A "Love Letter" to My Home State On Its Birthday

Happy February 14, 2012, everyone! While most of you may be thinking of a special gift for your "special someone," there's another event being celebrated, as well...one hundred years ago today, Arizona officially became the 48th state of the United States of America! This makes the second time I've lived in a state celebrating its centennial (I was living in Utah back in 1996, when their 100-year celebration rolled around)

Now, I've only lived in Arizona for about 8 1/2 of those last 100 years--but they've been very meaningful years for me, since I've spent the bulk of my married life here. All of my kids were born in AZ, and my husband's career has taken off here as well. I'll probably talk more about this in a later blog post, but suffice it to say, I have many wonderful memories associated with Arizona.

So, in keeping with the spirit of this "day of love," I'm going to jot down a small "love letter" of sorts in honor of this beautiful state. Hopefully, this will help those who don't live in Arizona see why it's actually a pretty awesome place to live.

Dear Arizona,

Happy Birthday To You! Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day too! What a nice confluence of events this must be for you. I know I don't keep in touch as much as I should, but how could I skip your 100th birthday? You must be so excited.

You know, when I first moved here in 2003, I was...less than thrilled with what I saw. The leaves never changed colors! It stayed hot until Thanksgiving! There was no green anywhere! Ugh...this was Nathan's decision to come here, you know, not mine. He decided he wanted to get his Master's Degree from the University of Arizona, in Tucson. I remember telling him, "Okay, I'll give you two years in this place, then we're out of here!!"

And yet, eight and half years later--three kids, an advanced degree, and several jobs later--we're still here! What's more, I don't mind if we stay ten or twenty years more! Do you feel flattered, Arizona? I hope so...I just wanted to say thank you for treating us so well during our time here. Now, don't get cocky...you're not perfect. You are definitely an "acquired taste"--but I mean that as a compliment! Sometimes, people think you don't look like much; but when they look a little closer, they'll realize that there's much to appreciate. For example:

The Grand Canyon!

Okay, I'll admit it...I've only visited the Grand Canyon once since I've lived here. But it's a place that stays with you...I know I'll go back someday. The Grand Canyon has a "pull" to it; once you've seen it, you know you'll have to see it again; it's a magnetic place. It's a place that defies any easy summary or explanation, and that no one photograph can truly do justice to. But it is a remarkable place, wild and beautiful and overwhelming and awe-inspiring and just plain big. Anyone who enjoys getting out into nature (even once in while) owes it to themselves to visit the Grand Canyon. There's no place quite like it on earth.

And on a related note:
  
Arizona's "Wild Wilderness"!

(This is NOT what Tucson looks like. Just sayin'.)

 I've lived west of the Mississippi River for the majority of my life: California, Colorado, Utah, and finally Arizona. Many people (Easterners, mostly!) still think of these places as the "wild West," where lawlessness reigns & mankind ekes out a living in spite of the elements. I'd never felt that way about any of the places I've lived...sure, Colorado & Utah have their barren, remote spots, but there's plenty of civilization too. But then I moved to Arizona, aka The Place Where Mother Nature Is Out To Get You.

See this picture? I'm surrounded by rugged rocks, spiny cacti, brittle sharp bushes, and a huge tree that looks like it's about to lean over and gobble me up. It looks like this everywhere...at least it does in southern Arizona, where I live. And it's not just the plants that are dangerous...there are plenty of animals (snakes, Gila monsters, giant creepy beetles, mountain lions, birds of prey, wild pigs, etc.) who wouldn't think twice about attacking you if you were to set foot on their turf. And, last but not least, there's that bright, sunny sky. During the summer, I won't lie...it gets hot. Like, crisping your skin, fading your paint, baking your outdoor toys, sizzling your street hot.

That doesn't mean that Arizona is bereft of civilization; Phoenix and Tucson are large, 21st-century cities with all the amenities you could wish (especially my new favorite amenity, air conditioning!). Our family lives in a clean, orderly, peaceful subdivision with parks, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, a lake, a library, a post office, and several stores. But...if you drive out of town just a little ways...pull over the car...and start walking...you'll find wilderness pretty fast! And it may (or may not) be happy to see you!

