i have arrived in utah where i will be for the next three months.
right now three months seems like an interminable amount of time to spend in a place where i don't really know anyone. in a room that feels awfully tiny, awfully white, and awfully far from home.
but the mountains are large and green and one feels like they might just reach out their hand and actually touch them.
so i'll let the mountains do their work on me. and i'll be okay.
even if i have to cry a bit along the way.
like yesterday. on the plane. because i don't know that i've ever been so frightened. or felt so far away from what i had once imagined for my life.
or like today. because i miss my parents (and some really darn good tex-mex food).
but parents (and lupe's) will be in texas when i return in september.
and new york will be on the cusp of autumn when i finally make it back.
and who knows where life will be. and that's the exciting part, right?
46 comments:
Don't know if it seems weird, but, I'm a friend of Naomi's and I live here, in Utah. If you need anything I would be happy to help. I've read your blog for some time now and think it's wonderful. I know Utah can be intimidating. So, if you need a friend or this or that, I'd be happy to.
oh you are in my town. and i'm actually in washington now. but i would say the mountains are what i miss the most. so make really good friends with them because you will miss them when you leave.
have fun!
I hope you love Utah by the end of your stay. You will only see our summer but we have 4 beautiful seasons here. Take advantage of our fabulous mountains. It gets hot, but without the humidity you won’t even notice it! That is the beauty of the desert. I don't know where you will be but our people are weird and wonderful all over this great state...Especially the LDS folk...I can say that because I am one!
Meg, Try a little Cafe Rio! (for some yummy "utah" tex mex!)
you are all so kind and making me feel infinitely better. and em if you ever wanna grab an ice cream cone, i'm your gal!
I don't know you, and I can't even remember how I stumbled upon your blog, but I read it, and enjoy it. I'm from Utah, and although I don't technically live here anymore (just home before my wedding), it's not THAT bad. Cafe Rio and Bajio's will become your new best friends, as will the mountains. You just can't go wrong with summertime mountains! Enjoy Utah, it really is a fun/unique place, and the people are pretty friendly too. Good luck, three months will fly by.
hope you can feel the love! i'm sure there are gobs of us utahns who have been anticipating your arrival, are happy to have you, and are hoping you love it as much as we do.
and... know that for every brave stranger soul who leaves a comment, there are lots more secretly crossing their fingers for a gracious welcoming and happy stay, right stranger friends???
Hi Meg! So glad you made it to our pretty state. I hope you have some fun adventures while you're here.
take a warm bath. make some tea. stare at the mountains some more. sleep. and tomorrow--things will look different---and not because they've changed. but because you have.
the unknown is both the greatest scare--and the greatest thrill of life. tip your hat to the fear. acknowledge him. don't deny him. but leave him at home. and go running through those mountain valley's with the thrill.
it is scary. i don't know that i could move that far by myself. but i do know that you have so many people rooting for you and i know this is going to be a great adventure. i'm so excited to come see your play!
cafe rio. any salad with that green creamy dressing.
My advice - Red Butte Garden's concert series and the series at Gallivan Center great music, lots of fun people
welcome to our great state of ut. it's weird but,I love it. don't fret dear you"ll have a gazillion friends by summers end.
You've got a lot of people in your corner. Welcome the change and enjoy the next three months.
hi there. stranger here.
i'm so excited for you! ...teetering on the brink of the unknown. there's something to be said for stability, but how i miss the thrill of change and newness!
i moved to utah and felt like sabrina when i left... it's nowhere near as glamorous as Paris, but i fell in love and grew into myself where you are... and have such fantastic memories.
obviously, enjoy the mountains. and go to sundance. and all the music festivals. and when you go to cafe rio, don't be intimidated.
order a salad:
you tell them:
chicken, pork, or veggie.
(veg is my pref)
black beans.
shredded lettuce.
creamy tomatillo dressing.
you'll eat till you're busting it's so good.
i'm so excited for you!
