Arizona Nostalgia (Arizo-Nostalgia?) (Phoenix, Scottsdale: transplants, how much, home)

[dreamingmark]

Hello Guys and Gals,
Make no mistake. I love where I live but.. the WIND CHILL tonight is supposed to be -15 or -25 BELOW ZERO! Brrrr. Time to burrow in. AND I MISS ARIZONA SO MUCH! Since I miss it, I came on here to tell you all about it and make a list of the things I miss so much.

1. Blue skies and hot sun- obviously
2. The smell of Scottsdale in the spring- ORANGE BLOSSOMS!!
3. The vivid colors, sights, and sounds, and smells of the DESERT.. red and gold and purple and blue.. chupa rosa.. fairy dusters.. cacti..
4. Cliffs and Crags and Vivid Scenery- old Indian mounds (i.e. DESERT) lol
5. Beautiful Mexican Food that is real
6. Beautiful Mexican Girls.. also real. LOL.
7. The orange, mango, avocado, tropical trees along Baseline Road
8. The strong Native American culture ( cool people, cool ruins, pow-wows, etc. At the risk of sounding like a total tourist, I'll refrain)
9. The architecture that is beautiful and built for the desert
10. Traditional Arizona Cuisine (non Mexican); you guys have cornbread with every meal!!! I love it!!
11. The green tips of the ocotillo in spring
12. Lots of old Italians (for some reason, Italian Americans like myself seem to ALL retire to Arizona)
13. Scottsdale- amazing. Can I live there?
14. Phoenix- also amazing.. parts of it anyway.
15. Northern Arizona's beautiful green forests and cooler, higher elevation..
16. Prickly pear flavorings and cactus flavorings in ice cream and candy
17. Polite, kindly and helpful native Arizonans
18. The distinctive personalities of AZ small towns..
18. The "Old West" history even if it has become tacky-fied (is that a word?) and commercialized
19. The Salt River and rafting down it!!
20. All the outdoorsy stuff
21. How awesome it felt to have RAIN after weeks of dry heat..

Things I have a love/hate relationship with:

The large population of foreigners in Arizona. Notice my use of the very broad term "foreigners", not targeting any specific ethnic group here. I like them because they are awesome people who are interesting, colorful, attractive, have a new perspective, and bring tasty food. But it makes me uncomfortable, in a strange way, to see all of the manual labor being done by Latinos. Also, let's not confuse the issue and blame the illegals for coming. Let's blame the employers who hire illegals and give them incentives to come over here.

Deep breath.. RUDE transplants. I am sure there are nice transplants (the majority probably!) , and I've met some of them, they're OK people. But seriously!! For those that aren't nice and polite whom I've encountered.. An orange fake tan, bleached-blond hair, and a snotty attitude impresses no one. This is the West; we look out for each other over there. Take note of this and emulate, darlings.

Retirees; A sad, but unavoidable fact of Arizona life these days, for many years now. I'm sure they are all right, but at times I just go: "Sugar, why are you tanning at your age with the risks for skin cancer? You're like.. 85!" I recognize the need for independence and exercise among the elderly, but as folks age, there is a necessity for top-flight medical care, some of which can only be found in the Northeast. And there are times when I just want to be with young people, folks my own age. You know how it is. And SOME (key word, SOME, not all) always complain about how much better things were at home, how we ought to do things the way they did them back in the home state. Look, I love my home state, where I currently live, in the Midwest. But if I were to move to Arizona, I'd adapt and try as hard as I possibly could to become an Arizonan, not to remain an Illinoisan or Wisconsinite. My job as a human being and an adaptive creature is to adapt to Arizonan norms... EVEN the blistering heat. Speaking of which..

THE HEAT!! Don't get me wrong, it can be wonderful, blue skies, warmth.. I really miss that right about now.. but in high summer/autumn it's a boiling hell. And I am a creature of the cold..

But I am missing Arizona SO MUCH that it is choking me with tears. I MISS MY ARIZONA AND I LOVE HER AND WANT HER BACK!!
xoxoxox
sincerely
a cold Wisconsinite
burrowing in for -25 F windchills