Last Thursday, the 24th of February, was the 13th anniversary of my arrival in Arizona. I was leaving behind a rather adverse collection of circumstances in California, which I will not get into right now (nor am I likely to get into in the future). I think the words "divorce" and "layoff" are sufficient to describe that.
It was a beautiful day when I crossed into the Grand Canyon state. The sun was shining, the desert sky its characteristic blue, and a new chapter in life was beginning to unfold. As I was leaving California, I said to it "enjoy your new governor" (a reference to the recently elected Gray Davis who was subsequently recalled) and upon seeing the sign that the Grand Canyon State was welcoming me, I think there may have been a few tears of joy. I stopped the truck, said a prayer, and then continued on my journey. My cat Sylvia was with me; she wasn't enjoying the trip....she was the only companion I had with me when I made the crossing.
Later that day, which was a Wednesday, I arrived in my newly-leased townhouse in Tucson, near the Sabino Canyon. I didn't have much with me aside from clothing and my collection of CDs that I wasn't trusting with the movers, and a mattress pad to sleep on since I didn't own a bed when I arrived. I was really starting all over again. That day Arizona became the seventh state in which I was a resident of.
Two days later, the movers arrived. I still didn't have much. I had visited the nearest Wal*Mart to get some pots and pans and a starter set of dishes and silverware. The movers brought my microwave and stereo equipment. I immediately commissioned the stereo and started playing some tunes as I was unpacking.
The following Monday I started my new position at my new employer. I was no longer a satellite engineer; I was instead helping to test out some specialized electronics that were being developed for production. I was no longer living in the land of milk and honey as that I was instead now living in a desert.
When I arrived, I wasn't sure then how long my stay would be. I was in the process of being bought out of my share of the house back in California, and was going to wait a year or so before buying in Tucson as that I wanted to get to know my new city before selecting a neighborhood to live in. And, there was the business of having to make some new friends, which happened quickly, and I'm glad to say that the first friends I made here are still my good friends. Also, I wanted to explore what was around Tucson. The border town of Nogales was a little over an hour away by interstate. Tombstone about 75 minutes away. The Desert Museum some 45 minutes to the west. That was what I knew about. I was later to find out that we had wine country down by Sonoita. A national park nearby. A great collection of Mexican restaurants. Steakhouses too. And most important, a lot of friendly people here.
I always thought Arizona was a neat state even before I had set foot here. I would read about the desert when I was in the third grade back in Florida. I had a fascination with the plants and animals that were here, and I really wanted to see it. I could never have imagined that I would get to live in the desert.
My arrival in Tucson, thirteen years ago, interestingly enough was not my first time here. I passed thru on a road trip in July of 1986. On the return leg of that trip, I saw northern Arizona, and was amazed at how we had so many different types of scenery here. The Grand Canyon comes to mind, as well as the forests outside of Flagstaff, and the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. When I had gotten the phone call that someone down here wanted to interview me, I was elated as that Tucson was where I really wanted to land when I was blasting out resumes.
Thirteen years already. It's been that long now.
I hope to be here for a lot longer than that.
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