We “moved” from California to Utah in July — which is a big month, especially when you live in Salt Lake City.
It’s the time of year when people celebrate the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. Even though I’m not a part of the Mormon faith, when Lou and I reached Salt Lake that summer, I felt like I was a pioneer, too. Lou and I were leaving our old life behind so we could hopefully start all over again in a brand new place.
The Wasatch Mountains were so gorgeous, and looking up at them as we rolled into town took my breath away.
The idea that people made that challenging trek over the mountains in covered wagons to reach the valley is pretty impressive to me. Thankfully, we weren’t in a wagon — and we didn’t have to drive over those mountains to get there — but just like the pioneers, I was in search of something better for my future. And, I was hopeful that my season of struggle would finally come to an end in Utah.
But from the moment we arrived, it was a constant effort for me to convince myself that this is where Lou and I were going to live.
Don’t get me wrong… It was a beautiful place, and everyone seemed so healthy and outgoing. I saw lots of people running, biking, and hiking, and there were loads of beautiful families everywhere you looked. People took a lot of pride in how they took care of their homes, and the city was pretty tight and tidy.
But for some reason, I really didn’t like it there. I grew up in the mountains of Colorado — which I thought would make living in Utah seem familiar — but for some reason, the idea of living in Salt Lake felt totally foreign to me, and, everything about being there felt…off.
But Henry and Jim were incredibly welcoming to us, and they went out of their way to help us feel optimistic about this latest transition in our life. I never felt anything but love and support from these two men and their wives — and I really wanted to make things work. I sincerely did. So I shoved my awkward feelings into another part of my being, and I did my best to stay open to the idea that maybe Utah would grow on me.
