Naturally there are a lot of big differences between living in Sterling, CO and living in Provo, UT. Just for starters, here in Provo I open the door to our house and my line of sight is immediately accosted by the mountains. Some days they seem so close I feel like I may have to get a restraining order against them.
A Room with a View
Sterling on the other hand is so flat that scientists and geographers passing through have to remind themselves that the world is round.
The people in the two places are very different as well but that is to be expected. They speak differently (you'll never hear fetch in Sterling) and dress differently (I have yet to see a legitimate cowboy hat in Provo) and spend their Friday nights much differently (we go to bed at about 9pm here in Provo). But even with all the differences I've come to notice two incredible similarities in what people say about both Sterling and Provo.
1. If you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes
Growing up I felt like this was a strictly Sterling and NE Colorado thing. Then I heard it in Laramie, WY. Then I heard the exact same thing in Armenia. Now I hear this almost bi-weekly in Utah. I'm starting to think that this is just what people say about the weather in their area regardless of what it's really like.
People just love making comments on the weather because it's one of the few things we all truly have in common. Or it could be like Oscar Wilde pointed out, "Whenever people talk to me about the weather I always feel quite certain that they mean something else. And that makes me so nervous."
2. It is the Meth Capital of the World
This one really blew me away. I had grown up thinking that Sterling's claim to fame resided inside these two facts:
a) It used to be the regional headquarters for the KKK
b) It was the undisputed Meth capital of the world
I could let the weather thing go but this was just too much. Not that being the meth capital of the world is anything to be proud of, but at least it's something unique. Honestly how many meth capitals of the world could there be? Is it like a roving kingdom? Did Sterling suddenly get usurped by these mountain-dwelling meth dealers?
I decided to look into it myself and analyze the government's breakdown of the meth kingdom. Turns out that per capita, Wyoming is the meth capital of the world. I guess I should have known that because I've been driving through Rock Springs and Green River my entire life.
And so the search continues to find something completely unique about Sterling, CO. Maybe the two-headed calf in the museum?
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