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| Hiking with Spike, scoping out my Eagle Project, 16 years old |
When Mallory and I were dating, I specifically remember dismissing the idea of living in Maine. I suppose that was mostly based on the fact that I couldn't imagine living in a place like Maine because it seemed so foreign to me. I was raised in a very vibrant area of California where the innovation of Silicon Valley was pulling the world and telling them where to go. Recreation, people, terrain, climate, cultures, and foods were all very diverse and at your finger tips. Despite the many negative things people may say about California, there are a lot of positives about the place. I don't really want to make this a California vs. Maine type of thing, but I draw from my experience from California because that's what I have to compare my Maine experience to.
Part of me longs to return to California. There are a lot of things that I miss about that place. Some of those things include giving my kids similar experiences that I had when I was growing up. A few things that come to mind is being in a strong church community (but outside of the Utah bubbles), growing up among diverse cultures, being close to the outdoors, have the ability to play and roam as a kid, having access to vibrant cities and museums, and have a temple nearby. There was always a pride with being from California, one that is difficult to describe. We are used to setting trends and making waves in entertainment, technology, politics, and culture.
Maine pride is much different. It's more of a blue collar, we-know-we-are-the-underdog type of pride. For example, recently I was returning from a California business trip. I was sitting in the Reagan National Airport waiting for my connecting flight to Bangor which had already been delayed an extra hour up to this point. When we were asked to board, we had to board a bus, which would drive us to some remote corner of the tarmac. The Mainers in the bus began cracking jokes about how they couldn't find the plane to Maine, and that when they did find it, it would be a prop plane from WWII. It was quite comical to observe, because everyone was very jovial about it and was okay with it. It's like they expected to board the worst plane on the tarmac, which may make it to Bangor, or it may not. It's kind of a sick sense of humor, but funny nonetheless. After I heard people saying that, I turned the table on myself. If I was in a bus full of Californians heading to an already delayed flight, what would the voice of the people be saying on that bus? Probably nothing cheerful. Most likely nothing at all because everyone would be on their smartphone to trick their minds into thinking they were anywhere else except on a bus about to board a plane. So I guess I really prefer the underdog mentality, although I'm still one to play my California pride card from time to time.
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| Madie and Finn hold Petranella for the first time |
I was really worried about what church life would be like in Maine. It's extremely remote, and the nearest temple is a five hour drive. Was the Branch going to have young families? Were our kids going to have friends at church? The answer is yes and yes. I was pleasantly surprised with the young families, kids, and community that I found here in the Ellsworth Branch. Granted, the Branch just north of us doesn't have any youth at all, and maybe a handful of kids. But we have been supremely blessed to have young families moving in recently. Our primary is quite large. The nursery alone is bursting with young boys Finns age. The one challenge is the temple. It's only five hours away, but at the same time, it's five hours away! With young kids and no immediate family nearby to watch them, it's quite a challenge to go. We are still trying to figure this one out. Overall, the Branch has a very special and welcoming spirit. I love how real the people are.
No matter where you live or where you plan on moving to, you are going to hear people saying "Oh, you don't want to live there, their school is no good. You need to live in this neighborhood." We heard that in Livermore, we heard it here in Maine as well. I guess the big difference between the two is we could actually afford to live where the supposedly 'good school' was and it didn't involve signing up for a charter school 18 months in advance. Madie will be learning the violin next year with her class, she will be learning French in 3rd grade, and benefits from small class sizes to get the personal attention she needs. The learning environment here is already leaps and bounds ahead of what I grew up with.
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| Snowboarding Alpine Meadows, 16 years old |
As I mentioned above, California is a place of very diverse recreation. Growing up, I remember this one weekend when I went snowboarding on a Friday, and then going surfing the very next day...just because I could! I grew up camping in the redwoods, backpacking the sierras, snowboarding Lake Tahoe, and surfing in Santa Cruz. It is the birthplace of many more outdoor trends and activities, even the mecca of some. You literally have everything at your fingertips. Because California is the mecca for a lot of these activities, it can be so crowded. Trying to reserve a campsite in Yosemite for a night this summer didn't happen because it filled up in a matter of minutes. That's how competitive it is. Maine has a lot of outdoor activities to offer. On our island alone, you can hike, rock climb, ocean kayak, canoe, cycle, swim, surf, mountain bike, lay at the beach, go whale watching, or go fishing. This doesn't even touch on the winter activities. I remember last summer we went to this lake in Acadia that is not well known at all. I was sitting there, enjoying the beach with the family and thinking to myself "If this was California, we wouldn't be able to find a parking spot, and even if we could, we probably wouldn't be able to find a place to lay down a beach blanket." Although Maine may not have the highest mountain, the biggest trees, or the steepest walls, the recreational opportunities in Maine are real, and at our fingertips.
