Just a Little Homesick Tonight

There’s been lots of stuff going on lately and sleep has been a near luxury. It’s times like this when the mind can start to wander a bit and take a somewhat random path while doing so. I find it turning to familiar territory more frequently lately.

Many people I know have lived in many places throughout their lives for many reasons. My own family has moved all over the place from the time my brother and sister were born. I’m the exception. I lived in San Diego (Poway, actually) for most of my life. I was in my mid 20s when I moved to San Diego proper and 27 when I moved to Las Vegas and away from my hometown for the first time. The desert of southern Nevada is quite a change from San Diego.

Having lived in Las Vegas for three years now (probably about as long as I lived in San Diego proper after moving away from Poway) I’ve found myself feeling a bit homesick every now and then. The “cool” factor of the Strip wore off long ago and the newness of everything else has also begun to wear thin.

Maybe its the heat of the summer. Maybe it’s the single digit humidity so much of the time. Whatever it is, I keep thinking of cool ocean breezes, salt air, and the motion of a boat on the swells beneath my feet. There’s something I miss about the ache in my legs when I step into the ocean, the push of the waves, the sting in the eyes and the taste of the sea. I miss the outstanding museums in Balboa Park, the history of the Star of India and the USS Midway on the Embarcadero, the and grandeur of the Hotel Del Coronado. As strange as it might seem, I also miss the tremendous variety of freeways. One thing that keeps coming back over and above all the rest for some reason is the unbroken horizon when looking out to sea. Jimmy Buffett’s song “Tin Cup Chalice” keeps running through my head.

Southern Nevada has quite a lot to offer, don’t get me wrong. There’s Hoover Dam, casinos and shopping galore. Wonderful national parks like Zion and Bryce Canyon aren’t too far away and state parks like Mt. Charleston and Valley of Fire are even closer. Nellis Air Force Base puts on a truly outstanding airshow every year. I might even go on a tour of the Nevada Test Site soon. Vast expanses of undeveloped land define this area. The cost of living is much lower here and there’s no state tax.

Still, it’s not what I’ve known for so long. Something tells me I’ll probably be going on a road trip in the near future…