Desert Surprise

You thought I said, "dessert surprise," didn't you? Usually I would be talking about chocolate, I swear, but not today.

Last week, our family took a short trip to Arizona thanks to my in-laws, who graciously bought us the plane tickets, and Mike's aunt and uncle, who kindly put us up and drove us around and generally acted as amazing hosts. The main impetus for the trip was to visit Mike's great-grandparents, who had not yet met EJ. Having had a similar trip with EJ to Denver before my grandparents passed away (thanks to my parents' generosity), I was happy to have this opportunity, and understood how important it would be for all of us.

In the weeks preceding our trip, when we would speak to our in-laws, they would enthusiastically say how our vacation was coming up soon, then ask us if we were as excited as they were. The truth was, as happy as we were for the trip, we were also cognizant of the work of it---packing and unpacking, flying almost four hours both ways with a four-year old, being there only a few days without much time to adjust to the time difference, figuring out how to keep a little kid occupied in an older couple's home without toys (but with plenty of breakables), etc. It wasn't so much that we didn't think we'd have fun, especially sharing time with family, it was just that we didn't think of it particularly as a vacation, per se.

As the date approached, we had a further complication: EJ got pneumonia. Thankfully, we had a week of antibiotics (her first dose, ever) before the departure date, and it worked itself out. Even more amazingly, Mike and I didn't catch it!

Then, with a few days to go, we checked the weather report, and sure enough, a cold front was hitting Arizona the day we were arriving. Without swimming as an activity for EJ (at the least the first 3 days of our trip), we had to get even more creative about keeping her occupied.

Finally, the night before our trip, after staying up until 1:30 a.m. to pack, Mike and I were repeatedly awoken by EJ, who would run to our room and tell us about the things she needed to pack ("Don't forget my pink medicine, Mom!") or how the hooks that hold the butterflies that hang from her ceiling are "too shiny and scary." Needless to say, we got about 3 hours of sleeps, and that was fairly interrupted.

With all this going on, we boarded our plane last Wednesday morning, and set out for our adventure. When we arrived, Uncle Jim met us at the airport, and as tired as we were, as cool as it was (5 degrees cooler than Chicago, to be exact), and as long as our journey had been already, we immediately felt captivated by this place. Uncle Jim and Aunt Terri's kindness and welcoming spirit certainly played a big part in this---having wonderful relatives is such a blessing---but the truth is, we were surprised by how much we liked the Phoenix area. In a million years, a city in the desert would never occur to me as a place I would want to set up house. But within a few hours of being there---a few hours of feeling the sunshine, seeing the landscape, taking in the dusty yellow and rusty reds and sagey greens---I found myself having this conversation with my husband:

Me: "I could live here. I can't believe this, but I could really live here."

Mike: "I could live here, too."

Me: "We could live here!"

Mike: "This place is beautiful, isn't it?"

Me: "Yes, it is. If they have even one great Korean restaurant, we can put this on our list of post-grad school options."

Mike: "Right, Korean food. An Indian restaurant, too."

As the weather got warmer, and we got more time in the dry sunshine, time for a trip to the breathtaking Sedona, and time to trick-or-treat in the 75 degree weather with other families in the neighborhood, we kept repeating the refrain, "Can you believe it? We love this place!"

Should we visit in the summer to test it out? Of course. Should we strongly weigh the pros and cons before moving? Definitely. Should we establish that, yes, there are good Korean and Indian restaurants (priorities, priorities)? Certainly. But despite everything---despite our love of the East coast, our homesickness for Virginia, and our fondness for green trees and the changing of the seasons---will we be thinking through a move to the Phoenix area as a potential option? Surprise, surprise, the answer is yes.

Of course, it is possible that our attraction to Phoenix is in part a reaction to the impending winter here in Chicago. Just thinking about the dry, sunny warmth of the place---even the warmth we experienced on one of their coldest October days on record---is bolstering my spirit as it becomes colder and grayer around me. Even if we need to test out our new southwestern love a little more before we commit, I must say this: I'm turning 36 next week, and I love being reminded that I can still be thoroughly surprised by something, especially something as foreign to me as the desert. Just when I think I have it all figured out, life throws me a curveball, and it takes me to a delightful place that was never even on my radar.

Future Arizonans? Maybe!


Mom and Dad with EJ


Our Fearless Hosts, Aunt Terri and Uncle Jim


Stunning Sedona


Radiant Color for Miles


EJ as Cinderella, with Cousin, Jason, as her Prince Charming


The Whole Family, Minus Cousin Sara (Who Will be Photoshop-Added)