Beneath the glow of disco lights at Truckee’s Queer Prom, I danced through a crowd of familiar faces. I sang along to Britney Spears as a drag queen strutted through our local brewery, drawing cheers from every corner of the room. I sat among climbers watching films about queer athletes, some of whom I’m proud to call friends, pushing the limits of what seemed possible. My favorite time of the year arrived last weekend, and somewhere between the dancing, the laughter, and the stories on the screen, I realized I hadn’t stopped smiling once.

That feeling isn’t something I take for granted.

For the past five years, I’ve made it a point to celebrate Pride Month every June. I like to think of it as my own little holiday. No matter where I am, I make time to find queer community and connect.

I’ve celebrated Pride in many different places. After coming out to my family, I attended my first Pride in Lima, Peru, where LGBTQ+ people still cannot legally marry and where Pride remains as much a protest as a celebration, with thousands taking to the streets each year to demand equal rights.

I celebrated in Madrid, home to one of the largest Pride festivals in Europe, where I witnessed a scale of community I had never seen before. I spent a Pride in Milan, where, for all the stereotypes it fulfills, it seemed as though the soundtrack from Mamma Mia! was playing on every street corner. And now, for the second year in a row, I’ve celebrated Pride in Truckee.

My first time here was a year ago, when I packed my car and drove eight hours from Southern Nevada to a tiny town I had never even heard of before. Arc’teryx, in partnership with Truckee Pride, was hosting its annual Pride climbing weekend, and I had found a reasonably affordable ticket to a trad clinic. I spent my days climbing in Donner Pass and my nights sleeping in my car.

“I think I might stick around here,” I remember saying to some of the people I’d met that weekend. I had fallen head over heels for Truckee.

Within three weeks of that clinic, I ended up applying for a reporting job, getting hired, and moving my life to Truckee-Tahoe. Now, I sit at a desk beneath a Sierra Sun sign, writing stories about a town I’ve learned to love deeply.

So, as I danced the night away this year in the same place where I celebrated Pride last summer, I felt incredibly lucky. What started as a weekend pride climbing trip had somehow turned into a new home, a new job, and a community that continues to surprise me with how deeply people care for one another.

Every year, Pride reminds me of the importance of community. This year, it also reminded me how grateful I am that I found mine here.

One day, I’ll have to choose between returning home to Peru and the ability to get married and build a family protected by law. I don’t look forward to that day. But for now, I’m endlessly grateful for this town, and for everyone who continues to show up, take space, and remind the world that love is beautiful.