Dear Nevada,

It seems to me I owe you an apology. You see, I spent my whole life wanting to get away from you, and with college being the perfect opportunity to do so, I packed up my whole life and ran full speed ahead to the Pacific Northwest.

I never appreciated you, not until now. You were the barren, dry, thorn in my side I always despised. My summers were filled with tumbleweeds and the unbearably dry heat that made it impossible to play outside with my friends. I despised you because my heart yearned for trees and flowers and green grass. You weren't what I wanted, but looking back, maybe you were what I needed.

My 17-hour drive from Salem, Oregon back to my hometown of Las Vegas gave me too much time to think and nothing to stare at but the miles and miles of mountains and Joshua trees that litter your desert terrain. You're not beautiful in the traditional sense. Actually, most would say you're butt ugly. Maybe it was the seemingly endless hours spent in my cramped car or maybe distance really does make the heart grow fonder, but that drive made me see the beauty that is weaved into your plain landscape. I saw the screaming reds and oranges spill across the blue sky as the sun set behind the rich purple mountains, and I realized that you would always have a piece of my heart.

You were my first love. I was too wrapped up in my dreams and future to understand that the first 18 years of my life, but I understand it now.

Don't misunderstand, I was made for the trees and flowers and green grass, but you were the one who raised me. It was in you that I graduated high school, met some of my best friends and found Jesus. It was in you that I spent summer nights awake at 2:00 a.m. in my tiny, lavender-painted bedroom writing my heart out, or if I was not writing, avidly reading. You helped me discover who I am and who I want to be. You were kind of like a guardian angel, always watching over me. You stuck with me whether I wanted you to or not. You've seen me when I was only a few minutes old, and have been there to watch me grow into the strong woman I am today.

Nevada, I love you and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for taking you for granted, and for rolling my eyes when people would tell me how cool it must have been to grow up in Las Vegas. You've always been so good to me. I'm not here to stay, but I'll carry you in my heart everywhere.

Sincerely,

The Little Desert Girl