My Sanctuary...

As a teenager, you can only imagine what went through my small closed mind when we pulled into the small town of Elko, Nv. on a family vacation, and my parents informed me, that Elko would be my home someday, I remember thinking to myself.. "Over my dead body, will I EVER live in this small dessert place, with no mall!" Well, two years later, my world came crashing down on me when my husband and I made the difficult decision to travel across the unforgiven wilderness in search of a better life, and to learn the ways of this foreign land.

Well, it has been 13 years and we are still in Nevada. Opportunities knock on our door every so often and beckon us to leave. We allow these ideas to tease us for a short while before, we dismiss them and return to our life in this enchanting land. You have to be of a unique way of thinking to love the Silver State. No ordinary person passing by could ever see it's beauty, but it is here. The endless fields of undisturbed sagebrush rustling in the crisp breeze singing, "freedom," freedom from urban hustle and bustle, industrialization, and scarring from human hands. You can drive for miles and miles on these lonely roads and never encounter another human being. Heavily populated areas that dangle from the edges of the atlas are the only exception to this, and are only an exception.

People hear the name Nevada, and can only associate it with gambling and prostitution. They immediately think of "Sin City", Yucca Mountain, and mines that resemble dangerous landfills. If they could only look deeper they would see the inner beauty of a state rich in valuable resources, history and culture. Glacier water that flows from mountains, and crystal clear springs, gold pouring from hills, and soil that is home to all creatures that roam her lands; and wealth beyond comprehension.

Its precious gold runs thick through my veins. Nevada is my shelter from the world. It is here where I am the happiest. It is here where I have spread my wings, and can go after my dreams. It is here where I can raise my child in a safe environment. It is here where I can grow. It is here where I have found myself. It is here where my husband's career now makes it possible for us to live anywhere, but we choose Nevada, not only for its economical advantages, but it is here where we have the feeling of sanctuary.

I can remember a time when I would have given anything for a chance to leave this dry dessert place, but as life went on, I realized that there were great things in store for me here.. at home. Home... I am connected to this place, all of my memories are here; my future is here. Nevada means more than just home to me. It is where I am inspired to chase after my dreams.

There is no other midnight sky that shines as bright as the sky above the Rubies, millions of stars gather in the midnight sky. A breath of fresh air is just that, pure and clean graced with the aroma of sagebrush and dust. Sounds of crickets and other small creatures accompanied by the occasional mine blast, are all that a person hears. The atmosphere here is a delight to the senses. The one place I have seen majesty of purple mountains, and the beauty of a Great Basin sunset, that fills the sky with colors galore.

It is here where I call.... home! This is my sanctuary....