I'm a Utard now...

A couple months ago I had one of those moments when Heavenly Father hits you over the head and says, "you need to do this." In this case it was moving to Utah. Now, I've always known that Arizona was just a stopping place. Somehow I just got stuck there and most of the time I felt trapped. But if I had to move somewhere, Utah would not have been my first choice, not even my second or third. Utah is gorgeous and I love my family but I've always felt it was a nice place to visit but I didn't want to live there. I always imagined when I moved from AZ that I'd go someplace like the wide open spaces of Kansas or by the ocean off the coast of Oregon or the mountains of Montana. But somehow moving to Utah just felt right, like it was what I was meant to do all along.

Of course the timing was all wrong. I had a great job I'd been at for 5 years and I enjoyed the people I worked with. I was still in debt from surgery I had last year and living paycheck to paycheck just to keep my head above water. While I wouldn't miss the heat or the sun I would miss those that I'd grown to know and love over the years. But I found that once I turned everything over to Heavenly Father and basically said, if this is what you want me to do provide a way, well He definitely did.

Within a week of my epiphany I got laid off with a severance package that covered the balance of my lease and paid for the moving truck. Cashing out my 401k provided the funds to get out of debt and unemployment has provided the cash flow to put me in the black and gives me the opportunity to take the time I need to find a job I can enjoy. With facebook, cell phones, and e-mail I wouldn't feel quite so lonely for my friends. Besides everyone seems to know someone who lives in Utah and I was just one more reason for them to visit.

So now I'm in Utah, staying with my grandparents until I find work and a place to live. Today Grandpa Dallas took me to the Arctic Circle for super. Heaven is Arctic Circle's fry sauce. Going anywhere with Grandpa is an adventure. The man knows everyone and everyone seems to know him. He always has something nice to say and there is always, always a story to tell. We walked into Arctic Circle and he knew every body's name and something about their lives. The girl behind the counter has a little girl that's living with her and whose parents live in Vegas, the guy that was washing down the tables was going to school and his mom was a neat lady. People stopped by to say hi and they brought us free ice cream. I can honestly say it's the most fun I've had in a fast food restaurant since high school.

Coming to Utah has not been the easiest choice, nor has it been without trial. But going out with Grandpa Dallas today made me realise that I was missing things I hadn't even known I was missing. Like Arctic Circle's fry sauce, a welcoming smile by someone that knows your name, family and friends to laugh with, and most importantly, it felt like coming home.