It is one week before Thanksgiving 2009 and I am flying over eastern Utah. I look out the window to see one winding road surrounded by endless red desert. After a few minutes, patches of white soil appear and I think we must be getting close. Wrong.40 minutes pass and I still see one winding road surrounded by nothing. A lot of it. Vast nothing really. And we're moving at, what... 400 mph? And then there are mountains.
I can't help but feel both excitement and anxiety. Friends Brian and Shoko have asked me out to discuss a studio manager position at BPD Studios, their commercial photography studio, in beautiful but distant Salt Lake City.
I think about the possibility of following that road — in winter — in the Mini Cooper. Yikes! Now imagine it packed with Syd, Otto, the Mac and the plants on a 1,400 mile journey from Chi town to Salt Lake City. Wait... we just did this. Except it was 400 miles from Kansas City to Chicago and it still took nine hours.
Well, whatever. I'll check it out but I'm not making any promises. Utah? Sure it's clean, and safe, and it must be pretty. But what about the Mormons? And the salt? And all that desert? And Shoko did say to steer clear of apartments next to the prison. (Don't worry KC people... it's minimum security. Nothing like Leavenworth.)
After far too much time to contemplate Utah and it's potential shortcomings, my flight lands. Within 15 minutes, I've picked up my bag, exited the airport (as efficient as KCI) and assistant Cate is driving me to the studio.
Just as I'm thinking about how amazing it is to be completely surrounded by mountains, she talks about her internship in New York and how much she missed not having them.
We park at the studio just a few feet from a herd of long horn cattle. Seriously? Where is the Marlboro man? He must be around here somewhere. Even in early, pre-snow winter the purplish mountains are beautiful. Enough so that, for a minute, I forget about going inside to see my old friend, Brian.
Then I step inside the studio to a whole new kind of Utah Zen — beautiful, natural light; more vast, open space; 27" iMacs everywhere; giant soft boxes; ahhh... cameras!!! And a prop room filled with anthropologie-esque amazingness. Could it get any better? Happiness.
As I talk with Brian and get to know his staff — Claudia, Reed and Cate — my anxiety about foreign Utah fades a bit... Agency clients, catalog clients, art & design education, growing the business, skiing/boarding on Sundays, art films, Family Guy, Facebook funnies, hang gliding, camping, hiking, hospitality of Utah locals, diverse landscapes and endless places to explore.
I'm so happy to watch the sun set from the studio windows. Is there any better way to end the day? So we head into SLC (about 20 minutes) to meet Shoko! Dinner at local microbrewery, Squatters (yum), and plenty of great conversation about SLC culture and business.
On Friday, Shoko gave me the complete driving tour of neighborhoods in the valley and eclectic shops & streets downtown. In the evening, we all headed to Bob's place (Sundance) for an amazing dinner and some... uh... interesting ska/reggae music and hippie dancing at the bar next door :) Saturday was a tour of Park City, great brunch and a little shopping before heading back to Chi town.
I actually had to leave and process for a couple of days. Would I feel the same way about Utah when I left? Was the calm I felt altitude sickness or a result of true, mellow Utah? Would Brian and Shoko send me back to the midwest for good after a full four days of exposure?
Fortunately it all seems to be working out! :) In just under two weeks, I will be a happy new resident of Herriman, Utah and a real employee at BPD Studios. Thanks Brian & Shoko!
I look forward to keeping you all updated on the new adventures and experiences. Some of which may include:
- Penske and Cornnuts
- Hippie music
- Weekend expeditions
- Gary Coleman's house
- Agency and business life in SLC
- Local cuisine
- Remedial outdoor winter sports by yours truly
- Local beverages
- Bootlegging
- Local skiing/boarding/fur fashions
- Name that critter
- The frequency of Google maps satellite photo updates
- Crazy herding dogs
- Driving in real snow
- Is that for kids or prisoners?
- Half size or full size
- Polygamy compounds
- The very still Salt Lake
- Brine shrimp
- Friend or homework?
- Utah facial hair
- ...And hopefully a few photo updates along the way :)
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