Having a hard time in Utah (Washington: school, college, place to live)

[dcisive]

Hey Kaytidid, what a small world. My dad grew up in Mt. Morris, the other end of Letchworth State Park in Upstate NY. My great aunt and uncle were in Dansville just south of there. I went there every year of my life until my early 20's. That's a beautiful part of the country as well. A bit brutal in the winter, but serene in Spring, Summer and Fall. Ironically I went on a trip back there in the 90's and my dad was with me. He had some back pain and we were doing photography in Letchworth Park, and ended up in Portagville for lunch, he went to a chiropractor there in town and he was pain free from then on. What a memory......

[kaytidid]

How cool is that! My Aunt lives in Mt. Morris, my Uncle in Dansville and my Grandma now lives in Nunda, although she lived in Portageville for many years. My other Aunt still does, however!
That is just too cool! Not too many people have heard of those towns up there!
If you are inclined to pass on your Great Aunt and Uncles last name (via PM of course) I would love to see if my Uncle knows the family!

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by jhwest

I am LDS, lived in Utah for five years and had hardly any friends. Don't blame it on religion. I moved to Austin, TX and have more friends in one year than I did the entire time I lived in SLC.

Many of the people who have lived in Utah their whole lives already have a complete social network (Mormon and non mormon alike). They don't need or have time for new friends. So don't think it's you. Ultimately it's hard to break into a culture filled with lifelong residents, so matter what place it is. If you can find a place with lots of transplants, you'll have better success since they'll be looking for friends too.

I can't argue with that statement. I was kind of transient in my own childhood. I would live in one place and be gone within 2 to 4 years. This mean't I could make friends in one place and then never see them again. I quit the moving around at age 11. By then I was in the 6th grade. I learned what it meant to try and break into a social circle. I was around kids who had lived in the same place most of their lives and had the same friends for the same time. I, on the other hand, never lived in a single place that long. Sure, some of the people were nice, and a managed a few friends, but it wasn't that simple to break into the culture. If you weren't born and raised there, you weren't just going to move in that easily. After a while I kind of just decided I needed to leave. I think your statement speaks much about the plight of many transplants.

[Kermusique]

Originally Posted by kaytidid

They are from a little town called Portageville. Letchworth State Park sits adjacent to them.

ah out by Buffalo area I believe!

[Kermusique]

Thanks everyone for all your kind words and suggestions. Kinda think it's funny that some people just say people are too set in their ways to even bother with others, I'm from a small town where most of the people were like that but still welcomed newbies. Anway, I do have to say thanks to most of you for the nice words you have offered, I should actually mention you but you know who you are!

[Kermusique]

Originally Posted by Kermusique

ah out by Buffalo area I believe!

By the way us upstaters think of that area as western ny lol although pretty much anything above nyc is considered upstate. Ny is a lot bigger than people think it is!

[kaytidid]

Originally Posted by Kermusique

By the way us upstaters think of that area as western ny lol although pretty much anything above nyc is considered upstate. Ny is a lot bigger than people think it is!

Yes, I guess it would be more western NY than upstate. Funny though, my parents always called it upstate when talking about home. That would be their home, not mine. Although I lived in Nunda for a little while when I was a kid, my back east home is NJ.

I have lived in Utah for 15 years now, so I guess I can refer to here as being where I am "from" now, if anyone asks. Utah is the longest I have ever lived anywhere. It does take some getting used to. Don't think that I just moved in and it felt perfect right off the bat. It was a good couple of years before I didn't miss home anymore. A couple more before I started to feel like I could be happy. Probably six years before I started to feel content. Relocating and settling in takes time. Some places may take more time than others. Have patience. You have to approach Utah living like a strange dog. Slowly, but confident. If you do it right, you will have a new friend quickly. If you overwhelm, you could get bit.

Welcome to Utah! Most of us living here don't bite....

[stycotl]

Originally Posted by kaytidid

Yes, I guess it would be more western NY than upstate. Funny though, my parents always called it upstate when talking about home. That would be their home, not mine. Although I lived in Nunda for a little while when I was a kid, my back east home is NJ.

I have lived in Utah for 15 years now, so I guess I can refer to here as being where I am "from" now, if anyone asks. Utah is the longest I have ever lived anywhere. It does take some getting used to. Don't think that I just moved in and it felt perfect right off the bat. It was a good couple of years before I didn't miss home anymore. A couple more before I started to feel like I could be happy. Probably six years before I started to feel content. Relocating and settling in takes time. Some places may take more time than others. Have patience. You have to approach Utah living like a strange dog. Slowly, but confident. If you do it right, you will have a new friend quickly. If you overwhelm, you could get bit.

Welcome to Utah! Most of us living here don't bite....

but the ones that do bite are very rabid.

nice analogy to moving, by the way. i would extend that to any move though. moving anywhere sucks in a lot of ways (especially if you are in the military at the time).

[kaytidid]

That's true. There are those nasty rabid ones! Yes, any move is like that. Been there, done that many many times. Some were easier than others, but none of them were easy.

[dcisive]

I guess I'd refer to the rabid ones as the ones that act like they are in the country(at least up by where I live). They love to break local laws by buzzing in the streets and on the sidewalks with their ATV's (illegal in Herriman) and let their very young kids run rampant till very late hours unattended (like 11pm past curfew). Otherwise those that spoke before me are pretty spot on. I don't bite unless provoked. ;-)