Although I technically arrived in Salt Lake City yesterday, as today was my first full day, I'm calling it Day One. I have been amazed at just how orderly Salt Lake City is. I could see it from the airplane, but it's just as impressive on the ground. Despite being a large city, there aren't a lot of people (other than the couple thousand AP readers) walking the streets. I have, however, been surprised at the number of people begging. I had to decline three of them on my walk from the hotel to the convention center (the Salt Palace), two of them after seeing the sign that said "Do not give money to panhandlers."
I love seeing mountains out the window. I'm not comfortable enough, nor do I have enough money, to go exploring, but it's on my to-do list should I come back next year. Right now, one of the few storms that SLC is going to see during my trip is starting to pass over one of the surrounding mountain ranges. Oddly, that's the reason I'm writing now instead of swimming. Even the indoor pool at this hotel has an outdoor aspect, which is awesome, but with that rumble of thunder ... well, there might be lightning rods on these buildings, but I don't want to tempt fate.
The food here is great and plentiful. I am concerned about my overall weight gain on this trip, but not enough to avoid the spread that they are providing. I've made a small circle of meal-mates, and have enjoyed sharing our experiences on this first day. I have yet to meet another person who currently lives in Michigan who is at the reading (although I know of a few). For that matter, of the number of people to whom I have introduced myself, only three have been from the same state (California).
... I need to introduce myself to more people ...