Thanks Utah!

So, anyone who's ever lived in Utah knows that quite a bit of Utah-bashing goes on - both by residents and by the rest of the world. Other states see us as "Mormons," and I put it in quotation marks because I'm not referring to actual Mormons, but rather, I'm referring to what most of the world thinks a Mormon is. Interpretations vary greatly, but I've found that, more often than not, outside interpretations are a far cry from realistic - anywhere from polygamists, to horn-bearing beasts, to cults of anti-Christs. But I digress; any interpretation would be unrealistic, as we all know that to define a person by their religion would be ridiculous. Anyway, I've gotten off topic, but you get the idea about outsider opinions of Utah.  And those of us who live in utah often have complaints about the state. Granted, many of these complaints have bearing - liquor laws are unnecessary, life comes to a hault on Sundays, and winter can be pretty terrible - but I'm afraid that we quite often overlook the wonder that actually is Utah.

Now, this crappy camera-phone picture cannot begin to explain what I'm talking about so much as the story accompanying it can. In the midst of one of the worst days of work yet in my life, I caught a quick glimpse of the view that I take for granted every single day. The giant mountain overlooking my carwash was covered in red, yellow, orange, green, and brown - yes, even the brown was somehow breath-taking. Tiny snowcaps on the peaks stirred excitement for winter, drawing nearer everyday. Cheesy though it may seem, the subtle realization that I like where I live was enough to turn my entire day around. 

Steph and I have discussed on many occasions where we want to end up when she finishes school. We've toyed with paradise locations like Santa Barbara and Hawaii, and city-life areas like Washington DC. But the more we talk about where we want to go, the more we've realized we're happy right where we are. No doubt, this winter will piss me off on several occasions, and scraping the ice off my car windows will grump me up more than once, but I don't know what I would do without the contrasting seasons, extreme hots and colds, and unpredictable weather. Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without the chili nights, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the snow and cold, and spring wouldn't even be gratifying if it weren't taking the place of a bitter winter that has worn out its welcome. I wouldn't mind a pina colada with more than an ounce of rum in it, but I think the pros definitely outway the cons. So, thanks Utah.