Since moving to AZ I've had several friends or relatives ask me, "Do you think you'll like living there?" I was always surprised by that question because, well, I've liked every place I've lived. Until now I've been convinced that happiness is a state of mind, and anyone who doesn't like where they live just hasn't explored the area enough. Well, now that it's been over two months since we've arrived I'm finally understanding that, yes, some places are actually harder to like than others.
It only took finding 4 scorpions in my house for me to conclude that humans just weren't meant to inhabit this place. What will it take for us all to get the message? The 125 degree days? Or the black widows festering around the perimeter of my house? Could it be the dozens of crickets that creep in every night from who knows where and cover my carpet despite several pest control attempts? No? How about the rocks and cacti just waiting to shred my children's hands and knees? You pick, but I'm convinced that we should just stop fighting nature and ship out.
OK I'm mostly kidding. I just happened to move here during the most extreme time of year. I LOVE LOVE my house, and my kids are making friends and Alaina is enjoying school. The area has a killer Craigslist and there are 3 Goodwill stores within 10 miles of me, thus satisfying my thrill for bargain hunting. I have 3 cousins and an uncle living close by, which has really helped with the transition. But I may or may not have already written Aldi headquarters with a plea to open a store here, and I miss having lots of grad student families around, and I really miss all the GRASS. So in the meantime I'll give myself the same advice I give Jesse every time we get in the car and burn ourselves and he yells, "I HATE PHOENIX:" Just give it time, Buddy. Someday soon this place will be home.
There is really good news though. In 4 months I'll be blogging about how wonderful the winter is here, and all you Midwesterners will be eating my dust (maybe literally if you come to visit me. There's a lot of dust.)
