To Be An American

I don't know if the title is correct as I am not really going to describe what it means to be an American in this post. No, instead I am going to talk a little bit about the different places I have lived. Sure, I could talk about all of the states I've visited, but since I have not yet visited Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota (I think), Hawai'i, and Alaska, I think the first idea would be shorter. So let's get started, shall we!

I was born and spent the first 14 years of my life in Michigan. I didn't like it there. Was there a lot to do? Sure. Four seasons. Lots of lakes. Apple orchards. Parks. You name it, you could and still can find plenty to do there. I just never really like being there. I can't quite explain it. I still have plenty of family there. My mom, brother, niece, aunt, uncle, cousins. However, my absolute favorite place in Michigan was Lake George. Grandma had a cottage on the lake. We would go boating in the spring, summer, and fall and snowmobiling in the winter (when she still had snowmobiles). We'd have bonfires. We'd cook on the grill. I loved it there. It was peaceful. My quiet place.

View from the deck of the cottage to the lake

When I was a freshman in high school, I went to live with my dad. While at the time I didn't think so, it truly was the best decision my parents made for me. I was having so many issues and going to live with my dad helped me. At the time, he lived in New Hampshire. Probably my favorite state in the "frozen" north. New England is a beautiful part of the country. But New Hampshire, it spoke to my soul at the time. It was there that I started to find myself and learned how to make true friends, some of whom I still maintain friendships with to this day; more than 30 years later. 

The summer between my junior and senior years, Walt Disney World was going through a serious building phase so guess where we moved to? You guessed it! Orlando, Florida. The worst mistake my dad could have made for us. I mean, it was just me and dad, and he could have just left me in NH to finish out high school with my friends. I even had a place all lined up to live with a friend. His parents even spoke with my dad! They lived on a farm, plenty of room. But nope, I had to go to Orlando. And my dad learned a very valuable lesson that year. 

While in Orlando, dad didn't realize the school district he moved us into was not as it was in NH. No more private high school. No more being in an all-white school. No, I was now in the minority. My boyfriend that year was not white; well, one of them wasn't anyway, lol. My grades seriously slipped because I had to take so many classes in order to graduate; the school system in the south is far behind the north even to this day. I was miserable! After graduation, I went back to Michigan to stay with my mom and in May of 1991, not quite a year later, I moved to San Diego, California!

I loved southern California! It was the best of both worlds. I could have temperate weather and still go visit the snow in the winter if I chose because the mountains were 20 minutes away. 

Lake Cuyamaca, California 1997 - yes, it's winter

I lived in San Diego County for seven years. Four and a half of those years I served in the US Navy. I explored as much of that county as I could going to the mountains at all times of the year, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Balboa Park, went up to San Fransisco for a weekend, Old Town San Diego, and so much more. I have to put a disclaimer in here to say I am a country girl through and through. I hate big cities, but absolutely loved San Diego.

After San Diego, in early 1998, I moved to Las Vegas. Yes, another BIG city, lol. My dad moved there in 1994. My then-husband had just gotten out of the Navy and we didn't want to stay in California. Easy decision - go stay with dad and start anew in Vegas Baby! I spent a lot of time exploring places outside of the city. Red Rock Canyon. Boulder City/Hoover Dam. Valley of Fire. Jean. Nelson. Pahrump.

Me and Dad at Lost Creek Canyon outside of Las Vegas

I didn't stay in Vegas very long. Not quite a year. The marriage fell apart. Long story short, he did something he shouldn't have done, lied about it, and now has to register for the rest of his life. I wound up moving to Flagstaff, AZ at the end of 1998 and stayed there until mid-2001. Northern Arizona was great. While I lived 60 miles from the Grand Canyon, I never made it there. I came within 30 miles of it; Bedrock (yes, THE Bedrock where the Flintstones was filmed). I also visited several Native American and other historical sites like Montezuma's Castle, Sunset Crater, and others.

In 2001, I moved back to Michigan, started college, and then moved back to central Florida in 2006 where I have been ever since. I won't go into detail there as I have pretty much already talked about those two states, lol. I've driven all over this great country. Seen so many different places, historical and otherwise. Experienced so many things. I've taken thousands of photos along the way; many I have lost due to moves, damage, and such. Many I still have in some form such as an actual photograph, digital, negative, etc. One day, I would love to just travel this country again, retrace some of my steps, and retake some of those old photographs.