This "aggressive" side of Mother Nature used to really bother me about Arizona. I was quite the whiner for a while ("Why does it have to be sooo hot?? Why can't it rain more often? Why are the plants all so dangerous?? Where's all the green?"). Then, after being here for a little while and taking a better look around myself, I discovered a few things. For example, parts of Arizona look like this:

And here's what that same place in Arizona looks like in the winter! Best yet: this location is only about an hour and a half from our house! Not too bad for a place that only has "one season":

And for those who see Arizona as a barren, fruitless land, might I ask you to consider Apple Annie's as just one counter to that argument?

 The two main things I've learned from my time in Arizona are: 1. The desert, while it seems harsh and wild, is also vivid and beautiful and even accessible (you just have to meet the desert on its own terms!) 2. It's true that Arizona will never be as "green" as anything on the East Coast, but that doesn't mean it's ugly; it just means that Arizona's "greenery" is especially rare and valuable!

Besides, Arizona has a lot more colors than green making up its palette. Speaking of which:

Colorful Arizona!

 Arizona, I love your colors! Spring is a particularly nice time of year, when the sun isn't so hot, and when everything seems to be in bloom:

Most spectacular of all, though, are the regular light & color shows we get in the Arizona skies. Whether it's early morning...

...or at the end of the day...

...these displays will make even the busiest person stop and drink in a look. Who needs that much green...when you've got all the other colors of the rainbow so close by?

And, last but not least:

The Good People of Arizona

I've gone on at length about Arizona's great outdoors, but I wouldn't have enjoyed the last eight years nearly so much if not for all the wonderful friends we've made here...and the wonderful family we have nearby.

Nathan's parents, after falling in love with Arizona themselves, moved here in 2009, after Glenn's retirement. It's been a great blessing to finally have family so close...for the first six years of our stay in Arizona, we were far, far away from any blood relatives. However, this isolation brought about its own blessings; not only were Nathan and I able to grow closer and strengthen our marriage, but we also reached outside our own comfort zone and met so many amazing people, many of whom have become our dear friends.

Now, I know Arizona hasn't always gotten the best press lately...apparently, most of the rest of the United States thinks we're a bunch of backwards racists. I can't speak for everyone in the state, of course...but I have a sneaking suspicion that backwards racists are commonplace in every state in the United States (unfortunately). I can tell you from my experience (with all races, mind you), the vast majority of people in Arizona are like people everywhere else; not perfect, but trying to be good neighbors, good citizens, and strong supporters of their families. They love their homes and they work hard to make them good places to live. They're people of faith, ambition and hope. In short, they're great people and I've been honored to meet so many of them.

I've been impressed by the friendliness so many people have shown me...this includes random strangers I've met in stores, out on the town, etc. Arizona is a fairly "transient" state; most people living here are from somewhere else, so everyone is in the same boat, trying to get to know a whole bunch of other transplants. This makes people (most of the time) a little more open and friendly than you'd expect.

Sadly, we've also had many friends (mostly in the military, but also in several other professions) leave Arizona after a short time. We always miss them when they go! However, the compensation for this turnover is the large amount of happy memories we've accumulated over the years--as well as the "revolving-door" of new interesting friends who have moved in to replace the ones who've moved on! I love the diversity of people I've met here; it's made me a more cosmopolitan, well-rounded person just meeting so many great folks.

But, Arizona, I'm sure I've rambled on long enough: you've got a little more celebrating to do today! I just wanted to say, one more time...thanks for all the great memories! Thanks for being such a beautiful state! Thanks for helping introduce me to so many new experiences, people and places. I know you're going through some hard times right now, Arizona, but I believe in you, and I have faith you'll pull through these challenges in the end.

I love you Arizona! Happy "Big 100"! I'm going to leave you with this "romantic" little video from YouTube. The song is kinda cheesy, but the images really do show off your "best side"!

Best Wishes,
Me