California Transplant

Traveling back and forth between Nevada and California over the past few months I have developed a strong sense of escape that I haven't experienced since my younger years.

I forcibly came to Nevada a few months shy of my 16th birthday, right after I finished my sophomore year of high school at Milpitas High. Upset that I would have to relocate to a new state in the middle of my high school career, I pleaded with my parents that I be allowed to return to MHS to complete my Senior year and be able to graduate with the friends I grew up with. They agreed under the pretense that I maintain my high GPA in my junior year and that I behave while in Las Vegas. When the time came for me to make the move back to California, I was crushed to find out that my parents would not allow me to do so.

My first year in Las Vegas was a blur. My new curriculum was no different from my last school as I was placed in honors and AP classes. I quickly made new friends, and even tried out for the volleyball team in hopes of simulating my school experience back at MHS. Sadly, there was nothing that could match what I considered home, and I became all-consumed with being homesick. My motivation dropped dramatically in my junior year, and by the time I was a senior at Cimarron-Memorial, I was a whole different student and a totally different kid. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure that something inside me felt that if I acted out enough to get my parents' attention, they would send me back to California. Well, they remained unfazed, and firmly stood their ground against my request.

Sixteen years later, I'm still here in Las Vegas. On the upside, I have met some great people here, and know that with some of them I have made lifelong friendships. I've established a life of sorts also: finished school, started a career, bought a home, and have gotten very close to planting my roots deep into this city. I nearly married a man with deep-seated Vegas loyalty, who wanted us to build a life and raise our children in this town. Thank goodness I escaped that trap, because at this point I'm feeling the urge to uproot myself again. The great thing is that this next time, it will be on my own terms. California will forever be my home, and it will always beckon for my return. However, whether I decide to retreat there or elsewhere, I know that Nevada is not the place for me. Sure, I have had fun here and still continue to do so, but there is a time in everyone's life when change is needed. For me, that time is fast approaching.