Monica is a Diné (Navajo) freelance writer and photographer based in the Southwest. Born in Gallup and raised in Phoenix, she is Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water People) and Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood People). Monica is a staff writer for Only In Your State, photo editor for The Mesa Legend, and previously a staff writer for The Navajo Post. You can reach her at monica.d.spencer@gmail.com.
Finding a native Arizonan is a bit like a Where’s Waldo search these days; we are few and far between thanks to the large number of transplants. Usually, a quick question can determine if someone is from this state but sometimes the things they say or do can give us insight into how long a person has (or has not) been here. Here’s are a few signs that someone may not actually be from Arizona.
1. They complain about the heat...when the day’s high reaches 85 degrees.
85 degrees is a cool day. Residents in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and other desert cities know it doesn’t really start to get hot until the thermometer reads triple digits.
2. They think Arizona has two seasons: hot and less hot.
8. They aren’t quite sure how to say "gila," "Canyon de Chelly," or they just don’t know the slight difference between "Casa Grande" and "Casa Grande."