As of today, well yesterday, we have been in Utah for 1 month. I'd say it has gone well. Probably better than I expected. There have certainly been some bumps in the road. We've had some adventures, dealt with some culture shock and had a pretty good time.
I think the biggest difference for us out here is how people handle their kids. And everyone has so many! The LDS tend to marry very young and start having kids right away. It's not unusual for a 27 year old to have 5 kids. There just isn't a lot of supervision. The two-year-olds riding bikes alone in the street have really been the hardest thing for me! I just can't watch. There was just had a 3-year old run over in a church parking lot the other day. While it was terribly tragic, neither Jamie or I were surprised at all. I know we tend to be a bit over protective. I think because he's an only child. He's 7 and while he doesn't have to hold our hand in the parking lot he has to stay next to us. No riding in the street unless we are with him, etc. Yeah, people think we're nuts. And I know it can happen to anyone. And letting the kids run amock isn't an LDS "thing" it just seems to be part of the culture here. Or maybe it's part of the culture everywhere but the mostly rural areas we've lived in until now.
Another difference is with the homeschoolers. We've always had to find a balance between the normal and the ultra-little-house-on-the-prairie-Super-Christian homeschoolers. Indiana had a good mix. And here it tends to be just your normal folks, a lot from out of state who don't want their kids going to the LDS run public schools. And so I'm hopeful that we will find a group that suits us and will be able to make friends and fit in quite well. The LDS have their own homeschool groups and keep to themselves.
The stockpiling is weird, though. Presumably, the church has directed its members to keep three months off food, water and supplies on hand. So there are all these businesses for food storage, freeze-dried goods and bulk grains. I believe in keeping a deep pantry just because I know from experience that things happen, emergencies arise, grocery money gets scarce and it's nice to have what you need on hand. Plus, I hate grocery shopping with a passion so keeping a deep pantry means I don't have to go as often. Still the 10-gallon buckets of potato flakes at Wal-mart freak me a out a little. I mean, if Yellowstone blows up the potato flakes aren't going to do you much good. If there is an over throw of the government I guess we'll just join the winning side. Maybe it is just that I lack conviction?
On the same topic, I've not mentioned the "Compounds" as Jamie and I call them. Underground shelters surrounded in barbed wire and patrolled by attack dogs. We see them when we drive around sometimes. I always want to take a picture but I'm afraid they have snipers or something posted around and would think I'm a spy from the Government or something. Jamie and I are thinking of going into the hills and starting our own Cult. Really, though, these compounds aren't much different from some of the places you see in the back woods of WV. Lots of guns, anti-government, completely off the grid and without indoor plumbing. It does kind of freak you out to see them. We saw people out in the "yard" of one of them one day. They just looked like a normal family. Except for all the Mommies. Oh I kid, I kid!!!!!
We have not met one native Utahn. Jamie has at work but here in the neighborhood, not one. Everyone is a transplant like us. Everyone we have met, though, has been very friendly and more than helpful. Jamie was the last transplant brought on at work so the guys there have given him lots of advice and we have really appreciated that. It's good to learn from other people's mistakes.
We love this house. The neighborhood is really nice. However, we would never, ever, never buy a house in here. They actually tell you in the covenants how many square feet of grass you have to have and how big the flowers you plant can be. You can't plant anything new in the front unless it is at least a gallon pot. No veggies. No fruit trees. Any tree must be over 6-feet tall. Call me crazy but why OWN a house a let someone else make all the decisions. We rent and get all the same benefits only we don't have to pay for any repairs or upkeep. Yeah, and people look down on us for being renters. I'd say we are the smarter ones. That and we didn't lose $100,000 of the value of our house last year.
I'm not sure how I feel about Utah yet. I like a lot of things about it. The mountains are incredible. I love all the openess, the ski areas, the outdoorsyness. I love getting out of our part of town and seeing people with horses and sheep and giant gardens in their backyard. I guess I'm a country girl at heart. I'm enjoying living it up here a little but when it comes right down to it, I'd never stay here in this area. I'm not sure we'll stay in Utah for more than 5 or 6 years. However long the project is. I've always tried to make wherever we lived be "it" for us. THE house, the place we'll settle down and make a long-term life. I don't feel that way here. I think that is a good thing. I don't have unrealistic expectations. I'm not waiting for the impossible. I'm just enjoying our time here. I'm willing to wait and see what happens.
I'm not expecting miracles and I'm enjoying the adventure. It seems to make all the difference in the world.
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