Back in 2015, I took the leap from my home state of Colorado to move to Arizona. Why, you ask? The long and short answer is I hate snow. Hate it. I hate driving in it, hate dealing with it, and I didn’t find the appeal in playing in it. All I wanted to do was escape the snow, and I happened to have family in Arizona, so it was a soft landing. Was Arizona my first choice? Honestly, no. But I was sold once I saw palm trees fluttering in the breeze.

What I Thought About Arizona Before Moving Here

I’ll be blunt: my opinion of Arizona was not favorable. Like so many folks living in the US, I thought it was just a desert full of snakes and scorpions. As I drove from Colorado down to Arizona through New Mexico, I was not expecting cities like Flagstaff, a town that reminded me of Boulder, Colorado. I had no idea Arizona contained multitudes.

The Food Scene

One of the most surprising things I discovered about Arizona is the fantastic food here! I’m not just talking about Mexican food; I’m talking about almost every cuisine I’ve found. Now that I’ve lived here for nearly ten years, it’s no surprise considering Tucson is one of only two certified cities Of gastronomy in the US, and Sam Fox, the founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts, started growing his business in Phoenix. If you’re unfamiliar with Fox Restaurants, the short answer is that these people are the restaurant whisperers. From great food to a beautiful and cool restaurant atmosphere, these folks know what they’re doing.

The Job Market

Currently, I work in marketing as a Creative Director, but at the time, I was moving from a small ad agency as a graphic designer in Colorado, hunting for jobs in the Phoenix area. What I found in terms of the caliber of ad agencies here blew me away. I was hired as an Art Director at a local agency, and my first attendance at the American Advertising Awards was incredible. I was shocked by the amount of creativity I witnessed was akin to what you’d find in Hollywood. Nonetheless, I realize this story is very specific, but it gives you an idea of how wrong I was about my preconceived notions of Arizona.

The Diverse Landscape

I know I touched on this earlier, but my understanding of Arizona was laughably narrow for reasons I’ll never know. Since I moved here, I’ve mountain biked in Flagstaff and Sedona, some of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen. I have backpacked into the Havasupai Waterfalls — again, the most unreal experience you’ve ever thought possible. I’ve camped in the Lost Dutchman State Park in the Superstition Mountains, which has some of the most beautiful views a person can take in. Honestly, I could go on and on. This is such a fun state to explore, and that’s coming from someone from Colorado! Arguably one of the best states to be an outdoors person.

The Infrastructure

I admit, anecdotally, this is the state with the worst drivers outside of California (in my opinion, the worst). I was shocked the first time I was on the highway. Consequently, I turned on my turn signal, and the car wholly ignored it. Colorado isn’t perfect, but there was always an understanding that when you saw someone turn on their blinker, you gave them some space to merge. That being said, I was very surprised by how well-organized Arizona is. The streets have a precise grid pattern, and the roads and highways have a surprisingly thoughtful design.

The Family Scene

I was fortunate enough to meet my husband and start a family with him in Gilbert, Arizona. I was nervous about starting this adventure in Arizona, where it so infamously has a bad reputation for schooling; however, my personal experience so far is the schools in Gilbert are pretty darn good! This is to say, as of this article, my oldest is 4 and in pre-school, but according to GreatSchools.org, our local elementary school is 9/10, so we’re optimistic!

If I were to summarize, moving away from Colorado was a heavy lift. I still love Colorado, and it will forever have my heart. If it wasn’t for the snow, I would still be there. That being said, I have no regrets about moving to Arizona after living in Colorado. Yes, it gets hot, and yes, that can be annoying, but like many burdens, you just get used to it.

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