back in the "tah": week one

The furry four-leg and I rolled into town on Sunday morning and found our new house. This is the view from the front porch. Is there anyone still questioning why I want to live here?

This may or may not have happened...

I decorated the new cube. It's coming along quite nicely. I enjoy being there for 8 hours a day. That's important.

This fireman training facility is right next to my office. They really burn stuff there. It's a little crazy to see it so close.

Kenai gets to go to work with me a couple times a week.

He's very good at his job.

Almost every night of my first week in town looked similar to this.

My best friend and I went to the Krishna temple to celebrate the festival of colors. It was a cultural experience that I enjoyed.

Yes, this is real. There was color everywhere.

That's me holding my last bag of color right before the final throwing of colors. You buy these bags of colored and scented starch for $2 a bag and then you just throw them on people. Really.

This is during one of the "throwings". That's where they count down from the stage and everyone throws color in unison. I couldn't open my mouth. We were in a cloud of color.

This is the final product. I wanna go back!

The part of the Festival of Colors that we didn't plan for...oh well.

I've been watching the show Portlandia on Netflix. Season 1: Episode 2 is my favorite. I've been putting birds on things.

My trainer came to town from Minnesota. I feel like she's more of a friend than a trainer now. Especially since she saw me trying to cross country ski...yikes.

Oh yeah...this happened. I ran out of snow and the mud stopped my skis faster than my body stopped. I fell on my face. As you can see my dog is no help here. He smashed my hat in the mud and was running around me barking. It was good for one thing though...a real good laugh.

Needless to say, life back in the 8.0.1. is pretty great. There isn't one thing I'd complain about...except that it's not closer to my family.

Stay cool.

Mall of America

The weekend that I was in Minnesota between my two weeks of training I had some special visitors. My mom, Casey, and Gavin all made the 5 hour trek to spend the weekend with me. I was so happy! I think that they actually just came to see the Mall of America and I happened to be in town. :)

The big mall was quite the adventure. We spent most of our day Saturday there.

We ate at the Rainforest Cafe. I got a new belt buckle...thanks mom. I saw a Lego sculpture so big it boggled the mind.

I rode "Back at the Barnyard Hayride."

I rode "Diego's Rescue Rider." I rode "La Aventura de Azul." I had a lot of fun. I was really tired when we were done.

You can't see it all in one day...that's for sure.

On Sunday we spent some time outside.

We visited Hyland Ski and Snowboard area. A little ski hill right in the middle of the city.

A little ski hill that I had been driving past for an entire week and didn't notice until I drove past it with my mom and Casey and they pointed it out. So much for being observant.

We also took a walk on the trail around Normandale Lake.

I think the pup and the kiddo enjoyed it most.

I am really glad they came. I'm glad I got an unexpected "bonus" weekend with my family. I'm only sad that my dad couldn't come too.

sometimes it takes a separation to find some kind of clarity

six months ago i inadvertently set out on a journey. i set out to find peace, something i hadn't known in some time. i set out to let go of the hurt, anger, and sorrow that attends a fallen friendship. i had lost sight of who i wanted to be so i set out to find direction, to find myself. i had lost trust so i set out to find love and authenticity.

the journey began when i left utah to manage a ski shop in the flat plains of iowa. iowa city to be specific. i didn't particularly want to leave utah but i did want to change the circumstances i was in. i needed to. so i took an opportunity that provided the change i sought. my time in the midwest was enjoyable to say the least. i restored decade old friendships. i made new friendships that will last decades to come. most valued from my time spent there are the moments, memories, fun, hugs, kisses, and tears that were shared with my family. my nephew knows me now. i'm aunt b. his favorite aunt with the dog. "where's nenai, aunt b?" "nenai?" "nenai?" "nenai?" and though i'd have never thought it possible, i love him even more than i ever did.

