The leaves starting to turn in the mountains.

Well, where to start? It’s been a heck of last few days… Or weeks? Let’s just say air travel with a toddler & cat, with tons of luggage because you’re moving across country can throw you some challenges. And for an introvert, all of that becomes amplified. (But I really feel for a new colleague who’s currently driving from Boston to Salt Lake with 4 cats! I can’t even imagine the meowing…)

The excitement of the greatest professional opportunity I’ve ever had has been commingling with fear & anxiety, bordering on imposter syndrome. There’s so much to learn, & I consider myself just another student of life. That’s the funny thing about leadership. You want to lead, but then realize everyone turns to you, looking for direction & counsel. It’s a massive responsibility, & I don’t take it lightly. I feel honored, lucky.

You can’t get a true sense of scale, but these mountains are tall.

To me, it seems fitting that the liminal period between summer & fall acts as a physical representation of the transition of self I’m encountering, professionally. Pathetic fallacy, I suppose. There’s been much sacrifice. Moving out of New England, giving up the farm, leaving family & friends, letting go of the ocean…

Yet all that seems minor when faced with civic duty of helping over 100,000 students & growing.

Salt Lake City at dusk.

And I must admit I’ve been awestruck with the beauty of this place, Utah. I’d never heard of Utah to be such an aesthetically amazing place, not on this grand scale. Every direction you look, you see impressive mountain peaks… I really mean every direction. I can’t even come close to capturing that visual experience in pictures or words.

The natural landscapes act as a balm to my soul when I’m feeling stressed or anxious. There’s a lot to be gained from slowing down enough to soak it in. I’m looking forward to some days in nature, once we’re unpacked & settled.

As the trees turn… in Utah!

(On that note, next week will bring Park City, & I’m sure I’ll be taking a ton of pictures to share, given its renowned visual displays.)

Thank you for sticking with me on this journey. Transition from one major online, not-for-profit higher ed institution to another, while uprooting & transplanting to the West from New England… Well, it’s providing me with ample situations to learn & grow both in private & professional settings.

And meeting a lot of new people mixes excitement with exhaustion, so I’ll be continuing to rely on my writing as a way to work through related stress & anxiety. Stay posted!

The spectacularly colorful displays of fall foliage in Utah.