An Unexpected Turn of Events

First, let me explain/justify my lack of blogging. I am currently without a computer, so that has been a hinderance to my updating. Even now, at great personal sacrifice, I am blogging from my iPhone. But I couldn't stand to have the same post up for a whole month, so I'm putting aside my dislike of typing large amounts with my thumbs and taking one for the team. But THAT is not the surprising thing that I alluded to in my blog title. This is--

Last Saturday while I was riding my bike to the gym, I had a very startling realization: I LOVE Draper. (Draper is the town where I live.) I don't just tolerate it (which I was expecting) or like it okay (which I was hoping), but I full-blown love it. I love looking at the big beautiful old houses and the big beautiful new houses and the regular-sized houses. I love that there are horse stables all over the place. I love that sometimes it smells like cows. I love how it is nestled right next to the mountains. I love the variety of stores that are on the Parkway. I love that there are so many biking and jogging paths. I super love that I share a highway exit with Ikea. I love that despite being so close to Sandy, it's not boring like Sandy. I love that it used to just be cow farmers and now it's full of regular people (although I do feel a little sorry for the cow farmers who must have been forced out). I love that it's part of Salt Lake County. I love the super awesome water park Cowabunga Bay, even though I've never been yet. I love the way all the houses look with their Christmas lights. I love the feel of it. I love looking at it. I love the way "I live in Draper" rolls off my tongue.

When I decided to move to Utah, I knew it was a decision that would bring me joy because I knew that's what God wants for me. But I did not expect that I would find any amount of that joy from my geographical surroundings. Having known and loved a city the way I love New York, I didn't figure that another place could be worthy of a description involving the word "love.". And while I love Draper in a very very different way than New York and not quite with the same fierce intensity, I am happy to realize that I love it with a peaceful, firm and even a little excited feeling. And that makes me happy.