Living All Around

So I have lived in six states since I was born. from coast to coast, from border to border. I've lived in California,  Arizona, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas. Rural, suburban, and urban, I've lived in it all. With all of the places I have lived, I can honestly say Oregon was the best. For what reason I don't exactly know, maybe since my last year of childhood was spent there, maybe for the beauty, or just because of the feeling and memories of being there are so magical. I can also say I love to live in a rural area, or at least on a huge property full of adventure and nature.

I have loved moving form place to place. I've never really had roots, because home was where my family is, and they were always with me. The closest thing to family home kinda thing, is my grandparents camper, that they have had forever, and I love that old thing, even though it smells like cigarette smoke. Every place I have lived has had the good and the bad. I don remember to much of California, because I was way to little, but I can vividly remember all the other places.

Thought the best place was Oregon, my grandparents old home in Arizona was the most magical property in the world. From the in ground pool, big deep red bathtub, dog graveyard, old Indian well, javelina pigs, the wash, the saguaro cactus skeleton, granddads workshop garage, the huge in door planter under an amazingly big skylight, the sun made ice tea, the large fireplace, all of the kokopelli, owl, and native american decor, and all of the little memories. It was such a marvelous place.

I have lived in Michigan the longest, all over the pinky area, and also for a very short while in East Lansing. Michigan is pretty, but I'm not a fan of snow or tourist season. I love the lakes and that a lot of my family lives around here, but one of my dreams is to leave this place as quick as I can, Its just kinda claustrophobic here. I will miss cheese shop, blue moon ice cream, family, and the lakes, but that's basically it for Michigan.

South Carolina does not have my kinda weather, humid is a major hate of mine, but the ocean is lovely and warm compared to the west coast waters I've swam in. And southern people are great, the accents are cute. South Carolina is more of a vacation place for me, then a place to live, more then a month there and I'm over it, but maybe that's just myrtle beach area. Cookie cutter neighborhoods are not my cup of tea. Nor is all of the strip clubs, mini golf courses, and beach shops.

I was only in Texas for less then half a year. Hurricane Ike hit and that was absolutely terrible, without power for almost a month, and I had no idea how to make friends in my first year of high school. I learned the hard way that high school is nothing like TV. So other than all that and misquotes the size of baseballs it was rather nice. The house was huge and cheap!

I like to move around but in the future once I have a family of my own, I don't want to move them around, I want my future children to have a 'hometown' and familiar surroundings. I do hope to have lots of fun vacations with them in new places though.

--Emma

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." - A. A. Milne