I never expected to fall in love with Salt Lake City when I first arrived here.

To be honest, when people think of travel destinations in the western United States, they usually think of big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Seattle. Utah, nestled in between, often seems quiet, with a strong religious image and a perception that there's nothing to see but deserts and rocks. However, living here has revealed a surprisingly deep charm unique to this place.

My first impression was simple. The air is clear, the sky is excessively blue, and even just stepping outside the city center, the snow-capped mountains filled my view. With mountains surrounding the residential areas, the atmosphere of the city feels calm and modest. There are hardly any tall buildings, and even the city center flows quietly.

When I step out of the subway station, people walk slowly, and hardly anyone honks at traffic lights. It feels like a city where you don't have to move quickly like in Korea, where you can live well without having to compete and bump into others.

The reason my heart feels more at ease over time is precisely that. No one rushes me to live fast. Secondly, I appreciated the sense of the seasons. In spring, flowers burst like fireworks, summer has long and cool sunshine perfect for outdoor activities, and autumn is simply beautiful. The red foliage envelops the entire mountain, and hiking feels like walking through a natural art gallery.

Winter brings a lot of snow, but that means ski resorts are close to everyday life. Isn't it a tremendous luxury to be able to go skiing after work? Just a 40-minute drive turns winter sports into a regular part of life.

Next, I started to feel attached to the people. In Salt Lake City, everyone has a sense of 'unforced kindness.' There's no excessive attention, nor is there rudeness. It's common for a stranger to hold the door for you or casually ask, "How was your day?" at the checkout, but they don't dig deeper than that. It's comfortable to naturally become friends at a suitable distance, with lives gently overlapping only when needed.

Lastly, the city has surprisingly good transportation, and the cost of living is less burdensome compared to other major cities in the West. While a car is essential, the roads are wide, traffic jams are short, and dining and rental costs are much more reasonable compared to other cities in the West.

However, these days, there are quite a few concerns here as well. The most noticeable issue is the sudden population increase after the pandemic. As more people move in from California and Washington, rent and housing prices are rising rapidly, and those who originally lived in the area are starting to feel the burden.

This was a city where it was good to live close to nature, but now there's a growing atmosphere of having to keep pace with external capital and development logic. Traffic has started to become busier than before, and public transportation is struggling to keep up with the speed of urban expansion.

The winter smog issue is also becoming noticeable, as the mountainous terrain traps the air, leading to more days with hazy skies. Problems that had been hidden behind the advantage of being a 'quiet city' are now surfacing. Whether this city can grow while maintaining its stable charm is a test it now faces.

Still, the fact remains that it's a city where life is comfortable and gradually becomes endearing, even if it's not flashy. While you can find glamour anywhere, it's rare to find a place that brings peace to the heart, and I find myself unknowingly liking this city more and more.