For those of you who don't know, I grew up in Arizona. This has been a subject of much debate among my podcast listeners. Many think I grew up in New Mexico. I shudder to think what level of insanity I would possess if this were the case. I merely went to college in New Mexico.

Anyway, I grew up in the boonies. "The boonies" is a technical term that means "Way the fuck out in the middle of nowhere". I grew up on the outskirts of Tucson in the mountains. I was surrounded by desert greenery. (Yes, the desert has fucking greenery.) I was in the midst of Saguaro, prickly pear, cholla, creosote, ocotillo, sage, palo verde and mesquite. I would tromp about in the desert for hours on end. New Mexico (where I went to school anyway) was a barren waste land in comparison to where I grew up. I remember seeing bobcats in my backyard, two huge white wolves, a mountain lion … not to mention a plethora of snakes, birds, prairie dogs, javelina and coyote.

Anyway, I miss the desert. I miss the cactus and I miss the mountains. Despite the dirt and dust, it feels clean. I cannot explain that, but to me, the desert always feels clean. The south is flat, wet and for me, uninspiring. Yes, there are trees, grass is everywhere and the whole area seems to be green. But somehow, it is a green that irritates my senses. There isn't enough yellow or white. The desert has a lot of white.

I have gone over a year without seeing the desert.

I feel very far away from home.

I am a desert child and I know it.

Posted by Utopia at October 7, 2006 12:08 PM

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Posted by: pamela at October 7, 2006 08:27 PM

Posted by: Andrea at October 8, 2006 11:02 AM

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