Yep, she said “Chip Ottle”

I am not the most worldly or sophisticated person I know. Yes, I know a lot about wine, but I also love Costco hotdog dates with my fiancé and I am really good at drinking cheap beer. It might even be considered a talent.

What I still find fascinating about living in Wyoming, even after five years here, is that many people have never traveled outside the state. Laramie and Cheyenne are only two hours from the Denver city center. But for many students here, Laramie is the largest “city” they have ever been to. I giggle a bit when people refer to Laramie as a “city.” It has fewer than thirty thousand people and the tallest building is a dorm.

Recently, I was at a campus eatery during lunchtime, waiting to order coffee, when a girl behind the counter yelled, “Southwestern Chicken Salad with Chip-Ottle Dressing!"

Candi: “Huh?”

Crowd of students: Looking at each other

Her: Louder this time, “Southwestern Chicken Salad with Chip Ottle Dressing!”

Crowd of students: Looking dumbfounded

Candi: “OH! Chipotle!!!”

...Like the restaurant.

Yes, its likely the adorable co-ed behind the counter has never been outside of Wyoming. Its also very likely Laramie is the largest “city” she has ever been in. My first instinct was to feel bad for her, she doesn’t even know what a chain pseudo-Mexican fast food restaurant is. Then I realized… she’s lucky! She doesn’t know what a chain pseudo-Mexican fast food restaurant is. This Wyo co-ed has yet to be sucked in by mass marketing and community homogenization.

Wyoming is quite a unique place. I think those little things are going to be what I miss most as I'm preparing to move back to Salt Lake City.

My New Career as a Blogger (a.k.a. yes, I’m avoiding my dissertation)

Growing up, I always thought I would be a writer. I loved writing. I loved reading. I loved reading so much as an adolescent that I spent an entire week in the backseat during a family road trip consuming novel after novel. I read seven books that week and missed the Northern California coast, the state of Oregon entirely, and the Space Needle. My parents still give me crap about it today.

So five years into my clinical psychology PhD program (and nearly done!), I think, “Man, I should give it shot, at least write something” (not APA Style, of course).

How I ended up in a PhD program? I don’t know. I remember graduating from the University of Utah with bachelor’s degrees in psych and women’s studies, thinking, “Wow, I’m not ready to get a real job. I don’t even know what I would do…In fact, I don’t think I’m qualified to do anything…” The last part was true.

So I applied to graduate school. Mistake? Some days I think so. Other days I don’t. I think I will really decide after its official and those letters are behind my name. I do know that I am too tired to do it again if I had the chance. And I actively try to talk people into more useful careers such as accounting, engineering, and public health.

Today, I’m going to try to balance both. Finish my dissertation (speaking of, I should get back to that…) and start writing to see what comes out.