We Survived Week One
We did it, everyone. We made it through our first full work week in Utah! The longer I’m here, it still doesn’t feel real that we have to stay here and that there is no end to what feels like a long, drawn out vacation. However, there have been no emotional breakdowns or tears at all this week, so we’re on the up and up.
This week Ian had to go back to work in his new office, so I had a lot of time to myself. This was particularly difficult for him because this was the first time he’d been back to work in-person after COVID started and he was in a completely new office with a new team. He had a bit of a reprieve of newness overload because he’s already been doing his new job remotely for a month, but his workload is ridiculous so take the word “reprieve” with a grain of salt. He likes that he has a window with mountain views but says his chair is uncomfortable and the technology is subpar to the Maryland office. He’s been pretty stressed out this week but has benefitted from me being home all day to play Suzy homemaker. It’s definitely weird, though, because normally I work the super long hours and he’s home more of the cooking and the cleaning. Once we find a place to live and I get a job, we’ll both me much more at ease with the comfort of a routine, even if it is a new one.
Since Ian’s been busy being our one and only bread maker this week, I’ve had a lot of time to take care of other things like look for a place to live, find a job, etc. A housing update from the previous post - we did not get picked for the small Sugar House house but we did get approved for a rental townhouse at the newer complex in the same neighborhood. HOWEVER, our local sources (aka Ian’s coworkers) informed us that this newer complex is not actually in Sugar House, but right outside of it and in a bad neighborhood. Someone literally drove their car into the house right across the street from the unit we were supposed to get and died last weekend because they were trying to get away from someone who was shooting at their car after they stole alcohol from them. Right across the street. We thought, okay sure, but how often can people really drive their cars into other people’s houses? Apparently more frequently than we thought.
So after hearing that choosing this complex may be a big mistake, we decided to shift gears. This week we’ve been staying in Draper, a lovely suburb south of Salt Lake City proper, and we really like it. It reminds me of home in a lot of ways in that
It’s a suburb
There are a lot of families
There are a ton of walking trails that connect the different neighborhoods
I’ve been doing A LOT of walking this week. So much so that I've pretty much destroyed my toes with blisters (sorry, I know that’s gross). I clocked in 14 miles on Monday and subsequently 6-7 miles everyday thereafter. I honestly would have walked more if not for the aforementioned blisters. I haven’t event been listening to music or podcasts or anything, just walking and absorbing the sights and sounds around me. That being said, I’ve determined that I like it here in Draper. We found an apartment complex about five minutes away from where we’ve been staying that has just built brand new rental townhouses. There’s also a new shopping center right next door with a bunch of what look like really great restaurants. (We later tried one, a Korean BBQ place, and it was super delicious). We toured on Wednesday after Ian got home from work and put in our application the same night. The leasing agent made the mistake of telling us he could get us in tomorrow if everything went well, and we’ve been holding him to that as best we can. Of course, not everything has been going well. We ran into some snags with me not working right now, but our new best friend (he would probably not feel the same way) at the leasing office has been a big help in getting us through the approval process as best and as fast as he can. We’re still not out of the woods yet, but we are super excited about this place and we’ve been through too much with this poor guy in the leasing office to turn back now. We will get this townhouse. I’m typing it into existence. It will happen.
Anyway, we’re at a hotel right now still in Draper. Ian has a head cold, so we plan to take it easy this weekend. Please pray to whatever higher power in the universe you prefer that we get this house. Please also add some additional positive energy to me next Wednesday because I have a test day with the horse people, who did eventually get back to me after all, and to Ian to get well soon and to have a less stressful week next week.
We appreciate everyone who reads this blog and who follows the Instagram. We had no idea that so many people would be interested in following us on this adventure! We love and miss you all so much!
Shoutout to my sisters for helping keep me sane, and a big shoutout to Sam for surviving her first week of high school!
PS: We have a neighborhood zebra in Draper. It appears to live in someone’s backyard like your everyday horse would. This house also has an ostrich (or maybe it’s an emu?), a goat, and a dog. I don’t know how or why, but I do enjoy looking for the zebra everyday on my walks. Little joys are important.
