I grew up in Utah. At the time, I didn't know it was the only state in the country basically ruled by a religion. I didn't know it has the highest melanoma rate in the U.S. And I didn't know that except for the Wasatch Front corridor (about 75 miles), Utah's population demographic is 'rural' or 'frontier.' (frontier = six or fewer people per square mile).

I knew that Utah's wilderness was pristine (not as much now as when I was a kid ... you could still find sego lilies back then). That southern Utah is one of the most fabulous places on the planet (Moab, Zions, Bryce, Escalante, Bears Ears, Monument Valley, Goblin Valley, Lake Powell, Snow Canyon ... the list goes on and on and on). That northern Utah is 'the greatest snow on earth,' though my favorite thing in northern Utah is Antelope Island (do NOT go there in the spring, people. The bugs will devour you alive.) That mountains are beautiful and terrifying (dense forests freak me out for reasons too complex to get into here).

My favorite things to do as a kid: Lying on the grass and staring into the sky in hopes of seeing something invisible become visible. Catching lizards, snakes and grasshoppers in the summertime quest for the perfect neighborhood zoo. Making tents out of my mother's heirloom quilts (I caught it for that one).

My least favorite things to do as a kid: Housework, especially emptying the dishwasher. Babysitting (I'm the oldest of six). Returning things to old-lady neighbors. Dressing up (seriously, I could wear pajamas all day).

We all start somewhere ... where did you grow up?