Monday, March 2, 2009

Pretending to be Carrie Bradshaw

So once again for news writing I took advantage of an extra credit oppurtunity and decided to post a column I wrote. Of course this isn't as exciting as the columns Carrie writes on Sex and the City, but I mean hey I live in PROVO, UTAH...excitement is minimal here. This one is my opinion on dating in Provo. I'm looking forward to doing a more in depth story on dating and relationships for my final story in the class!

Many times Provo seems to be the Mecca of dating for young Mormon singles. The great number of college students and other young adults living in this town and the thriving social scene all play into the appearance that dating is easy here.

However, the more people I talk to about dating in Provo the more I begin to realize that people are not dating as much as you would think. Many of my friends, male and female, have even expressed difficulty in finding someone to date.

So there seems to be a distorted sense of reality in that many people here believe that others are dating far more than they are themselves. This skewed perception of dating often makes people feel that they are doing something wrong or they are not as desirable of others.

In my opinion this distorted dating perception is caused by a few different things.

One of the main reasons people believe that others are dating more than they are is because they always see people out on dates. The reality is that there are so many young people in Provo that you are bound to see a couple out no matter where you go.

This observation does not necessarily mean that the whole world is dating; it just is a reflection of the sheer large numbers of young single people.

The other reason why people begin to believe that they are not dating as much as they should is the heightened sense of urgency to find a spouse. It always seems like all of your friends are getting married or engaged.

However, if you really look at the ratio of your married friends to single friends you will see that your single friends are a much larger group.

So do not give up hope young singles of Provo, there are many other people in your same situation. The more you dwell on feeling like your dating life is lacking, the more it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

New Italian Restaurant I Loveddd...mmmm

***For my News Writing class I was asked to write a story on a place I had never been. Being the restauranteur that I am, I decided to try a new Italian place on University Ave...it was delish...enjoy the story!***

On a brisk Tuesday night in Provo, Utah, the bright lights inside of Gloria’s Little Italy, an Italian restaurant on the corner of University Avenue and Center Street, seemed to invite people to come in from the cold, dark night.

Upon entering the restaurant a cheerful hostess welcomed the party in. All of the people dining there were adults, some young and some older.

There was a couple seated close together deep in conversation. A large party of about eight to ten young adults was seated together for a birthday celebration.

All of the people in the restaurant were seated quite close to each other and the tables were small, seemingly to encourage conversation. I felt a very intimate and welcoming feeling in this restaurant.

An upbeat server greeted my party of four after being seated. He announced the special of the day and told us a little bit about the restaurant.

It had originally been in a different location. The old location was much smaller than the current, but that did not cause Gloria’s to lose its charm and personality.

When asked what the best dish was at Gloria’s the server answered us enthusiastically.
“Everything here is homemade, so you can’t really go wrong. I’ve tried just about everything and its all great. But for today, I would suggest the calzone since it’s the special. You won’t be disappointed,” the young server said.

When the food was brought to our table the fragrant aroma of Italian sauces and herbs swirled around us. One of my friends and I ordered the calzone and we were both surprised by its great size.

As we waited for dessert the chef of the restaurant came out to say hello and ask how our food had been.

After dinner, dessert and lots of conversation my friends and I walked out of the warmth of Gloria’s Little Italy and returned to the cold Utah Valley night air. Full from food and friendship, Gloria’s filled our stomachs and our hearts.