I am so JEALOUS of my son! The Salt Lake valley is such a truly beautiful place to live and he will have the opportunity to live here for the next four years as he studies at Westminster College. Yesterday I said good-bye to him, probably for four months, until Christmas time. He is ready for this adventure. He has matured before my eyes, even in these past two days as I observed him begin to settle in to his new home, meet new people, take in all the rules, regulations, and information of orientation. He is becoming a man, and one whom I am proud to say is my son. It was a difficult moment to say good-bye and hug him for the last time for quite a while. I will miss him a lot. In the past four years, as his sister had gone off to college and begun building her adult life, he and I have had the gift of significant time together, traveling together just the two of us, enjoying movies together, getting much better acquainted. Now he is embarked on his own adventure. I have done what I can as his father. I have brought him as far as I can. Now I begin to move into a more supportive role from the wings of the stage. Center stage in this drama now belongs to him. He is ready and I know he will grasp the role and perform marvelously.
As to my jealousy: it has nothing to do with his going to college. I do not wish to repeat those years (although the two years I spent at Westminster were two wonderful, marvelous, exciting and happy years in my life. I cannot say they were the best years, as I have had many other wonderful years in other places, too. But they certainly rank in the top five time periods of my life.) No, my jealousy relates to this place, the Salt Lake Valley. Since the day I first laid eyes on it (which was the day I arrived with my parents when they brought me out to begin my stay at Westminster. I had not seen or visited the campus before that day, having applied and enrolled without ever having visited!) I have been in love with this place and believe it to be one of the most beautiful homes in the mountains anywhere. (I must admit, having lived for two weeks last September, winter in Argentina, in San Carlos de Bariloche in the Argentinean Andes, that place gives Salt Lake Valley a run for its money.)
What makes this place so beautiful? It is surrounded by mountains which can be viewed from almost any spot in the valley. Unlike Denver, where the mountains are not even visible from the majority of the city, the Wasatch Mountains loom over the city on the east, and to the west of the valley there is another range of mountains, both of which seem to converge together (even though they really don't meet) to the south. The only open space is to the northwest end of the valley where the Great Salt Lake is found. In addition, the Salt Lake Valley is high desert, which means the climate if very dry. Thus the sky is usually bright blue with a burning sun, even for most of the winter. The snow is very powder-y, very light and fluffy due to the low moisture content. And all the temperatures, weather the 95-100 degree heat of summer or the 30-40 degrees of winter, due to the low humidity, is much more bearable and less oppressive than the temps in more humid regions. Finally, Salt Lake City itself is a beautiful, clean, well maintained city, with wide streets (designed originally so that a team of four oxen, pulling a cart, could make a u-turn without any problems), lots of trees, and even though it is an urban area, maintains a small-town feel.
In my 24 years of living on the coast of Florida I must truly admit that I have sand between my toes, I love the 12 months of summer we enjoy in Miami, and I love living there. I really do not want to live full time anywhere else. But sitting in the Chinese restaurant tonight, enjoying my Moo Shoo Pork, all the while staring out the window at the imposing peaks of the Wasatch Mountains, my heart felt fulfilled and at home. Someday I would truly like to return to this city and spend 3-4 months living here and enjoying the view, the outdoor recreational opportunities, the parks, the cultural events, and fully soak in what has always been one of my favorite spots on earth.
The pictures above include some shots of Westminster College campus where Paul is now living and going to college, as well as some views of the mountains which contribute to the lure and beauty of this place.
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