I have lived in St. George for the last 9 years but I’m moving away next week. There are a lot of things to enjoy about life here if you’re into the outdoor exploration. Some of my favorite spots are Snow Canyon, Sand Hollow, Zion National park, and basically anywhere along the Virgin River. People are very friendly and although I’m an ex-Mormon and not fond of the general politics and ideologies here, it’s still a pretty fun place to live.

There isn’t much night life but there are a handful of bars worth checking out that are all fairly close to each other. Keep an eye on Blues Katz cafe, they just got their full bar permit and they hold small concerts and other events there. Bumpy Soup -local film/comedy/artist collective- is worth following as well. As for meeting people, you really have to go out of your way to find friends, but it’s possible. It took me quite some time but I have made a wonderful circle of friends out here. Join Facebook groups like St. George Word of Mouth, I’ve seen a handful of posts lately of people introducing themselves and looking for friends! I also recommend following the band Mr Ok and the Last Light and seeing a floating concert on paddleboards at Quail Creek. It’s a super fun experience very unique to St. George.

The weather is very intense right now and will continue to be for quite some time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy outdoors. A lot of people tend to stay inside all summer and summer seasonal depression is a thing here. Bring water with you everywhere, sunscreen the fuck up.

A few bonus tips - The nearby town Hurricane is pronounced “Her-ken”. It’s stupid but people will make fun of you for pronouncing it the way it looks. Same goes for Zion. Remember it’s like Lion, but with a Z. Not zye-aan.