in february of 2014, i walked into the office of one of my favorite hr people and sobbed as i told her i was leaving my job at access communications {now access emanate}. i was heartbroken. ready, but heartbroken.

i knew i had to leave san francisco. i’d been thinking and praying about it for months. i’d been to the temple many times and the decision was very clear. i had to say goodbye to a city i thought was a forever something.

i like to say i ‘grew up’ at access. i was only there 2.5 years, but it was my first ‘real’ job out of college and it taught me everything i know about how to be a professional. some of the best mentors i’ve had to date were my buddies, coaches and managers there at 101 howard st. in downtown san francisco, and i’m in still in regular contact with a lot of them today. i looked to their examples constantly, and think of them often as i operate day-to-day in my current role. it was a workplace full of love and compassion, learning and growth.

i packed my bags the week of february 23, 2014 and drove the faithful corolla across the golden gate bridge one more time, headed for salt lake city. it was a move i can only describe as: close your eyes and pretend this is going to work out/is a good idea.

it was a huge leap of faith, and i cried all the way to lake tahoe. this was a new chapter. a new {ish} beginning.

it very nearly didn’t work out here on the wasatch front.

in october of 2014, i went to california for a wedding. as i boarded a place from sfo to slc, i said to myself: this is the last time i’m doing this. i can’t leave san francisco again. this was a mistake. i should never have taken that job at this startup pr firm {for so many reasons}, and i can’t stand another minute in utah. i’m getting on this plane, packing my bags, and moving home.

as i was driving to my apartment from the airport after i landed, a thought popped into my head. i’d been living in utah for nearly eight months, and i’d gone to california five times.

five! that’s like, once every six weeks!

does that sound like someone who’s putting their heart and soul into something? does that sound like a girl who’s giving it a real shot?

so i made a promise, in front of god and my kate spade purse collection, that i would give salt lake city a chance. i would make friends. i would walk around downtown during breezy autumn nights. i would explore the restaurants. i vowed to see what this funky little town could mean to me.

three weeks later matt and i had our first date. i fell in love with salt lake over the next year; we ate at the best restaurants, got season tickets to the symphony and saw the ballet. we spent christmas on temple square and celebrated spring in moab. matt fished while i read a book by a babbling book in the uintahs.

utah became i place i could love.

as i celebrate two years here, many things have changed. i’m working as a full time event planner. i love my job.  i work for an organization that does so much good,  and interacts with the community in a way that makes me love and appreciate salt lake city more every day. most days don’t feel like work. they just feel like…life.

do i miss northern california? yes. of course. every day. and even more on days when it’s below 30 degrees and you can practically chew the air.

i identify as a californian before anything else. the west coast is home. but for now, this is my adventure. here’s to the next two years.

xoxo,

cait