Maricopa vs. Your Hometown?
Wow. There are a lot of folks on both 85239 and the City Data forums who regret having moved here. Hubby and I sat out on the back porch and talked for a good hour about the issues raised. Neither one of us quite gets it, probably because we're both toothy-grinning, obnoxiously happy to be here. Yeah, that would probably do it.
The best advice I can offer is to accept Maricopa on its own merits. Don't compare here with your old hometown. This isn't Red Bank, NJ. It's not Midlothian, VA. It's not Flint, MI. It isn't Deadwood, SD. It isn't Petaluma, CA. Trying to draw comparisons among any of those is folly and terribly unfair to each and every one; they all offer varied, interesting, and worthwhile living experiences.
Just as Maricopa does. This is a strange, unique, bizarrely beautiful place to live.
Take the weather as an easy example. I'd have to live on the complete other side of the world--geographically and culturally--to enjoy anything even remotely like this fascinating, frightening, incredible weather; it truly amazes me how hot, how violent, how wild and untamed it can be here at times.
We live 30 minutes from a sprawling metro area with millions of people. You can buy anything. See a show. Go to a game. Wander through a museum. Drive around the ritzy neighborhood and dip your toes in their fountain. It's fabulous and wonderful AND Maricopa won't be gobbled up by it because of the reservation. It's the best of both worlds: living the city life, but not having to live IN the city.
Also? We have tumbleweeds. Tumbleweeds! C'mon. How cool is that?!
As far as benefits... The cost of living here is about 80% what it was where we came from (north of San Francisco, CA). My family's dollars go a lot further, so we're actually able to enjoy all the amenities and attractions that living here offers. And, as I may have mentioned before, the three of us are healthier now, since the move. (Remember when we were little kids, and our grandparents would say things like, "Oh, old Mrs. Thomas, she moved out to the desert _for her health_"? Yeah. Grandma and Mrs. Thomas were on to something).
Finally (Yeah, yeah. I could wax poetic about Arizona in my own simple, idealistic way for pages on end. I know), I don't think I would have done anything differently. I almost said that I would have moved sooner, but moving sooner would mean the experience I've had thus far would be different, too. I've enjoyed and am enjoying the ride too much to give a moment's pause for even the lightest-hearted regrets.
The best advice I can offer is to accept Maricopa on its own merits. Don't compare here with your old hometown. This isn't Red Bank, NJ. It's not Midlothian, VA. It's not Flint, MI. It isn't Deadwood, SD. It isn't Petaluma, CA. Trying to draw comparisons among any of those is folly and terribly unfair to each and every one; they all offer varied, interesting, and worthwhile living experiences.
Just as Maricopa does. This is a strange, unique, bizarrely beautiful place to live.
Take the weather as an easy example. I'd have to live on the complete other side of the world--geographically and culturally--to enjoy anything even remotely like this fascinating, frightening, incredible weather; it truly amazes me how hot, how violent, how wild and untamed it can be here at times.
We live 30 minutes from a sprawling metro area with millions of people. You can buy anything. See a show. Go to a game. Wander through a museum. Drive around the ritzy neighborhood and dip your toes in their fountain. It's fabulous and wonderful AND Maricopa won't be gobbled up by it because of the reservation. It's the best of both worlds: living the city life, but not having to live IN the city.
Also? We have tumbleweeds. Tumbleweeds! C'mon. How cool is that?!
As far as benefits... The cost of living here is about 80% what it was where we came from (north of San Francisco, CA). My family's dollars go a lot further, so we're actually able to enjoy all the amenities and attractions that living here offers. And, as I may have mentioned before, the three of us are healthier now, since the move. (Remember when we were little kids, and our grandparents would say things like, "Oh, old Mrs. Thomas, she moved out to the desert _for her health_"? Yeah. Grandma and Mrs. Thomas were on to something).
Finally (Yeah, yeah. I could wax poetic about Arizona in my own simple, idealistic way for pages on end. I know), I don't think I would have done anything differently. I almost said that I would have moved sooner, but moving sooner would mean the experience I've had thus far would be different, too. I've enjoyed and am enjoying the ride too much to give a moment's pause for even the lightest-hearted regrets.
