Sweet Disposition

A Californian in Utah: Thoughts and Observations

I'll be honest when I say that a lot of these have to do with driving. A lot of my frustrations are because of operator error. But come on, other times y'all are just making things up, I know it.

1. Getting on the freeway is so bizarre to me. Suddenly I'll be on the wrong side of the street and I'll be howling about how I hope I'm not going to crash into someone. (I talk to myself a lot.) Sometimes I disguise it as singing so other drivers won't be too concerned.

2. Why are all the roads constantly under construction? Does it have to do with the weather, continuously ruining the roads? I'm genuinely curious.

3. I don't know if I can assume that everyone knows about church/Mormon things, even if they aren't Mormon? Can I talk about FHE openly and people will know what I'm saying to them?

4. I really do like living so close to the mountains. It's stunning to see as I'm driving to work or to hang out in Provo.

5. I also really like living so close to so many temples.

6. BYU is such a huge campus and it's overwhelming to me, a humble child from a small-town college in Idaho. I mean, they're allowed to wear shorts to school. I get this thrill from being on campus and knowing that I'm not a student there, but no one else does. 

7. I get really excited about thunder/lightening storms because that rarely happens at home, but I guess here it happens a lot?

8. I literally cannot go anywhere without getting lost. Anywhere. The grid makes absolutely no sense to me, because I was taught how to walk like a model instead of learning useful navigation skills as a young woman. It might be too late for me to learn them now. On many occasions, people let out a sigh of exasperation as I call them, half an hour late, telling them I'm lost. "You don't know where EAST is?! North, South, East, West?!? I said N 800 E!" (And in my mind, I picture Pocahontas and that part with her crazy spinning arrow and I get even more confused.) I realize that this is an embarrassing fault.