It’s odd. No matter where I go, I hear people complain about where they live. It’s too boring. Or cold. Or hot.
However, out of all the places I’ve lived, Utah tops the charts when it comes to complaints. Sure, it has plenty to keep you entertained, and it certainly doesn’t get as cold or hot as humid states, but become a resident and suddenly you relinquish your claim to completely love it here.
It’s true that many people find it an odd place to live because they’re surrounded by a culture quite different from their own: the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You’ll find more stores closed on Sunday, the streets become a ghost town during that same time, and throughout the week, you won’t find a single bottle of alcohol on display in grocery stores.
I’m sure there are even more reasons why others might experience a great culture shock when they move here, whether members of the Church or not. I mean, people complain even if they are members who have lived here their whole life.
Like I said before, most everyone has a gripe with the place they live.
These are mine. Why I love it and hate it here all at once.
For the sake of respect, since in many ways it is a privilege that I can call this place home, I’m going to start and end with the reasons I love it here. To protect your sanities, I’ll keep the praises brief—I don’t want anyone going mad with anticipation. (That’s right. I know y’all just really want to know why I don’t like it here.)
So, why do I love it here?
The most amazing and the most taken for granted part of this state: the mountains. I’m located far enough north that I could walk to the mountains, if I wanted to.
As a person who loves the outdoors, I love all the recreational opportunities this creates. We can go hiking, skiing, snowboarding, relaxing in hot springs, driving through canyons, camping, rock climbing, backpacking, summiting, snow shoeing, trail running, sledding, or just have a picnic surrounded by a magnificent view of bushy trees and rocky mountain surfaces. Most of those things don’t cost money. I even know a way to go cross country skiing for $15 total (and that’s assuming you have zero equipment).
I also like how peaceful it is on Sunday. Some people might dislike it, but for me, it’s nice to have the world quiet down once a week. With how busy life gets, we could all use a little more slowing down as a community.
Okay. Now the details you really want to know. Why I don’t like it, at times.
In Provo I’m surrounded by a mass of university students, mostly single, mostly younger than me. As a graduate who is married and in a different stage of life, it can feel isolating. It’s not totally awful—I still get to play soccer recreationally and although many of my friends have moved, not everyone has left yet. I’m not totally on my own. But I am starting to feel more and more that this is no longer the place for me.
Out of all the places I’ve lived, this is the most contentious. Again, I think living in Provo makes my perspective skewed. However, I’ve seen a lot of passionate people struggle to find accord with those who possess different opinions. And they can’t escape one another. Everyone seems to have a valiant cause to fight for, but few seem to have the time to try to understand one another—respectfully and sincerely.
As a girl who usually feels like a middle grounder, I hate watching disturbing discords take place. People don’t need to agree with one another, but progress won’t be made if we can’t find a way to communicate without creating hate. And even if progress still happens somehow, it’s hard to know how right you really are if you’re not willing to see things from other’s points of view.
My final complaint about Utah: the dryness.
Yes. Some people prefer it. My skin doesn’t. I don’t mind that the winters and summers are bearable, but my sensitive, already dry skin screams whenever we transition between seasons. It not only looks bad, but it hurts.
Despite all the annoyances, here’s one final reason I like living in Utah: I have a pretty good life here. There’s no war. I have rights and the ability to advocate for myself if I need to. I don’t go out and party, but I do go out to game nights, which is 1000% more satisfying. It’s not extremely cheap, but we can still get by.
Right now, I guess you could say there’s a little more love than hate for my state. It’s okay not to be in love with every single thing about where you live. It’s also okay to lean into the love, step back for a moment, and appreciate what you have.
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