I didn’t always live in the desert. In fact, I have lived in many places and climates, but I spent the majority of my formative to young adult years in the mountains of Colorado.
Well, by the mountains. The eastern slope, but the mountains were a part of daily life and if you knew where you were in relation to the mountains, it was like having a map, or knowing how to follow the stars.
The mountains were west, and there ya go. You always kinda knew where you were.
And there were seasons. Very distinct, summer, fall,winter, spring. We don;t really have that here, it’s just pretty much hot, and not so hot.
While most of the US and Canada is starting to feel the approaching fall, with a coolness in the air and the leaves maybe starting to change, here we can expect at least another month and a half of over hundred days before it changes to not so hot then down right cold.
By the standards of those who enjoy the balmy southwest winters, yes it does get cold. Just because you live in -10 degrees and think 50 is tropical when you come to visit does not make it so for the natives.
Just saying…If you ever do come here in winter, look around and I will bet you can spot the residents vs the tourists and Snowbirds.
That is neither here nor there at the moment. Thing is I have been here around 8 years, this time. The first time was back in 97 for a year before I moved to Las Vegas (not much better weather wise by the way.)
I didn’t come here because I chose AZ, I came because this is where my family was, is, and I needed to come home.
Colorado home was no longer an option, with Mom and Dad here so… I moved here.
Just for a while.
After all, I am a Colorado girl and hate the desert. I get all mixed up with no seasons and no direction. (although I have mastered the ability to instinctively know which way I am going here and if I get lost I have learned tricks to figure it out.)
So the kids and I just bided our time. We haven’t been anywhere or done anything here in this state because it was either, do it next year or we will be gone before we have the money or the time to go places like;
The Grand Canyon
Sedona
Flagstaff
Payson
Camping
Butterfly Wonderland
Anywhere at all
Eight years are a long time. That’s like common law marriage, so if I wasn;t already a declared resident, because you have to do that within 30 days of moving here or face deportation to Mexico to make room for the illegals who declare nothing, Id be a legit anyways.
Lately, I have felt restless and unsettled. I just got back from an epic road trip to Oregon, where I would also move in a heartbeat, and it’s September, a month I am always a little off anyways. A lot off to tell the truth.
I just turned 45 not too long ago. Time marches on and the opportunity to do instead of dream is getting smaller and smaller.
I talk about how much I hate this place, how I wish I could go anywhere, do anything, do SOMETHING.
It occurs to me, I may live in AZ a long time still and instead of hating on it and wishing to go anywhere else, maybe I should start trying to find things I like about it.
Places to go, food to eat, things to see. Not everything costs money and the prime time of the year for hiking and outdoor activities is right around the corner, with the kids also getting off school for two weeks in Oct for fall break.
Kind of a Mental Moment, with a brick attached to it actually.
I have never really explored or tried. I just always looked at the Phoenix Metro area as a huge contributor to global warming (hey all that concrete is what keeps the temps above a hundred in the middle of the night some months, why wouldn’t it heat the globe too? just saying..) and a time and money suck with almost all the fun activities costing money or needing to be inside and anywhere worth seeing hours away by car (again, money)
Piss poor attitude I know. Most of its true (for me) , but I decided I am going to find things about this place to enjoy and to change my mind. Mostly to keep me from turning to a cranky old shut-in who only dreams of doing things and mistakes pinning it on Pinterest as living it.
Starting local and free is starting small but its better than not at all and better than hating this place I may live in for another however long I live here for.
No more waiting. Life is happening while we plan on other things.
With that in mind, I am going to challenge myself to find one new place, or activity or whatever within a 45 mile radius of where I live every week. Any greater distance, we are getting to places I already know I want to go, but cant’ or haven’t because or time, or money constraints.
Instead of dreaming of the farthest away I can be from here, I am going to do what’s here and then share it with you.
Share the wealth I always say, and there is a lot of it Living up the AZ…I just have to find it.
Running Naked With Scissors 
Great attitude. Throw in a little spontaneity once in a while and you’re good to go. ❤
thanks..and losing that little bit of spontaneity could be the difference between living or just existing. At 20 ..you can afford a little of the somedays…at 45..if you wanna do it..ya gotta start. ❤
❤ ❤ ❤ ~(+_+)~~
There’s a little online game called Kingdom of Loathing that is based out of Mesa. I’m friends with most of the staff, so I had planned to move out that way. And yet, all I know of entertainment is going to Jesters, and Canyon Lake. Really though, the main driving was ‘have friends’ and ‘not humid’, so.
