On the way back to Salt Lake, I took three photographs from inside a moving car. These were the only pictures I took on my trip, which had a people-focused purpose not a focus on place.
Why didn't I capture moments in the living room while looking at old photo albums? Or take a picture with my grandma, uncle, cousins or even my sister?
A twinge of regret filled me as these thoughts tiptoed through my mind. I had better take a picture of Nevada before it slips away, I figured.
The was the last of the three pictures I took. It's not easy taking a photograph in the backseat of a moving vehicle... While my dad is driving.
I know I'll return to Nevada but the circumstances will be different. Leaving Nevada has never been easy. The first time I left for any significant amount of time, I had four months of a study abroad program in front of me.
The house I grew up in was going up for sale, and I had to move my belongings into storage. I intended to return to Reno to finish school but the rest of my family moved to California.
When I returned from my four month adventure, I returned to the new home in California for the holidays and then secured housing in Reno before the spring semester started.
The problem was "Home Means Nevada" no longer rang true. With my family gone, the connection I felt with the people lessened. I lived alone in an awful, roach-infested old studio that allowed the cigarette and pot smoke from my neighbors to seep into everything I owned. I suffered from severe culture shock. I resolved this struggle by making connections to the land. A girl and her camera graced Pyramid Lake, Lake Tahoe and other places where memories were made.
While I regret not taking pictures of my recent trip, it took this written reflection to understand how Home means the sage and the pine. My heart will be forever moved by this picture and everything related to the trip it represents. And, perhaps, if you look closely, you can see my grandfather in the sunshine tending to the clouds.