though enjoyable my time in iowa caused me to reflect. to seek that direction. and to wonder what and when and where would be the next adventure for me. i felt like a feather floating with the winds of the universe, wherever it would take me. it's hard to recall to memory exactly how it happened. it all seems like magic now. something of magic wands, pixie dust and fairy god mothers. however it happened Quality Bycicle Products had a job opening in their ogden location and after receiving my resume called to speak with me, to find out more. the preliminary interview went well. i passed that test. they wanted to meet me. in the flesh. coincidentally (or perhaps orchestrated by the universe) i had a ski trip planned to ogden that coincided with the interview timeline they were planning. i interviewed. i learned more about the position, about the company, about the people i would be working with. to me we all seemed like a perfect match. i was excited but nervous. anxious to know their decision.

what do you do when you take a ski trip and the snow sucks and your best friend has a knee injury? go hiking in moab, of course! after the interview. and an evening at the tavernacle. and dinner at kranky franks. and a missionary farewell. natalie, jaymee, molly, kenai, and myself left for the red rock promised land. we hiked.kenai wore doggie boots. no, they are not a fashion statement. we went to arches national park. we drove on a desolate dirt road in the dark with the "low fuel" warning light on. livin' on the edge. i drank beer in a national park. the most beautiful of them all. we slept in. we loved the sun and it loved us back. we did touristy things. we spent a lot of time in one particular doggie store. i used a furminator on kenai's fluffy coat. we took a lot of pictures.

finally, we ate at milt's.

the final stop before kenai and i began the trek east and natalie, jaymee and molly back to northern utah. we were all a bit melancholy. laughing much with gratitude of a week well spent. we were happy. we were together. but also a bit sad with the approaching departure. still no word on the job with QBP but holding out hope. hope that i would soon follow my dreams that had turned west. hope that the pup and i would soon reside at the feet of the mountains where we belong. where we're most happy. we cleared our plates and asked for our checks...my phone rang. a minnesota number. giddy. i ran outside. answered. and listened. listened to a man whom i'd only met via skype offer me the job i had hoped for. i was happy. more than that. i don't know if there is a word. i danced in the parking lot. my friends danced too. it was noon. never too early in the day for a celebration. we went to the moab brewery. nat finally turned 21, 24 hours ago...she bought the celebration drinks.

some had coke. some had a utah brew to celebrate. i couldn't stop smiling. couldn't stop thinking about how my life was going to change. how my dreams were going to come true.

i spent a short week preparing. packing. making memories with gavin. casey. my mom. my dad. there was a small gathering at the local bar. the wel-come inn.

i'm gonna miss that place. we played a few games of butt darts. the shot ski made its debut. mostly there was smiling.

laughing. fun. hugs. dancing. love. the real kind of love. the kind that lasts.

we started west via the northern route. to minnesota for two short weeks. to learn my new job. to meet my new co-workers. minnesota was a beauty. the place and the people. all of them. kenai made new friends. i made many friends. i talk to most of them on a daily basis. we still work together every day. i just don't get to see them in person. that part is sad. we had fun together.

my favorite part was when we all went bowling at a place called pinstripes. the whole accounting department. to a ritzy bowling alley. with leather couches for seating. i fell i love with a local brew. surly. yum. two weeks of training went by fast. really fast.

before we knew it we were off. headed west.

toward the sunset. i was so excited that i was able to drive 15 hours the first day! what a day. that only left a short 4 hours to drive on the second day. we were well ahead of schedule. to no surprise knowing the mounting excitement that accompanied the trip. we left at 7 sunday morning.

pulled into the driveway of our new house on the bench in ogden at 11am. i had the car unloaded and my belongings unpacked before monday even showed its pretty little face. i was happy to be home. happy to be alive. happy to see my dreams come true.

where i work...

i'm appreciated

i'm happy

we care about the environment

we love bikes

people ride bikes to the bathroom

betterment of self is strongly encouraged

honesty is respected, expected

dogs can come to work with their people

employees are happy

there are mountains

people stick around for a really long time

where i work...life is good.