“I go to seek a great perhaps.”
These were supposedly the dying words of the poet Francois Rabelais.
What a simple and profound way to think about why someone would leave their home country, their family and everything they know to travel to a place like the American West. Like Park City.
Take my friend Nikki Dodson, for example. We tease her about her charming Australian accent, like how she says “naur” instead of “no.”
But behind the teasing is a great admiration for what she and her family came here to accomplish. It’s a perfectly Park City version of the American Dream: to create a snowmaking company.
“I grew up in Falls Creek, the Australian ski area that my dad managed before starting our family business Snow Logic,” she says. “We all love skiing and the mountains, so our goal is to make ski operations more sustainable. It’s really special to be able to work and live in a place you genuinely love.”
Nikki thinks the American Dream is alive.
“If you know what you want, you’ll always find it,” she said. She admitted it can be daunting. “But it’s amazing what you can achieve when you combine the power of the human spirit, resources and environment to make your vision a reality.”
Nikki isn’t the only Parkite I’ve met who came from the Land Down Under to make dreams come true. Simon and Jacqui Lennon are two friends from the gym. Born and raised by the beach in Sydney, the couple moved to Park City 10 years ago to advance their kids’ ski racing endeavors. What they found here was much more than downhill and giant slaloms.
“The outdoorsy, laidback lifestyle reminds us of home,” Jacqui says. “Only here, we’re doing it in the mountains rather than the beach!”
As much as they’ve taken away from the Park City community, the couple also gives back. They ran the NYC marathon last month in support of PC friends whose children are dealing with a rare genetic eye disease. They’re avid supporters of Lucky Ones Coffee, which employs and empowers people with disabilities. (Just ask Lucky Ones barista Alex about Jacqui’s pavlova!) And they’re opening a new local boutique Romy Park City in the Pendry Plaza. Their shop will feature an Aussie twist on fashion and jewelry from a mix of global designers.
Starting fresh in a foreign country — especially one that doesn’t share your native language or even culture — isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes guts to reimagine your whole life in a place that’s thousands of miles from everything and everyone you know.
Just ask Mert Ozdemir. He traveled 6,546 miles to Park City from Turkey when he was just 21. I once read that a foreign accent is a sign of bravery, and Mert proves it. He says his English wasn’t stellar when he arrived seven years ago. Just enough to get by. But his idea of adventure surpasses even the most intrepid PC mountain biker or skier.
“My mentality is very different from other people my age,” Mert said. “I knew I was meant to do this. My whole life is an adventure — and every moment is part of that.”
I first met Mert a couple of years ago. He was our Uber driver for a girl’s night on Main Street. He was so sweet and personable and we all wanted to know if he made airport runs. Hey, it’s hard to find a driver who’s willing to take you through Parley’s Canyon at 6 a.m. in a snowstorm.
Mert gave us his info and the next time I needed a ride to SLC, I pinged him.
In that ride, I learned there was more to Mert than driving an Uber. The flow of conversation was easy and genuine. He’s open, thoughtful and philosophical in a way that goes far beyond his 20-something years. He’s incredibly ambitious. He ran his own trucking company for a couple of years before starting another company called T&M Transportation. He partners with yet another company called Rio Transportation. And he runs a YouTube channel to inspire others to follow their own dream.
Since then, I’ve recommended and ridden with Mert many times. And I always learn something new.
During an early morning airport run last week, I asked him how his American Dream was going.
He said, “I’m already doing something I was dreaming of.”
But to achieve it, he left behind a comfortable life, a good family, lifelong friends. For Mert, family is a “game changer.” As he said, “The hardest thing is loneliness here.”
Despite missing home, Mert said he doesn’t feel like a foreigner. “Park City is an international city,” he said. “My friends are Indian, Russian, Azerbaijani. We all come from somewhere else.”
But no matter where you come from, it’s all about the power of connection. “We all need this as humans. Sometimes, just talking with people who understand you, who can listen, is all you need.”
He said that living in Park City is more than turning back to nature, as so many of us outdoor adventurers believe.
The greatest adventure for Mert? “Returning to our own nature.”
That’s an American dream — and a “great perhaps” — we can all strive for.