I Went On a Walk and Found Our Soul
Eighteen years ago, Truckee became home. After coming up on weekends and holidays for years, we made the jump. The first weekend of being a true resident, I went to our authentic downtown filled with anticipation and hope for new beginnings. Walking down main street, I entered each store introducing myself. “Hi, I’m Pam.” I asked people what they thought this community needed. I learned about the heart and soul of our region. I was exposed to honest, genuine conversations, and felt a unique openness and vulnerability.
I met makers and creators, talked with passionate pioneers and entrepreneurs. That day I also learned about the importance of collaboration, transparency, and The Truckee Way. I was inspired. I made new friends and discovered projects. All in! Everyone was welcoming with smiles, hugs, and invitations for drinks, dinner, meetings, and opportunities to make a difference.
My heart is, and always has been, with the call of the mountains and the gentle breeze on an alpine lake. Everyone I met started, returned, or moved here for the outdoor adventure. We have opportunity that only a mountain community can give to experience and protect the natural resources in our backyard: The feel of hands gliding through Donner Lake for an early morning swim. Kayak trips down rivers or hefty hikes up passes. The awe of self-reflection in pure wilderness minutes from each of our doorsteps.
We associate with the people in our lives who, like the water and mountains, coexist with a similar community soul. We continue to create a culture that elders before us revered. Change is challenging and inevitable but, as Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” That’s Truckee/Tahoe to me!
~ Pam Hobday, citizen of Truckee
Yeah, I’m a Local. So What.
Apologies, but I find this whole locals thing dispiriting, a dichotomy that unnecessarily divides our community into two tribes, us and them, with membership in us, we the folk who live here, conferring a different sort of status, even a higher status, than they have.
Living in the Truckee/North Tahoe region confers nothing other than the fact of residency. To believe residency somehow makes one special is to miss the importance of why we’re here. The reasons are many, of course, but they all tend to revolve around our alpine Sierra setting — the pine forest, the granite peaks, the cold, clear streams and lakes. We move here, simply put, because we desire a home in the trees and the mountains. It’s an emotional connection.
If you have brought this place into your heart, then it should not matter whether you are a visitor for a day or a resident your entire life. By having this place in your heart, you are more likely to give your heart back to it. If giving back represents a quality we seek as a community, then local, as defined by residency, becomes irrelevant.
Consider our nonprofits, many of which rely on donations from visitors or have nonresidents on their boards of directors. These people, from elsewhere, are helping enhance this place that has taken hold of their hearts, this place that you and I call home. To see these people as other than us is not just counterproductive, it is idiotic.
Let’s move beyond the simplistic, divisive concept of locals as those who live here. Let’s act and think inclusively. Merely living in an exceptional place does not in turn make us exceptional. It merely means we’re lucky as hell. It’s the people who give back, resident and nonresident alike, who we need to applaud, nurture, emulate.
~ Richard Anderson served two terms on Truckee’s Town Council and is now in his second term as a Nevada County Supervisor.
It means devout, 24/7 worship immersion, deep within nature’s wilderness cathedral of staggering beauty and wonderment …
~ Cline, Roundwood Furniture
Locals value a safe and friendly community and interact with the wilderness on a regular basis. The small-town feel, where friends become family, makes us know we all look after one another. Also, locals care for the land, respecting the beauty inside and out of this magical place.
~ Lucila Bratt, L.H.House cleaning
Relatively stress-free living in beautiful surroundings with wonderful neighbors and friends. Philanthropy is well supported, and friends rise to help friends when in need. Nearby trails for doggies’ leash-free romps. Concerned citizens that care about thoughtful development and growth. Vast opportunities for outdoor sports, diverse music, art, dining and fun.
~ Trinkie Watson, Chase International
