I've always been a "Gah! The grass is greener over there!," kind of person.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be where I wasn't. I remember many Christmas vacation holidays of being with family down in Ephraim and wishing I was with friends in Salt Lake. And yet, there have been very stressful times throughout school that I've wanted to escape to the quiet of Sanpete county and open arms of loving grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. I've also spent loads of time replaying the footage of my past in my mind or trying to paint pictures of my future rather than reveling in the surroundings of my present.
One of my classic battles with the "grass-is-greener syndrome" has been Salt Lake verses Logan. While living in Salt Lake my freshman year at the U, all I wanted was to get out and get to Logan. Even my Salt Lake heart spots like Sam Wellers, The Main Library, Temple Square, the Gateway, the cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Trax, my view of the valley, and the U's campus in general didn't hold a candle to the seemingly perfect, sparkly and shiny, and oh-so-friendly Logan. So, I up and moved!
Almost a month ago, I caught myself doing it again, but this time in reverse. I found out at the last minute that February 4th, 2011 would present Natalie's last home swim meet (against BYU of all opponents), so I hastily made the necessary arrangements for a ride down. (By the way, she was amazing. Always has been, still is, and always will be I'm sure.) As my room mate Kirsten and I drove through Salt Lake City on our way up to the U that night, my spirits lifted in a way I haven't felt in a long time--I was as giddy as a little kid in Disneyland. As I walked towards the swim meet and gazed at the Huntsman Center, the medical towers, gymnastics building, and the distant giant of a psychology building all resting in the shadow of the Fort Douglas pedestrian bridge, that creepy "grass-is-greener" illness awoke inside me again. "Why the heck did I transfer? This school kicks Logan's trash! What have I done?? Moving was the biggest mistake of my life!" And then after the meet and dinner at Red Robin's with Nat and her awesome padres, more feelings and thoughts kept coming as we drove through Sugar House: "This place is so quaint! I wonder how much trouble it would be to re-transfer... Natalie is so lucky! WHY DID I MOVE? How soon can I move back here?"
Ridiculous, right? Well, I've had enough.
In an effort to combat "grass is greener where I am not" I have decided to blog about the green grass around me in my life right now--the things I love about living in Logan. Sure, there is green grass elsewhere. But, I am where I am, and for now since there's nothing I can do to change it I will embrace it. Besides, right now isn't so bad :)
I've decided to start out with the valley itself and work my way in. Have you seen Cache Valley when there's no smog? It's gorgeous. I love it! The picture of winter version was taken from my living room last year.
Logan Canyon is stellar (and Sardine, Green, and Dry Canyons as well) , especially in the fall. My two favorite hikes in Logan Canyon are Crimson and Juniper. I love going for canyon drives to get out of the smog and away from school for a bit. My room mate Katie and I sometimes drive up there and park next to the river and just walk along it for a ways. Love it.
Yes, the University of Utah is in many ways superior to Utah State University. But hey, it's not all bad. I should try and brag about its claims to fame (more experiments in space than other schools, etc), but to me it's not worth the stretch. I'm just grateful that I have the opportunity to be "educated" at a decent public university. Utah State's been good to me as far as employment goes as well, which has been a blessing.
I love Old Main. Always have. Very few pictures do it justice. I get to climb its hill every other morning to get to school, and its historic glory makes the hike much more epic and enjoyable. I'm a sucker for old buildings with interesting architecture I appreciate, so Old Main and the others on the quad never cease to delight me.
This is how I get around Logan while without the luxury of an automobile. The best part about it? It's fare-free. In a valley prone to astronomical smog levels and increasing unemployment rates, the Cache Valley Transit District is an economic and environmental beacon of hope.
Meet Professors Mike (top), and Corey (bottom) Christiansen. Together as father and son, they comprise Utah State's Guitar Studies Faculty. I've had the privilege to take guitar classes from each of them (Beginning Group Guitar, and Blues Guitar). Mike and Corey are hilarious, and super cool. Mike used to tour with the Eagles, and Corey has played with John Mayer. Their concerts are fantastic. Cache Valley is very lucky to have them here as locals.
It's time for food! I've never actually eaten at the Tandoori Oven, but I plan to someday. I put it up here because I enjoy eating at it's sister restaurant the Indian Oven, but I couldn't find a picture of the Indian online. I'm sure it's not the best Indian food in the world, but it's one of the best places that Logan has to offer in my opinion.
Now, the Bluebird's food is not my very favorite. However, it's historic and very quaint. I enjoy eating here with my family if nothing else than for the sake of tradition. I love its soda bar and chocolate counter at the front. I love how old it is.
This is a cool little cafe called Citrus and Sage. Inside you will find a FANTASTIC crepery--their crepes may seem a bit pricey, but they are worth every penny.Citrus and Sage is also home to numerous jam sessions for Utah State Jazz faculty and students and other musicians as well, which I am a fan of attending.
Charlie's made the blog because of their $2 Large 'Flavor of the Month' shake. It has yet to disappoint me. I love soft serve and icecream, so I love going to Charlie's.
Logan's castle-like temple never ceases to attract my gaze.
Reasons why I love Logan's Tabernacle: It houses a beautiful yet ridiculously out of tune organ; It hosts Logan's Summer Fest on its grounds each year; and, it's blessed me with sweet memories of sweaty and cramped but nonetheless inspiring stake conferences and playing festive Christmas concerts with the Cache Symphony Orchestra. Please forgive my (most likely) incorrect punctuation usage. It's a blog--anything goes.
I've been lucky to have good room mates each year that I've lived in Logan. I wish I had pictures of all of them to post, but I only have good ones from last year. Currently, it's down to we three at the bottom: Katie, me, and Kirsten. But, we still manage to find fun and merriment every now and again. I also posted the picture on the bottom because of another thing I love about Logan: its annual, community-built "Pumpkin Walk."
