Jamie Gallegos, a native of Colorado, runs for exercise in the foothill mountains surrounding Boulder, where this month's cover photograph was taken. Gallegos lives and works in the Denver suburbs on the northwestern side of the city, but adds, "My heart is in Boulder, and we hope to return there someday."
"We" refers to her husband, Ian, who is an accountant, and the couple recently celebrated their third anniversary. "We immensely value our time off together; it's a glued–together–at–the–hip type of situation," she said. "We enjoy cooking vegan meals together; we abstain from consuming animal products and have been pursuing a vegan lifestyle for almost two years now."
She has been employed at the Arvada Dental Center for four years, where she is one of two hygienists on the staff.
"I work three and a half days a week, Monday through Thursday," Gallegos said. "I thoroughly enjoy working in this office. I've completely fallen in love with my patients there. My favorite part about being a hygienist is that it allows me to build relationships that I would not have acquired otherwise. Laughter is a daily necessity for me, and my wonderful patients get me through the day."
The young couple prefer to spend their weekends outdoors, running and cycling in the nearby mountains. They also help "our 90–year–old neighbor, Annie, run errands. She has tremendously enriched our lives, and we greatly value her friendship."
Arvada, Colorado
Dental Office: Arvada Dental Center
College Attended: Colorado Northwestern Community College, graduated in 2005
Spare time: Gardening, crafting, and reading
Other members of the family: A cat, Belle, who was rescued from the Boulder humane society. "Aside from Ian, she's the love of my life."
