pogoism

For a place I thought I was going to hate, I sure do like Reno. A lot.

I’ve been here for almost 8 months now, and I can honestly say they’ve been the best 8 months ever. I’m constantly reminded that I have to leave in 4 months, and that makes me so sad.

I’m not sure what I find so alluring about Reno. If you Google it, it looks horrific – and to some extent it is. It’s certainly not a place I’d want to come on holiday, but it’s the little things that make this city what it is. Things like walking out of my apartment in the mornings and seeing the spectacular view of the Sierra Nevadas covered in snow against a perfectly blue sky. Things like finding the little pockets of humanity amongst the downtown casinos, like Java Jungle, Pneumatic Diner and Dreamers. The bewildering diversity of places to eat - Ethiopian, Japanese, Mexican and Basque to name but a few. The huge array of things to do outside Reno, like snowboarding and kayaking. Lake Tahoe, one of the most stunning places I’ve ever been, being 40 minutes away.

Then there’s the things that are more general, things about America. Before I arrived in August, I had that typical view that the media in the UK portrays about America and it’s inhabitants. They were all wrong. Americans aren’t stupid. They get irony. They’re not all gun-toting, religious, conservative rednecks. It’s a wonderfully diverse country, and one that I’ll be proud to say I spent a year in.

Finally, and by far the best part about my year here are the people I’ve met and the friends I’ve made. Before I arrived I promised myself that I’d go out and make a big effort to meet people, rather than get locked into a group with the people I’m here with. I’m glad I did, I’ve got some amazing friends here, friends who I hope I’ll never lose contact with. Melissa, who I met through a guy I dated for a short while, is a great friend. We have a lot in common – travelling, music, eating out. Lauren, who I met at a really awful Halloween party because I didn’t know anyone there, and neither did she. Alonso, who is by far my best friend here, I met by chance. After a few months of texting etc, we finally met up again … the rest, as they say, is history.

I’m really going to miss this place… *sigh*