I second the Cafe Rio and heartily recommend: http://www.rediguana.com/home
I love how you said you're going to let the mountains work on you. 'Tis true, they do work and it's miraculous.
Tears are a sign of soft and open heart that God can work on.
Enjoy your summer in my home state.
SO exciting! I can't wait to see where this adventure leads you :)
yes, you will have tons of friends soon.
And go to Cafe Rio (closest tex mex (but still not as good as Texas)).
Good luck with your adventures.
You can do it Meg! Be strong and have fun!
i second shannon [though i've no idea who she is].
you are a shining star onstage. those heavy green curtains from village were just a beginning.
be sure to keep us [your readers and cheerleaders] posted.
No sadness! I will be your friend! And if you want some good Mex - the Tex, Red Iguana is your place. If you aren't in downtown SLC, I encourage a visit. The suburbs are somewhat lacking, but downtown has a lot of fun little spots.
Oh, Lupe Tortillas!
It's preetty good!
http://wellhellotherelover.blogspot.com
if I could give any word's of wisdom-- I would use a cheesy phrase. Follow your heart. Sometimes you have to be the initiative... you have to step out of your comfort zone! good luck in all of your future endeavors!
I just got back to Utah for the summer too!
And I echo everyone's CAFE RIO sentiments. But I personally love the vinaigrette dressing on the pork salad, versus the creamy ranch-y green one. But you can't go wrong.
SO delish.
Enjoy. The mountains are spectacular, they definitely grew on me a lot.
(assuming you live in Salt Lake...)
for a+ sushi, go to Shogun on South Main Street in SLC.
for amazing (free!!) musical entertainment, look into the twilight series concerts at Pioneer Park (starting in early July.)
for great mexican, of course, find a cafe rio - any location.
for people-watching and thinking time, ride TRAX (not quite the subway, but close enough.)
and for anything else, a good old fashioned foot tour around the city is therapeutic enough for me.
i really hope you find what you're looking for - or at the very least, happiness in all of this.
you're going to make so many friends just from the blog world alone. some of my favorite people in the entire world live in utah and i would love for you meet them if you'd like. some of them even have horses and will take you riding in the mountains if you get a day off. one of them is from texas and feels just as far away from home if you do. tell me if you run out of friends and i will send more your way! best of luck! it sounds like we'll be getting back to texas and then to new york around the same time. how crazy!
Hi Meg,
I think new things have to be scary otherwise we wouldn't appreciate them when they turn out to be fantastic opportunities. Which this will be. Before you know it, that feeling you had when sitting on the plane will be a distant memory. But it's also absolutely fine to feel like that, so don't worry! Remember that it's early days, and that things will definitely get better.
Reading your blog and seeing you follow through with these dreams of yours is inspirational. You are SO brave and I am excited to drive to Utah to see you in August (as Juliet).
Welcome to Utah Meg! I'm so excited for your new adventure in my home state and I can't wait to see you as Juliet. Good luck with all you do, I hope you have an awesome time here!
Welcome to Utah!
I moved "home" after living in Idaho for 15 years. The mountains are awesome!! They are probably what I missed most while I was away.
I love LOVE L.O.V.E Ice cream!!
If you need someone to go get Ice cream with - please let me know!!
And definitely give Red Iguana a try. They have the BEST Mexican food in my opinion.
so exciting! i am thrilled for you, you'll acquiesce in no time :)
i have followed your blog for a little while now, and i just wanna tell you to keep smiling. i'm from utah and i think you'll find our summers to be hot and lovely. :)
You'll be great! I also love that shirt! :)
Cafe Rio is a must! And if you have time the Dear Valley Music Festival, you can enjoy great music, food, and the mountains all at the same time! Hope you enjoy Utah.
Found you off of Naomi's blog -- found Naomi because a number of my old high school chums think her blog is fantastic -- in essence have no real connection, BUT I do know provo, which is where your play is running, so you will be there at some point.
