Dear Maryland

when I think of home, I think of you.

the humidity of summer, jeans glued to my thighs...hair matted to my face & instant regret from leaving the air conditioning.

the frigid of winter, layer upon layer...more Northern states calling you a “baby” because we only got 3 feet of snow, 34th Street with their abundance of lights & wishing for summer only to wish several months later for the coldness.

when I think of home, I think of you.

Milford where the blocks were laid.

Sacred where the blocks were stacked.

Roland where the blocks were enhanced.

Goucher where the blocks were cemented.

when I think of home, I think of you.

the ones who nurtured me, allowed me to grow, challenged me & reminded me that I was meant to fly. the ones who told me to go for it, who believed, who loved me more than I thought was possible.

when I think of home, I think of you.

the box of chicken sprinkled with white dust that is indescribably delicious. the bushel of crabs laid out on brown paper. the smell of seasoning none other than Old Bay.

when I think of home, I think of you.

& I think how blessed I am to have a place to come back to.

May your day be ever filled with love, light, and of course, an abundance of chicken tenders💜🌻✨

Cheyenne Pajardo