Angela Zomaya

Sunny, a breezy 70 degrees, and cacti for miles. This is not the January I’m used to.

This week, I’m in one of my favorite places on earth: Arizona, in the heart of the American Southwest.

I had a work meeting here in Scottsdale earlier this week, but I decided to stay a couple extra days to spend time with family.

One of the things I love most about Arizona is the stark contrast of the land compared to that of my home state, Kentucky. Where we have lush hills, valleys, rivers and mountains, Arizona has a “barren” look in comparison, but still beautiful.

The warm, dry Sonoran desert stretches for miles, with saguaro cacti scattered as far as the eye can see. Although there are dozens of types of cactus, the saguaro is my favorite. They each have personalities. I like to think some are waving hello and others are just flipping me off. It depends on the day. 🙂

The red hills and mountains are gorgeous as well. Camelback Mountain is one of my favorite landmarks.

What truly makes the Phoenix-Scottsdale area unique that it’s a modern place with room to breathe. Phoenix is by and large the cleanest city I’ve ever seen. There’s plenty to do with lots of shopping, dining and entertainment, and the population is diverse with people from all over the world. Most of the locals I’ve met migrated from the Midwest, and considering the weather patterns of both places, I can’t say I blame them.

Speaking of locals, you won’t find “Appalachian nice” here. That’s not a bad thing, but at first it might feel strange if you’re from a small town where everybody in the service industry calls you honey, baby, or sweetie. Every place has its own charms.

Even with all these things going for it, there’s no shortage of undeveloped natural land, in part due to the large amount of Native reservation territory.  The state is home to 22 sovereign tribes. You’ll find remnants of Native culture everywhere you go, from the tribal patterns along the freeway to hand-made jewelry in every gift shop. It’s absolutely beautiful.

There are also a lot of Native-owned casinos and here are some fun facts about that!

Besides the modern amenities, natural beauty, and the fact that my Uncle Charlie and Auntie N live here, there’s also something special about the general atmosphere to me. It’s almost as if I can feel something on a cellular level that I can’t feel back home. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s still a new place to me, or the stark change of environment, the always-lovely weather, or even just the refreshing lack of humidity. It’s easier to breathe.

I’m headed back to Kentucky today and I’m looking forward to the comforts of home, but as always, it’s been a wonderful visit here in the AZ.

Until next time.