A lot of people ask me where I"m from. The list rivals that of any Army brat: Provo, Bountiful, North Salt Lake, St. George, Midway, Salt Lake City. (ok, and Army brat in the nation of Zion, I never left Utah)(unless you add Voronezh, Russia; Pan Yu, China and Cleveland, Ohio).
Since Heber Valley is where my parents still live and where I graduated from high school, people assume that is where I call home. But I quickly correct them: "I grew up in St. George. That is my hometown." And I feel that way. All of my fond childhood memories are in St. George. I get nostalgic when I go there and feel the sun rays that are unique to Dixie. When I smell the smells of the sparse vegetation and see the desert landscapes and sprawling urban blight, I feel like I'm home... felt like I was home.
But more and more, Salt Lake is becoming my home. I have, after all, lived her the longest of any single city: 12 years and counting. This is where I came when I finally struck out on my own. I came knowing nobody and having nothing, but an associates degree from Dixie and some skills with a sauté pan and a spatula.
I eventually found a job at Chili's and a place to live. Originally it was alone in a boarding house with some ex-homeless dudes and a billion cockroaches (which my biology teacher said couldn't live in Utah. Apparently, he failed to factor in the filth that can be accumulated by some people.)
I was able to find some roommates, got accepted into the U's accounting program and found the love of my life. All within a few blocks of the Temple. Even my first job after my MBA program was a block from Chili's, my first SLC employer. And my first apartment after marriage was a block from my old apartment and 4 blocks from Chili's.
Now I live 6 blocks due south of that same Chili's and work 1 block north of the Energy Solutions Arena (Delta Center). So you can see, I'm pretty tied to this geography.
I really like my old neighborhood and the old timey houses, as sucky as ours is. Our ward is weird, because it is more like a "missionfield" ward than a Utah ward. Our neighbors are interesting as well. The confirmed bachelor to the West who spends more time on his vehicles than most do on their career and family put together. The cute couple to the East who single handedly raised the property value of my home $10K each (they are really hot). There is the Bolivian/San Salvatore family across the street. 4 generations, last I checked. That isn't bad, it's the pet pit bulls that bother me. But the son, Jimmy, makes up for it by being a really good drummer in a Death Metal band and I love to listen to them play. Of course, we have the former bishopric member sharing our backyard who has laid claim to about 500 sq. ft of our yard, thieving bastard that he is.
All in all, it is a fun place to live. I'm a mile from NBA games, concerts of all types and genres. I have access to all sorts of ethnic foods. I work with a girl from Beijing, I stop and chat with a former Chili's cook from Mexico all the time who lives near my home. We had grilled sausages last Saturday overlooking the valley from Federal Heights with a mathematics professor from Serbia. My two best friends from the MBA program are Samoan and Congolese.
I get crap my from brothers as being a "city slicker". Having been to some big cities in my day, here and abroad, Salt Lake is decidedly NOT a big city. It has a very small town feel. Small town atmosphere with big city luxuries. And I love how June 3 is cool enough to need a jacket in the morning.
Since Heber Valley is where my parents still live and where I graduated from high school, people assume that is where I call home. But I quickly correct them: "I grew up in St. George. That is my hometown." And I feel that way. All of my fond childhood memories are in St. George. I get nostalgic when I go there and feel the sun rays that are unique to Dixie. When I smell the smells of the sparse vegetation and see the desert landscapes and sprawling urban blight, I feel like I'm home... felt like I was home.
But more and more, Salt Lake is becoming my home. I have, after all, lived her the longest of any single city: 12 years and counting. This is where I came when I finally struck out on my own. I came knowing nobody and having nothing, but an associates degree from Dixie and some skills with a sauté pan and a spatula.
I eventually found a job at Chili's and a place to live. Originally it was alone in a boarding house with some ex-homeless dudes and a billion cockroaches (which my biology teacher said couldn't live in Utah. Apparently, he failed to factor in the filth that can be accumulated by some people.)
I was able to find some roommates, got accepted into the U's accounting program and found the love of my life. All within a few blocks of the Temple. Even my first job after my MBA program was a block from Chili's, my first SLC employer. And my first apartment after marriage was a block from my old apartment and 4 blocks from Chili's.
Now I live 6 blocks due south of that same Chili's and work 1 block north of the Energy Solutions Arena (Delta Center). So you can see, I'm pretty tied to this geography.
I really like my old neighborhood and the old timey houses, as sucky as ours is. Our ward is weird, because it is more like a "missionfield" ward than a Utah ward. Our neighbors are interesting as well. The confirmed bachelor to the West who spends more time on his vehicles than most do on their career and family put together. The cute couple to the East who single handedly raised the property value of my home $10K each (they are really hot). There is the Bolivian/San Salvatore family across the street. 4 generations, last I checked. That isn't bad, it's the pet pit bulls that bother me. But the son, Jimmy, makes up for it by being a really good drummer in a Death Metal band and I love to listen to them play. Of course, we have the former bishopric member sharing our backyard who has laid claim to about 500 sq. ft of our yard, thieving bastard that he is.
All in all, it is a fun place to live. I'm a mile from NBA games, concerts of all types and genres. I have access to all sorts of ethnic foods. I work with a girl from Beijing, I stop and chat with a former Chili's cook from Mexico all the time who lives near my home. We had grilled sausages last Saturday overlooking the valley from Federal Heights with a mathematics professor from Serbia. My two best friends from the MBA program are Samoan and Congolese.
I get crap my from brothers as being a "city slicker". Having been to some big cities in my day, here and abroad, Salt Lake is decidedly NOT a big city. It has a very small town feel. Small town atmosphere with big city luxuries. And I love how June 3 is cool enough to need a jacket in the morning.
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