Some of the negative stereotypes that I heard about Utah/Utahns include:
-Hypocritical people
-Meat market type singles situation
-Arid climate
-Large bushes were called trees
The biggest stereotype was that the people in Utah are hypocritical. Yeah, sure, there are hypocritical people in Utah, but no more (in my experience) than you'd find outside of Utah. Maybe some people come with higher expectations than they should, and when Utah isn't at the verge of being translated they get disappointed. I haven't been in the singles scene, so I can't say anything about that. The climate IS arid, and I get dry skin MUCH more often here. True stereotype. Large bushes being called trees? Probably, but it isn't really a big deal. A lot of Westerners think we're silly for calling the Appalachian mountains mountains, so I guess we're even there!
That being said, there are many things I love about Utah/Utahns:
-Gardens EVERYWHERE
+ Really, really. In prosperous areas and in less prosperous areas. I've seen them in small yards and big yards; in the city and out of it. In my experience, the gardeners were more than happy to share their produce with people unable to garden for whatever reason. To me, this is really cool.-Really nice people
+ Of course not everyone can be nice, but so many people are willing to help others out, even when they don't know each other very well. See the produce sharing example above. I know a family that keeps a pickup truck at least in part to help other people move. One woman from my ward lent me some baby clothes right after Levi was born. I could go on, but I don't want to bore you too much.-Everyone is involved in their community.
+ Ok, not everyone, but many, many more people than in other parts of the country. More people volunteer, so much so that other places have asked government officials in Utah how they get their people to do it! More people vote. More people are involved in their school districts.-I don't feel like I've left people out when I talk about things that are related to the LDS faith.
+ Even if not everyone believes in the LDS faith, everyone (or nearly everyone) is familiar with things like Visiting Teaching. It's nice to be able to be open about my religion without worrying that others will think I'm weird, brain-washed, or just dumb for believing as I do.-It's beautiful.
+I don't think I could ever let go of my attachment to the exuberant vegetation of the Southeast, but the mountains do have a rugged beauty. They are awe-inspiring and very beautiful, and there are many mountain trails close by where you can enjoy the beauty close-up.-People have skills for self-reliance: some sew, some preserve food by canning, most (women) know how to cook delicious food from scratch, many know how to fix things around the house or yard, and many garden.
+ Sometimes this can be intimidating. However, there are plenty people willing to teach you how to do things or who will just let you benefit from their wonderful talents.-I can WALK to church! (it's less than one block away!)
-CONSTANT miracles. It seems too personal to elaborate on this, but if you want examples, PM me.
So, there are a lot of great things about Utah. Yeah, there are some negative things, too, but no more than any other place. With all these wonderful things about Utah, you may ask why I'd want to live anywhere else? Family is the main reason, but of course all different places have their good points, and most have just as many as Utah does.
