Hubbard's Hill

When I was younger the trials and tribulations of teenage angst sent me here....



Hubbard's Hill was my oasis. My escape. I'm not sure where the name came from. At one time I think someone told me it was named after a family who lived in the only house on this hill many, many years ago.

As you climb the hill all you see is road and sky. You honestly feel like you're going to fall off the face of the earth. And then you reach the top. The whole world opens up. You expect the road to level off. But your car pitches forward. The quick change makes your stomach drop just as is you were on a roller coaster.



When I needed to ponder what life was throwing at me, I parked in one of the field drives at the top of the hill. Sitting on the hood of my car, leaning against the windshield, I listened to the radio through my open windows. I watched as the sunset and searched for Orion once the stars came out.

I came here when my boyfriends broke up with me. When my best friend and I were fighting, I spent a few hours on top of that hill. If my family was driving me nuts, this was where I came. The night before I moved to Iowa State, I came here.

This hill has seen more than a few tears. And not just mine. It mended the woes of several friends. Whenever someone I knew was hurting, I shared my hill with them. We spread out a blanket and sat in the middle of the gravel road. The quiet was soothing, and the view put things in perspective.

I got to take Ryan there this weekend. It was strange to see his reaction to something that was once so special to me. He just... didn't get it. But that's okay. He doesn't have to. It's mine.