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| Madie and Finn at Sand Beach, summer 2014 |
The other day I was at a birthday party for one of Madie's friends and I met a man from Ireland. He had been here for 15+ years and only had a slight hint of an accent. I asked him if he missed Ireland or had any desire to return. He said yes, he missed a lot of things about it. But he also admitted that if he did return he wouldn't be able to capture the things he missed. His home had changed too much since he left. I guess I feel the same way. All the things that I love and miss about California are near and dear to me. But moving back there won't help me realize those things, and there's certainly no guarantee that my kids will see those things either. I can't give if it's not received.
Just last week during fast and testimony meeting, one of our summer residents bore a testimony that has been replaying in my head all week. They live in Utah most of the year, but she said when they come to Maine in the summer, "I feel that I can be the person I want to be." I couldn't agree more. I don't know what it is about this place, but there seems to be less pressure to be something you're not.
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| Jordan Pond, Atlantic, and beyond. |
I don't have a crystal ball and I have no idea how long we will live in Maine, but I can say we will enjoy the simple life. Winters are long, and wear me down. Our nearest immediate family member is in Utah, which makes reunions strenuous. But when I think about the drought issues, violent protests, and tornadoes all around the country, I count my blessings and am grateful for a safe and fun place to weather the storm and raise my family.
2 comments:
This is great, Mike! We agree, and you've got some great points. We miss MDI like crazy!
Epilogue: In January 2015, my old employer had contacted me in an effort to recruit me back to California. My desire to return out west conflicted with my desire to stay in Maine heavily. It was a very difficult decision that was pondered and prayed over for a few weeks. After much prayer and thought, I felt impressed to stay in Maine. It was after this decision that I wrote this blog post. Despite that feeling, I still felt impressed to apply for the job to keep my professional network with my previous employer well-groomed. So I did. Within three hours or applying, I was sent an email that they wanted to interview me over the phone. Within seven days of interviewing over the phone, I was contacted and summoned for an on-site interview. Wary of taking this too far, I was still curious what would come of this and continued right along. While on vacation in California, and en route to Utah, I stopped in for a two hour on-site interview. It went so well, that they made a 'pre-offer' within 20 minutes of leaving. That essentially means they want to do a background check and make a financial offer. The HR rep told me that they '...don't like to haggle over money...", so they pretty much name your price. With the potential to make significantly more money, return to CA near family and friends, I was again conflicted. Although I had received an answer, a part of me wanted to pursue this, and felt life would be more fulfilling with more financial opportunity, and room to grow my career in a very large institution that clearly wanted me back. It's nice to be wanted. While counseling with Mallory and some family, I turned to the Lord for counsel. I distinctly remember asking, "Why do you want me to stay in Maine?" A clear voice spoke into my mind that silenced all other thoughts and distractions, and replied "To serve me." After that, I dropped my guard. There was nothing less to discuss. My family is here in Maine to serve Him. I don't know what lays ahead, but I do know that the Lord wants to build his vineyard here in Maine and that we need to assist. Since that answer came, I removed my candidacy from the position in CA. A week after pulling out, my boss (only one who know about my flirting with CA) was approached by his boss, who asked him about my applying for that job. How she found out, I have no idea. Brian was the only person I had told. But it sounds like I had withdrawn at the right time because she apparently doesn't treat those things lightly. Brian turned that conversation into a positive by discussing ways top make a long-term commitment to me to keep me here. The Lord wants us here, and continues to bless us to stay here. At work, I just hired my top candidate for a position. He is from Pennsylvania, but just graduated from BYU-Idaho from the same program I did. He was literally my top candidate, considering all objective criteria. Aside from his professional skills he will bring to JAX, he will bring a family of four kids to the area and help the Ellsworth Branch. Had there been a more qualified candidate, I would have likely chosen them over my fellow alumni. But there weren't any. He was my top, all-around pick. We'll see what else the Lord has in mind for us as we live and work in his vineyard in Maine. What a beautiful place it is!
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