My Home and Heart is In Arizona...And Yours Will be Soon

Arizona has been my home since 1982 when I moved here from the Texas panhandle. From the start, the Valley of the Sun wrapped it arms around me and made me feel at home. There is so much that is wonderful about Arizona and the Valley. Where do I begin?

I have always viewed this area as an adult Disneyland of sorts. Simply drive down the street and you will see what I mean. It is beautiful. It seems that the flowers are always in bloom and the grass is always green. Ok, so that is because of a great deal of care and hard work; but, when it is a pleasure to go to the grocery store, you know that life is not too bad. It took me a while to fully appreciate the desert but a springtime visit to the Desert Botanical Garden will make an enthusiast out of practically anyone. And yes, there is nothing quite like the desert after a rainstorm. It is breathtaking.

Moreover, the Valley is close to everything. In just a few hours you can be at the beach or in the mountains, ready to ski or in Las Vegas on the Strip. From Tombstone, Arizona to Sedona to Montezuma’s castle to the Grand Canyon to the dunes in Yuma, there are zillions of wonderful things to see in Arizona.  And since Sky Harbor Airport is a hub to many vacation destinations, nothing is very far away.

While it is not Broadway or Vienna, there are many cultural opportunities here as well. We get the traveling troupes of Broadway productions and are usually a stop for all the great concert performers. Between the Orpheum, Herberger and Gammage Theatres, and any number of other venues and performing arts centers, there are always many, many opportunities to escape from everyday life. Phoenix has a wonderful symphony. There are beautiful museums, both art and cultural museums.  You can listen to music in the park, at restaurants and clubs. What fun. And let me tell you, the Fourth of July Fireworks at both Tempe Town Lake and downtown Phoenix are spectaculars that you don’t want to miss.

We have six bazillion restaurants to try out. Many are highly acclaimed and have been featured in many national magazines. No matter the type of food you are interested in, there is somewhere in the Valley to find the best (ok, maybe not Texas Barbeque!).  Because we are a very popular vacation destination, the resorts and restaurants are top notch.

And sports; do we have sports.  We have the Arizona Cardinals, the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Phoenix Coyotes. And those are just the professional teams.  My personal favorite and one of the coolest things about this area is Spring Training.  The Valley is the location for many professional baseball teams’ spring training.  There is nothing quite like spending an afternoon in the early spring (when the rest of the country in under snow!) sitting in the sun, eating a hot dog and watching a bunch of men in tight pants entertain you. Now that’s the life!

Mostly, however, I love the Valley because of the people.  In many metropolitan areas across the country, people are cold and aloof.  I live in a wonderful neighborhood, in the true sense of the word.  The schools are terrific. The folks that live here are friendly and helpful and look out for one another. There are neighborhood stores and restaurants. There are churches, temples, synagogues, masques and other places of worship; you can certainly find whatever you are looking for.  In my opinion, this is a wonderful place to raise my family.

I could go on and on. I’m sure I missed many of the highlights. The crux of the story is that no matter what you are looking for, Arizona is a great place to find it. If you are thinking about moving to the Phoenix area and have questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to chat with you about the place I call home.

And pretty soon you’ll be saying, “…it’s good to be home”.