Our Welcoming Stay in Sterling

Utah

April 2021

Driving to Sterling, Utah

At 10 am, we were packed and ready to drive from Idaho to Utah to our following location, 400 miles and 5.5 hours away. Our pet, Hemmes, had already noticed the change in our behavior this morning.

He is getting used to the ritual of traveling, though. Once in the car, he lies down and accepts his situation! I make sure he is comfortable! While in the carrier, I always pet him, talk to him, and occasionally treat him with cat candy. It is so cute when he talks back!

We arrived around 4pm. Hemmes started exploring and immediately found the comfortable spot we created with his blanket for a much-needed nap. After a few hours, he returned to the living room and sat curiously behind the window, watching the free-roaming chickens and horses.

Our First Moderna Shot in Manti, UT

Just a day after settling in, we managed to schedule appointments for our first COVID-19 shots in Manti, UT, a town not far from Sterling, UT. I was nervous and excited at the same time., because we could get our first Moderna shot right away, the following afternoon.

We were vaccinated very efficiently, going through a drive-through setup, similar to a McDonald’s drive-through experience. We were advised to wait about 15 minutes in the car to see if we would experience any reactions, as it was our first shot.

Within 45 minutes, we drove off again! Besides a stiff arm the next day, I thankfully had no side effects at all. In four weeks, we will follow the same procedure to receive the second dose.

Our Unexpected Basement Stay

Before we knew it, the three weeks had come to an end. Our “home away from home” had turned out to be a charming spot. At first, I was hesitant when I saw it was a basement. The recent West Linn experience, the one with the young kids playing and running constantly right above us, and the unfortunate lack of light, was still on my mind.

This place was the total opposite. It was calm and quiet, and didn’t feel like a basement apartment at all. Sometimes, we would hear a little walking, talking, or a dog bark, but mostly it was silent. Additionally, it was spacious, filled with natural light, and had a beautiful lake view. I was glad we had this positive basement experience to keep this option open for our future travels. It was a perfect place to pause and recharge.

We also loved the area. Sterling is a small farming and livestock town located in the Sanpete Valley, beautifully surrounded by the San Pitch Mountains. We spent many days exploring the surroundings, doing scenic walks and hikes, and enjoying the natural beauty of the valley every day.

The Sleepyhead's Moving Day

Because our following location was only a three-hour drive away, we had asked and received permission to linger a little longer at our current spot. Instead of 11 a.m., we left around 1 p.m., since check-in wasn’t until 4 p.m.

Still, we had the car packed by early noon. To fill the time, we tidied up the apartment and put the used bed linens and towels in the washer and dryer. The only ‘packing’ left to do was putting Hemmes in his travel carrier.

He seemed a bit confused today; usually, crates, luggage, and plastic bags near the entrance signal that moving day has arrived. But nothing happened after everything was loaded into the car; he relaxed and fell asleep again. So, when it was time to leave, we felt a bit sorry for disturbing him when we took our sleepyhead out of his warm hiding place. However, he accepted his fate calmly.