Positively Shining: The Houses and Towns that Built Me, Part 1

Historic Main Street

Hi there, friends! I want the Positively Shining family to get to know me better, as I mentioned in last week's blog, so I thought I'd take some time and tell you about where I grew up. I was born and raised in a small town in Northern Utah called Brigham City. Like the majority of cities in Utah, Brigham is a predominantly Mormon community. Like most towns, it has grown a lot through the years. There used to be a lot of fields, and cherry, apple, and peach orchards (for those not familiar with northern Utah, besides great snow, we are known for our fabulous peaches) where there are now big houses, apartment complexes, and strip malls. When I was little, there were quite a few family restaurants and only one or two fast-food places. Now there are only one or two family restaurants and southern Main Street is "fast-food row." We usually had to drive south to Ogden if there was something special or specific we wanted to shop for or if we wanted to go to a mall and it is still that way to some extent. Living in a small town has its inconveniences, but it definitely has its up side too. The pros and cons are all a matter of perspective, I guess; one man's pro is another's con and visa versa, but, for the most part, I feel very blessed to have grown up in a small town. The cons of a small Mormon community are that some of the people can be a bit behind the times and narrow minded, live in a bit of a bubble, and in a small town, people tend to snoop and be in everybody's business. The pros are the emphasis on and the importance of family, the strong sense of community, and neighbors look out for and care for one another. There is also something appealing about the quiet of a small town; no rush-hour traffic to speak of and not so much hustle and bustle. Another thing I love about Brigham is that it really is a beautiful town in a fantastic location. We have rural communities just to the north and south, vast farmland and wetlands to the west, and absolutely gorgeous and awe-inspiring mountains to the east…Seriously, our mountains are a thing of wonder. Growing up, they are something I just kind of took for granted. When I was still junior high age, I remember picking my cousin up from the Airport in Salt Lake City when he came for a visit (he's from Alabama) and the whole 70+ mile car ride home, he sat practically sideways in the passenger seat, just staring at the mountains and every once in a while exhaling the occasional, "Dang!" or "Wow!"…We also have an abundance of trees, which, for me, just adds to the appeal, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. We usually get snow in the mountains in the fall and all those trees with their changing leaves with the snow-capped mountains as a backdrop, really is a site to behold. Not to mention how the mountains look when winter hits and there's an abundance of snow!... The portion of Main Street in the center of town is historic with all its old buildings, very quaint and picturesque. I used to think I wanted to live in a big city where I would have quick and easy access to whatever I might want or need, but now I appreciate my small town. It, after all, helped "build" me into the person I am today. I also have some strong country ties, but I will talk about those in part 2 of this blog post...stay tuned!...

~Trin