Explore downtown provo, the houses are absolutely adorable and quaint. BYU has an art museum you can explore for free (the MOA) and though I am not a fan many others give rave reviews to Los Hermanos which is right in the middle of downtown Provo.
Also, it's Utah, and if you are anywhere near provo, you will soon find a. if you are not mormon but don't mind hanging out with them you can find a lot of very sweet friends very fast (mention loving ultimate frisbee and you will pretty much have a hundred new life long friends) and b. the mountains will absolutely make everyday that much better.
I am sorry about this crazy long comment. I hope you have fun in my home state, and if you like soft serve head over to the Macy's deli in provo and order the King Kong Cone from the Deli.
I doubt you will be lonely for long hon, and if you ever get lost just remember -- the mountains mark East. :)
Welcome to UT. While I'll always feel at home in my home state of CA, I've come to really love living in UT. The mountains are beautiful, there are lots of fun things to do, and the people (for the most part) are genuinely kind.
I know you think you're ruled by fear but I think you're incredibly brave and inspiring.
Enjoy your time here.
Welcome to Utah! You will love it here...the mountains seem to wrap you up in a hug right when you need it(does that sound weird?). Can't wait to read your posts about this place!
it's going to be amazing, Meg- I'm excited for you! and proud of you! and i can't wait to see you when you get back. :) love!
good luck Meg! <3
I know how terrifying it can be to fly in somewhere, and all of a sudden realize that you are there. alone. and whatthehellwasithinking?!
all I can say is, everyone speaks english, which is a step up from where I was.
I can't tell you much more- BUT I think it will all be ok :)
p.s. What do you use on your skin, because you look so LOVELY in that photo and I must know!!!
p.p.s nice stripes!! ;)
Hi. I recently stumbled upon your blog and I like reading what you have to say. I just wanted to say hi.
It sounds beautiful there. (Adds Utah to places to visit). I was in a situation similar to yours a couple of months back, except it was only for a week and I had three roommates, who were practically strangers. I guess the only similarity were the mountains. They were so big and comforting, I actually cried. ^-^'
meg. i just want to wish you luck for the next three months. you will love it here. i know because on the day before i take off on my dream semester in europe, those green mountains that reach out and touch you are all i want to take with me.
and they will work on you. you are are will continue to be remarkable.
i'll be back just in time to see you perform. can't wait!
If you want some fabulous Mexican food, (sort of tex-mex) and oh so fabulous... go to Cafe Rio. There are multiple in Salt Lake, and some down south as well! Enjoy!!
welcome! the mountains are my favorite part about my home (utah!). i hope you enjoy being here!
welcome welcome! i've been a terrible blog reader ever since we haven't had the internet at home (like the past 3 months...i know, i'm dying).
anyways, i do hope you enjoy your stay! the mountains are beautiful. i promise you will miss them by the time you leave. my husband lived in texas for 2 years and when he came back home he was most excited to be back by mountains. go explore them! provo canyon is a must.
and yes, definitely hit up down town slc. i attend school there and it's by far my favorite place. if i could live there, i would.
also, go to brick oven in provo. another must.
Love your blog, and as I scrolled down is it weird I recognized that yellow and green painted wall behind your dad, before I even saw the food, or you mentioned Lupes??!!? The BEST Fajitas on earth!! Hope you have a great time in Utah and are pleasantly surprised!! Good luck from Houston!!!
ok...I'm commenting again. Since it sounds like you are in Provo?? Make SURE you don't miss some of the AMAZING Freedom Festival fun! My personal favorite is the balloons....bright and early, Fri, Sat and Mon. Fox Field (approx 200 West and 1230 North) show up around 6:00 am and you can wander the field and watch them fill up the hot air balloons....SO, SO, SO fun. Grab breakfast after at Kneaders on 1230 North - the French Toast is GREAT! And really? The Stadium of Fire can be really fun....even if you don't like the headliner.
All in all? I'm just cheering for you and hoping you come to love our little valley. You know, the locals call it "happy valley" for a reason!
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