Settling In

I have always been a proud Oregonian. I love the trees, the ocean that is 40 minutes from my house, and the mountains/lakes that are also 40 minutes from my house. I love Oregon college football (Go Ducks) and the Seattle Mariners. I love the hippies, the health food stores, the Starbucks or fill-in-the-blank coffee shop on every corner. I love downtown Portland, and all the cultural experiences available there. I love the water, the fog, the way it smells after it rains. I like the cultural diversity, and of course my family. Living in Utah on and off for the past nine years has been a big adjustment to me. There are mountains here, but they aren't the white, volcanic snow-capped ones (Mt. Hood, Jefferson, Adams) that I am used to seeing off in the misty distance. The Mountain West conference is boring to me, and I still haven't been able to get used to the taste of the water. But since we've moved to Orem, we have felt more at home here. I think getting out of the middle of college-central made a big difference: each year the freshman look younger and seem to act more annoying. And each year the traffic crisis gets more out of control. So yesterday, we finally went down to the DMV and got the Utah plates. It was a little sad to let go of my Oregon identity labeling my car, but it was time. I just really hope that we don't turn into "Utah drivers"!