A transplant at home in rural Utah
I happen to live in a tiny Utah town, population approximately 175, with plenty of "move-ins." I've yet to meet a "move-in" who wants to create massive changes there (HCN, 12/16/11 & 1/9/12, "Stranger in these parts"). In fact, the majority of them moved there precisely for what the place offers: community, beauty, and a lack of hustle and bustle.
I'll never be a local in my town, despite having lived here 12 years and counting, despite voting here, paying taxes here, working for local businesses. I know quite a few locals and really like most of them, though we often have extremely different viewpoints on many subjects. Heck, if I wanted to live in a community of people exactly like me, I probably wouldn't have picked a tiny rural town in the middle of a gorgeous nowhere to put down roots.
I'm not a local, and that's fine. But I do call my town "home," and am part of the multi-faceted community. That's a very fine thing, too.
Julie Trevelyan
Torrey, Utah
