Yesterday, I got the call.
I'm getting a job offer. In Phoenix. I'm taking it.
Why? Why not. I'm single [with no prospects by the way]. I'll be 28 at the end of the month. No kids. No mortgage. WHY NOT.
Yes, Portland has been my comfort zone since 1991. But maybe it's time for the little birdie to leave Portland's nest and migrate South.
Yes, my parents, sister, nephew, and friends are here. My parent's were able to survive when they were first starting in the NW (Seattle area), my sister in tow, and me to follow years later, with their parents in SoCal and Missouri, and siblings scattered all over the place. The friends part reminds me of a little nursery rhyme from childhood: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."
Yes, it is HOT in Arizona, and I get pretty miserable with 100+ degree weather, which they have quite often (pretty much daily to my understanding) June through August. June through August of too hot (with A/C in EVERY rental and business) with the rest of the year being similar to NW Spring and Summer sounds better than September through May of rain and gray. Do the math: three months of not being able to do outdoor activities vs. nine months of not being able to do outdoor activities. Hmmm... Also, Arizona has monsoons July through September. Thunder and lightning and massive rainfall. In the heat. It sounds delicious.
Also plusses: Lower state income tax (yes, they do have sales tax though). Bad housing market is making rentals awesome. Great road trips (Grand Canyon: 4 hours. Joshua Tree Nat'l Park: 4 hours. Vegas: 5 hours. 4-Corners: 5 hours. Hoover Dam: 6 hours. Family in SoCal: 6 hours. Lake Havasu: 3.5 hours. Palm Springs: 4 hours. Plus many lakes and rivers MUCH CLOSER.). New adventures.
So the countdown is on: I'll be rolling out of Beaverton, Oregon, and on my way to Surprise, Arizona on the morning of June 3rd.
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