Growing up in a military family, I lived in many, many states. Both coasts, up north, down south, Puerto Rico, you name it, I probably lived there. With such an extensive states resume’, I’ve heard and seen my fair share of regional and local nuances, sayings, and stereotypes. Which is why it’s surprising to me that I’ve found myself saying “I’d never heard of _______ until I moved to Utah,” lately.
Granted, Utah is in itself a rather unique place. Still, some of these things I should have known about prior to living there. Especially growing up as a member of the Mormon church. Which brings me to numero uno:
#1- “I’d never heard of GENERAL CONFERENCE ON SATURDAY until I moved to Utah.
You may find this incredulous and hard to believe, but it’s true. My parents were baptized when I was 3, so really, there is no excuse. I don’t know if they never went, or what, but I was clueless. It was a Saturday in October 1999, and some friends and I were headed up to Salt Lake to go to The Big Ass Show, an all day concert event. My roommates and I went to the basement of the dorms where the vending machines were to grab breakfast (probably a chicken burrito) before we left for SLC. There were dozens of girls in their PJ’s wrapped in blankets watching a tiny TV and all taking notes.
I muttered out loud to my friend, “What the heck is going on down here?”
She looked at me like I was crazy and said, “Duh…General Conference!”
I responded, “On a Saturday???”
Then she looked at ME like I was crazy. Who knew?
#2- “I’d never heard of NORDSTROM’S until I moved to Utah.
I guess I just never lived in enough hip cities to have one, but I’ve never heard of or stepped foot into one until going to BYU. My friend Maria’s dad once remarked how her favorite store was “Nordie’s” and I had no idea what he was talking about, but I probably just nodded and said, “Oh yeah, mine too.” To this day I’ve never purchased one thing inside of a Nordstrom’s except for MAC makeup, and that doesn’t really count. What can I say, I’m more of an Old Navy, $15-for-a-pair-of-jeans-everyone-can-wear kind of gal.
#3-“I’d never heard of a NAVAJO TACO until I moved to Utah.
This might be a Utah-specific thing, because I have yet to hear of it outside of Utah. I was with a guy I was dating (I use that term loosely) down in Emory County Utah and at some local fair. He asked if I wanted one and I had no clue what it was. It was tasty enough, but let’s leave the tacos to the Mexicans, ok?
#4-“I’d never heard of PIONEER DAY until I moved to Utah.
Again, mostly a Utah/Mormon thing. Almost bigger than Independence Day there. Parades, fireworks, the whole gamut. But some stakes around the country celebrate it. Just not the ones I lived in…
#5-“I’d never heard of HAWAIIAN PIZZA until I moved to Utah.
Maybe I just didn’t eat enough pizza growing up, but it wasn’t until ordering late night pizza from Pizza Pipeline that I’d even heard of putting pineapple and Canadian bacon on a pizza together. I like them both individually enough and I will eat them on a pizza, but it’s not my most favorite combination. Still, I don’t think this is regional…how had I never heard of it? Speaking of Pizza Pipeline, I could really go for some Tricky Stix right about now…
I feel like there are many more I could add to this list, I just can’t think of them right now. I’ll keep you updated as I think of more.
Oh, and feel free to mock at will. I deserve it on some of these…
10 comments:
Shoot...I didn't realize there was conference on Saturday until I read this post...freak does that mean I have to watch? Dang! :) I loved this post. Oh and I now I really want some Tricky Stix!
Hawaiian pizza, seriously? Never heard of it? I actually didn't know anything about General Conference really either until Utah, but I also wasn't a member even a year before I moved out.
Really, hawaiian pizza? Never?
RIP Pizza Pipeline. I was fed many nights by your large pizza 2-drink combo with Dave.
Great post!! I barely realized there was conference on Saturday. We used to have to go to the stake center to watch it, which was 45 minutes away... so yeah we never went on Saturday; I think at some point I did become aware of it though.
And yep Navajo Taco, definitely a Utah thing
Fry sauce too! That is one I had never heard of until I moved to Utah.
Fun post!
You missed "Mormon Pop music!" I'd never heard it, my whole life, until I moved to Utah for school!
And we never watched Conference on Saturdays, either. My parents were converts, too.
;-)
There is conference on Saturday? I thought that was the day to "get ready" for Sunday? :) Now you know you gotta do a "Until I moved to Wisconsin..." and be nice! 8D
I won't mock you for any of the things you listed, but I will mock you for ordering from/reminiscing about Pizza Pipeline. Are you kidding me? I think their pizza is terrible. Maybe I'm thinking of a different place-- Canyon Road across from Helaman Halls?
Anyway, congrats on the house! That's so exciting! It looks like a great place-- I'm diggin' the playset in the backyard, the patio, the mature trees-- what a great find. Oh and I LOVE ranch style houses. Don't worry about being house poor-- we are too. It's somehow okay because driving up to OUR house that we LOVE is a great feeling and helps me forget about our old secondhand furniture waiting to be updated. Congrats again!
You bite your tongue about Pizza Pipeline.
Ah yes, Freshman Year. Everyone watched Saturday Conference, we went to "The Big Ass" rock concert, threw some shoes, and got contact highs from all the pot.
Yeah, none of us that went, were from Utah.
Navajo Tacos may be a Utah thing but I LOVE them. Every year at the county fair we would walk down to the fair and get treated to a Navajo Taco, homemade root beer, corn on the cob, sometimes a hot scone with honey butter (the bottom of the Navajo taco)Good times! All this talking about food is making me hungry.
Throw us under the bus why don't you, your post made us feel like we deprived you of something. Saturdays were the only times we were together as family but we made sure you made it to Conference on Sunday.:0)
Post a Comment