Thanksgiving Break

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! It was so nice to have the extra days off. I got to see a couple of friends who went out-of-state for college- my friend Sami is in Nashville, Tennessee at Vanderbilt, and my friend Ray is at Mizzou in Columbia, Missouri. It was interesting to hear them both talk about how much they miss Utah. They miss their friends and family, but both talked a lot about missing Salt Lake City and Utah. I think it's easy to forget all the wonderful things about Utah living here, but moving away makes Utah's charms very evident! For one, our weather is pretty great. Ray said it is overcast for days and days without a break in Missouri, and neither Columbia nor Nashville have such pronounced seasons. I complain about the snow sometimes, but I have to admit that I'd miss it if winter consisted of gray rain, as is characteristic of winter in Philadelphia, where a couple of my friends are going to school. Also, Salt Lake is a great-sized city. I frequently run into someone I know at the grocery store, but it is big enough to support great cultural opportunities and events. And, of course, one of the best parts about SLC is the geography. I love having the mountains so nearby, both for looking at and for playing in. Southern Utah is also a quick drive away, where bounteous opportunities for hiking and biking await. All in all, Utah is indeed a "pretty, great state."