From City to City

A personal essay by Scott Mehr

My world was turned upside down as a youth. Find out how.

Distracted, I sat quietly with my peers but my mind was elsewhere. The world I had known my entire conscious life, was about to disappear. Excitement and anxiousness filled my ignorant mind while the rest of my classmates went on with their routines. Homework would be due next week, but I would be gone. All of my friends would soon become memories and a ten-digit long-distance phone call. My sadness was overpowered by the mystery of the unknown. It was cold outside, and the leaves painted fall onto the pavement.

“Mom! I can’t find my Legos!” “Don’t worry Scotty, I’m sure the movers got them.” My parents were packing the house with a moving company and I decided to go play backyard baseball with friends during my last hours. My dad and I would leave from Iowa City, Iowa to Woodland Hills, Utah. My mother and two older brothers would fly out early to receive the moving company at our new house. They started unpacking while my father and I drove in the new SUV. I had visited the mountainous desert once before, but now it would be my new home. Pictures of the new house looked great and I was going to have the biggest bedroom. I thought of all the possibilities but quickly remembered my social circumstances. I was soon to be the “new kid.”

Sixth grade elementary school would be cut in half as I was suddenly in a “middle school.” Mamba’s, a Starburst like candy, were all the rage. The Utah vernacular would take some time to get used to. Words like hoodie, beanie, four-whiller, dualie, late-night, and ornery were foreign to this Midwesterner. These would be the first days I ever rode a school bus and the first days I would sit by myself at lunch. Not having friends was something foreign entirely. I was invisible to everyone and could go an entire day without speaking a word. My perceived reality felt more like a dream than reality. When was I going to wake up?

My first Sunday at church was something else. I never knew that Utah was some sort of Mormon religious epicenter. The pews were filled to maximum capacity and the amount of youth was astounding. The first 5 or 6 people I met had the same last name. When I finally met someone with a different last name, I asked why everyone was named “Isaacason.” They chuckled and informed me that the family had 17 children in it. I sat bewildered and thought about contacting Guinness World Records. I could tell that the kids my age were courteous out of christian obligation. This friendliness extended somewhat to the lunchroom, hallways, and classrooms at school. Seeing youth from church at school was strange. Although these changes were difficult, I held on to whatever was left of my happy-go-lucky boyhood.

My venture and experiences of moving to a new land are similar to those of a family found in the Book of Mormon. A family in this book moves from the comforts of wealth and high social status to a new country. Two of the sons were found complaining throughout their journey and arrival, while the other two sons went with trust and obedience. I felt that trust as we left Iowa and also complained about my challenges. I guess you could say that I had some characteristics of both sides but generally had a good attitude about it. This Book of Mormon family ended up finding greater joy in their new home.

As time went on, I began to see the light coming over the mountains. I made lifelong friends, unknowingly met my future wife, and my family grew closer. The dreary days were replaced with laughter and friends. It finally felt like home after almost 5 years but the life I had so carefully created, would soon vanish. My dad and I would leave from Woodland Hills, Utah to Minocqua, Wisconsin. My mother would fly out early to receive the moving company at our new house. She started unpacking while my father and I drove in the old SUV. I had visited the lake filled forest once before, but now it would be my new home. ■