So here I am. Salt Lake City. It’s only been a few days, but what’s really evident is how different it is from Boston, where I’ve lived for the past 10 years. What’s different about it?
The layout. The streets here are in a grid. More than that, every point in the city has a unique coordinate to it. It makes it very very easy to find your way around, even for me, who couldn’t find her way out of a paper bag.
The traffic. As in, there isn’t much at all. It’s incredible. At 5pm, there was a sign on the highway to Park City saying “28 miles, 26 minutes”. I’m pretty sure the signs on 93 usually say something like “8 miles, 34 minutes”.
The parking. As in, it exists! And it is absurdly reasonably priced!
The people. People are just noticeably friendlier here. It’s not just little things, like people saying “Hello” or “Good morning”. Today while I was walking Lucy, someone in an official SLC Parking Enforcement Division car pulled over and said “Awww, what a cute dog. Can I give her a treat?” I still can’t figure out whether this was legitimately sweet and the paranoid New Englander in me just could not compute that, or if it was actually kinda creepy. Regardless, I said yes, because Lucy had already practically jumped into her lap at that point. Lucy does not have any reservations about people. In fact, she seems to gravitate toward the creepers. The homeless guy mumbling to himself on the corner – Lucy is so there! But I digress. The people here just don’t seem to be in a rush. Almost no one is walking around with their nose in their iphone!
The mountains. They are everywhere you look, and they are majestic! I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to driving down the street and just seeing big ol’ mountains on the horizon. I kinda hope I never do. 🙂
~J
Buffalo Chicken, Beagles, & Beyond 