End of the Road

I think the oddest thing about being in Carson City is the fact that the mountains are on the wrong side of the city. Living in Salt Lake City, the mountains are on the East side. There are hills to the west, but the big mountains form the eastern border. Here in Carson, it is the Sierra Mountains that form the western border. Along with Reno, this part of Nevada represents making it happen in the desert. There is nothing around here and it has a sense of surviving for no other reason but to survive.

Still, despite the progress and growth both cities have produced, wherever the progress and city end, the desert maintains its grasp on the land. Wherever someone hasn’t planted grass and is currently tending to it, sage brush is the only thing growing. The surrounding hills are brown and desolate, a old reminder of what this place really should look like.

But like I said, it is the mountains on the wrong side that seems odd to me. The rest of what I just spoke of just seems like home, it all applies to Salt Lake as well. I have been in places with no mountains and I am constantly turned around. Luckily it is not mandatory for me to always know which way is East, but when you are used to 10,000 foot reminders it is unnerving not to know. I don’t know how those people can tell which way is east and west unless they get up early in the morning and watch the sun come or stay up late and watch it go down. I would have to buy a compass!