It was no secret to anyone that I was not excited to move to Orem. I liked where I was in Ogden, I liked my house, I liked my neighbors and friends, my support network, and the walkability. I liked my favorite restaurants and stores, and the proximity to my family. I was not happy about leaving.

I have found that for me, the key to liking a new place when I move there, is to find a few things about it that I love, and that I can't find elsewhere. So, the things I have discovered about Orem that I love:

The fruit stands. Kezie goes to Cherry Hill Elementary, so named because this area used to have fruit trees galore. While I haven't run into any cherries yet, there are little peach and apple and pear orchards tucked away into a lot of the local neighborhoods, and there is often a stand outside where the family sells the fruit by the box. The price is good, the quality is good, the service is friendly, and you can actually watch people picking the fruit that you are about to eat. I have a half bushel of pears on my table right now, ripening and waiting to be canned in a couple of days.

The library. The Orem City library rocks. The selection is good. They have entire seasons of TV shoes, past and present, which you can rent for a dollar or two. They have sheet music, and ebooks, and nice employees, and a book drop that you can use even when the library is open, so you don't have to drag two kids out of the car and into the building just to return a book. Plus, if I want something that they don't have, Orem residents can also use the Provo library for free.

The BYU creamery. This tiny little grocery store has excellent prices on milk (and BYU brownies) and actually has decent prices on a lot of other things, too, including deli chicken and corn dogs. Plus, they have an in-house ice cream shop. And, in the corner, there is a picture of beard-growing contest winners from the 1950s. Methinks there is a rebel in the store management.

Provo Canyon. It makes the drive to my in-laws much shorter, and more pleasant. It's pretty. Last time we drove through it, we saw a goat riding in the back of a pickup truck, ears flapping in the wind. What's not to love?

There. Four things so far. After four months in Utah County, I think I am finally convinced that I'll enjoy spending the next five years here.