded warm, clear water beaches for a picturesque desert canyon, met great friends and found my niche at Colorado Mesa University. I slowly started to notice things around town that people brought to my attention that I never knew existed, such as the pottery painting shop, a hot yoga studio and, of course, the wineries.
Grand Junction is in a tricky situation because the University is helping the town to grow, both in size and in popularity. With growth (and of course, University recruitment) people from all over the world come to Grand Junction with their culture, ideas and personalities. The school has almost everything to do with it of course, but that leaves the city with some catching up to do. And I understand the reasons and morals behind the saying, “keep the country, country,” but with the growth of the town, it’s going to be nearly impossible for it to stay small forever.
Am I saying that Grand Junction is going to become the next Denver? Or the next Boulder? Oh, absolutely not. Never in a billion years. However, there are a few “city” aspects that Grand Junction should adopt to keep up with the growth of the college town.
Uber, is one of the top things on my list. With ThunderStruck Thursdays becoming a hot spot for the of-agers, and house parties popping on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Uber or Lyft is the perfect thing for a growing college town. And with the wait time of MavRides lasting nearly an hour or more for a one-way ride, I would much rather pay five bucks to get home safely without the wait.
The town also lacks food options. Coming from Hawaii, I miss my endless options of different ethnic dishes I could indulge in. I’m not talking one restaurant here and there; I’m talking about options. Why is it that the only Asian food that I can get here is primarily Chinese? And yet there’s not a single Korean restaurant within miles of this place. What about Mediterranean food? Or African food? I would love to have that variety. Also keep in mind that, like I said, there are students here from all over the world. Yes, the world. New restaurant options are so important.
Next on the list: brands. Okay, I noticed that not everyone is a fan of chain restaurants and what-not in Colorado for some reason, and to an extent, I can see why. But there are some certain chains that Grand Junction needs. For example, an In-n-Out. Grand Junction, in my opinion anyway, is kind of like a hybrid between Utah and Colorado. We’re so much like Utah, but we don’t have an In-n-Out here? Come on.
And another thing: our mall needs an upgrade. Can we start with some better cell phone reception please? I’m in a mall, not a jail. I’m allowed to have phone calls and texts. But regarding the topic of brands, how do we lack in huge retail stores that are nearly essential to every mall? For example, a Forever 21? And no, Rue 21 is not the same. What about a Macy’s? It’s just crazy that I have to order online for things that I would normally be able to get at a mall.
I’m not saying that Grand Junction is a crappy town or anything like that. I appreciate the small town vibe of it all. I love how cute and homey downtown Main Street is, and I sincerely appreciate local restaurants like Bin 707 and the Ale House. I’m not proposing to build skyscrapers and bring huge corporate companies in—I’m not Donald Trump, for God’s sake. But I feel like there needs to be a few things that we could add to help the community grow with the University.
