Pocatello

A thriving mormon community in southeast Idaho, home to Idaho State University, a variety of crazy meth addicts, rich mormons, lots of Indians, and hip young college kids. Despite how it may look from the outside, Pocatello houses a growing hipster counter culture. From the ones who hang out at local coffee shops and cruise Pocatello's countless thrift stores (notably the Youth Ranch and the DI), to the ones who hop off at the train station and camp in the area during the summer, Pocatello's got all the witty artistic classiness you need. Most of these individuals are working on some sort of music or art degree at ISU while paying cheap rent for a trashy apartment and working a job that sounds cool but actually sucks. Hipsters like living in Pocatello because of the ironic clash that their growing presence has against the prominent LDS community. Pocatello has six coffee places, mostly locally owned, which is pretty cool. The only thing that sucks about them is that the only reason they're still open is because the hipster kids of Pocatello like to hang out in cool places no one has heard of. If you're deemed "cool" enough, you will be welcomed to the nightly college parties that occur over the summer, or perhaps asked on a date to an artsy community event. All the coolest people like to go to the small shows around town--from local acoustic music to even cooler sounding new music from Portland, most of which you wouldn't have heard of.

1.
Me: So you're from Pocatello. Do you go to ISU?

Hipster girl: Yes, I'm a photojournalism major. I used to be an Arts major but I changed my mind. I shoot photos for my friend's undiscovered acting agency in Boise.

Me: Wow that's super cool that you choose cool irregular paths of life. It really illuminates the ironic contrast of what kids our age normally do after high school.

2.
Boss: So are you a member?
Me: A member? ...of what?
Boss: (scoff) The Church!?!
Me: ...

3.
Me: So you're a member, right?
Hot Mormon Girl: Yeah of course! You?
Me: Um, not really...the missionaries invited me though.
Hot Mormon Girl: It was nice meeting you.

by aenema22 August 23, 2010