I’ll be the first to admit, I haven’t always appreciated my hometown of Tucson, AZ. And if I’m being completely honest here, I would say, that at one point, I actually hated being from there.

People would always tell me, you don’t truly appreciate a place until you leave it. This comment always brought rolls to my eyes and sarcasm to my voice because all I wanted to do was leave and see what the world had to offer me, outside of my hometown.

I started traveling, near and far and every place that wasn’t Tucson. I became best friends with planes, trains and motor vehicles and my favorite online shopping site quickly became anything to do with getting out of Tucson. I hated it. I hated Tucson and I hated every second I had to be here.

But as my invisible wings began to spread and my restless feet started to venture out into new and unfamiliar horizons, I slowly started to appreciate the feeling of being back home. I started to appreciate the things I would have never noticed before and I started to miss the things that made Tucson, Tucson, when I was away. I relearned how amazing a familiar place can be.

My last year had been spent with faces I never recognize, street signs that only got me lost and weather that I could never understand. It seemed the trips became longer. I began to miss the simple Tucsonan things, like the smell of summer nights, filled with monsoon rains, the way watermelon Eegees taste on those three digit weather days, and let’s not forget about having quick access to the best Mexican food available.

Finally I’ve realized that Tucson isn’t so bad, It’s the place I get to call home. A place you will always see me representing come U of A game day (BEAR DOWN) and well, any other day for that matter. I’m not ready to stop traveling away or even come close to settling down, but I can openly admit that I have a newfound love for my hometown.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is, don’t give up your hometown. It’s not as bad as you think and if you take a step or even a few thousand miles back, you’ll realize how having a home base is kinda cool. It’s your own personal bird’s nest built with people, who love you and are always ready to celebrate your return.

And I owe it all to traveling; this amazing thing that allows you to connect with different places, but it’s also this beautiful thing that helps you reconnect with home. It’s like saying, even though I have to go and spread my wings, I still love you and I’ll be back with more love than before, so keep a bar stool open for me and that margarita waiting because I promise to come back.