Official Utahn

Yes, I said Utah-an. Not as cool as "Hoosiers," I know. But I'm afraid I have become an 'official' Utahn. Recently, when I went back to Chicago/NWI (Northwest Indiana) area, this fact became apparent to me.

While I was at the SLC (Salt Lake City) Airport, at 7:15 in the morning, I was surrounded by young men with "Elder So-and-so" name tags, who were leaving for their two-year Mormon mission.

There was also the 'official sender-off' guy. Seems like he is always at the airport saying "Good-bye" to the boys leaving.

Upon arrival in Chicago, I was affronted with the huge cultural difference! I did not see one "Elder" name tag. What I did notice were the Jews, the Polish, rude people, the smell of inner city pollution, bossy traffic cops, crazy drivers, even black people! (No offense intended, we just don't have very many black people in Utah.) Each of these is a rarity where I live now.

My first stop was George's Gyros...for Chicago food.

The skyline is beautiful, as well.

But, all of a sudden, I felt a small tinge of something in my mind. I opened my phone and saw the picture I had taken. That would have to hold me over for the next two weeks. I missed the mountains!

I have absolutely fallen in love with the mountains out west! They take my breath away almost every day! Each season, each snowfall, each sunrise and sunset falls just so, and it is the most beautiful sight a person has ever seen...every single time!

Not trying to make anyone jealous here, but I did not notice how flat Indiana was until I moved to Utah.

Someone told me "In Indiana, you can see your dog run away from you for three miles! But, this is God's country!"

So, I guess I'm one of those hyphenated Americans..."Chicagoan-Hoosier-Utahn."