I dunno about the not so humid part. Since the year and more rain dunp in one day it’s been like a sauna here.
I saw about the mega-rains from friends gathered out there for an annual convention. I know when it storms, it storms and that when there is humidity, it’s a mega-punch to the face (as I experienced first-hand in 2007). But still, the cellular nature of the storms made for good viewing that year. It was a mile or two off, and everyone at the (rental) house was sitting on the patio watching it rage from the safe distance. Bliss.
Who knows? You may even run into to someone in the same boat as you and love the company. 🙂 Go see what there is to do. It will be grand. Plus, I will have some idea what to do when I come visit. 😛
Love you muches.
xxx
Yay! Do you like to fish?
♥ muah!
Yes. 🙂
It could be marvelous, you just never know. There is beauty everywhere you simply have to look for it.
that is very true, and sometimes look in the most unexpected places which you never saw it before.
A good plan for you I think…. Our daughter who lives in Chicago… wants to move to Az when they retire…. She’s your age… her husband is 50 so a few more years yet…. Diane
Chicago to AZ, they will probably love it. Not many who come here from the places where the winters are harsh do not, (well me, I miss snow but we all know Im just crazy 😉 ). Especially about oct thru March.
Lizzie, my dear… Nice to be here, and to read you again…I always forget how much I like what you write…. For some time, due to increasing pain, (my arthritis getting worse, predictably…) I’ve been sticking close to my blog, with only minimal surfing lately, to answer comments… but, I just realized I could get your new stuff in my email, without having to go to the Reader to find it… So, here I am, & glad to be here…
By the way, are you still Empressing? The world is getting pretty screwed up, and I figure it meant you, and your co-empress of the know universe, were taking an extended sabbatical, so you’d have something to keep you busy when you get back to your duties… Just wondered….
Nice post, and good thinking… It’s always good to sweep out the old, & try something new…. My uncle used to live in Tempe for many years, and I’d go visit him in the summers almost every year during my teens, because I fell in love with the desert, and, during the trip I mention below, wanted to try out Carlos Casteneda’s sorcerer’s trips, with ingestion of peyote, to see if it was all true….(It was, by the way….)
Then, as noted above, during college, I spent one Easter vacation hitching to the desert, from Berkeley to Phoenix, because it had been too long… I found this camping spot, on the Verde (the Anglos call it the Green) River, about 15 miles or so north-east of Phoenix, that was beautiful, not too far away from town, and easy to access… had a great time…. Got so stoned one night with some other campers, my boots started smoking, from sitting too long near the fire…. It was hilarious, when I had to run to the river to stick the boots in there for a moment, to put out the fire on my soles….. Maybe that’s why I’m so tough… my sole was strengthened by fire…. 😉
There’s a lot of desert there around Phoenix, and I know of no place on Earth where you can find so many kinds of life to see…. much of it tiny, and living in small rocks, or under cliffs, or anywhere, all over….amazing diversity of living things out there, all competing for each drop of water, and each bite of food…. It’s a great place to spend time, as long you learn how to be safe, from the rattlers, scorpions, lions, plants, etc….
Any who, thought I’d throw out that suggestion… then, I’ll fall into fantasy, & wish I could come to visit, myself, to see the desert again…It’s one of my favorite places for outdoor activity… SIGH…. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, for me, travel or money wise… and, my time is all my own….But, my uncle passed many years ago, and I wouldn’t know anyone there but you….and we, of course, haven’t met, other than here, or over at my site… But, if you are amenable, I’d love to show you around the desert I know, some time… I think your kids would love to see what I can show them, and, you might, too….
Rather than slide into a fantasy world any further, I’ll yank myself back now, and say Ta Ta, for now… Stay close to an A/C, milady, and all will be well… Don’t forget all the state parks near you; most of them are free, or just charge a small fee for a day’s parking…
Take care. milady Liz, & Blessed Be…. I’ll be back more often, now that I’ll be getting notified of your new posts…
Ned, aka gigoid, the dubious…
😎
Hi Ned 🙂
[…] (Living up the AZ intro) […]
Lizzie – I just wanted to stop in and say hi. I’ve been offline for a very long time and just returned (you used to know me as Gillian). I missed reading your posts. I hope to “see” you around! Much love …
Hiiiiiiiii! oh yay! I haven’;t been writing much but I am trying to get going again. I’ll be around no worries. So glad you are back! I have thought about you often ❤
Hugs & Happy Holidays!