10 Surprising Things You May Not Expect When Moving To Arizona
By Monica Spencer|Published December 28, 2015
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Monica Spencer
Author
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.
Thinking of moving to Arizona in the future? While we aren’t particularly well-known for welcoming newcomers with open arms—we do, after all, have an unofficial motto of “welcome to Arizona, now go home”—we do owe a huge part of our state’s growth to people moving here from other states and countries. In fact, I know from reading the comments that half of Only In Arizona’s readers are originally from other states!
So, if you’re thinking of moving to Arizona, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
1. The summers here aren't quite like a walk on the sun.
Will you learn to love our grid system, freeways, and highways? Yes. However, if you want to get anywhere in the state, enjoying a walk there is almost always out of the question.
8. Be prepared to encounter lots of great (and not-so-great) Mexican food.
You will find Mexican food everywhere but that doesn't mean it's all incredible food. A lot of it can be bland food that spent a little too much time in the fryer and has a glop of hardened cheese on top that just isn't good at all.
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9. Your friends and family back home might ask you some strange questions about Arizona.
