Old Familiar Places

So...we've put the house on the market and as soon as it sells we'll be back in Arizona where we belong.  We are very, very excited.  I'm a little apprehensive too, though, truth be told.  I don't like moving across town let alone cross country.  We're leaving four seasons and going back to 2 seasons: warm and hades hot.  But at least we'll be suffering in the heat with our family and friends and they have swimming pools.  It's our goal to have a house with a pool, too.  But there are other things I'm anxious to get back to.  Normal, every day things like being able to walk into Ulta and buy my Pur Minerals makeup and not have to order it by mail.  I can go to my own personal stylist again, my sister in law Shelly does amazing things with my hair and knows exactly how to do what I like.  That is priceless!  I'm looking forward to the grocery stores there, where there is one on every corner and you can get anything you want, ALL of them take coupons and most of them even double them AND their prices are reasonable. 

We will be able to take the kids to the zoo with only a 30 minute drive away instead of a 3 hour drive.  We'll be able to go to so many of the activities we've missed the last 4 1/2 years!  We'll be there for birthdays again and sing Cha-Cha-Cha.  Concerts, both indoor and outdoor and those that our friends participate in, yeah, we'll go to those too!  I'm getting excited!

With all that said, there are things that I will miss about being here in a small mid western town.  There is little to no crime here, unless you consider city offices but that's another story.  Sometimes there's the occasional vandalism, breaking into cars, trying to break in to the coffee shop or the dollar store, some domestic disputes, but really, that's about it for the most part.  It's quiet here.  I can see tons and tons and billions of stars from my back deck.  No city lights to block them out.  The boys have made great friends and they are a part of this community and that is fantastic.  I will miss that for them.  There are no 5pm traffic jams.  Actually, there's no traffic, period!  We have a non cookie cutter home here, unlike in AZ there are subdivisions that have the exact same houses in the exact same kind of neighborhoods.  We have grass!  In the front AND the back yards.  Arizona has mostly desert landscaping, which is great maintenance wise but no so much for walking barefoot to your mailbox.  Which brings me to the next thing I will miss:  Being able to walk outside in the middle of summer and not fry!  Yeah it might be hot and humid but you don't burn the soles of your feet.  Ever!  I will, however, really love being able to wear flip-flops or sandals almost year round again.  Bring on the pedi's!  I will miss high school football here and how the town pretty much turns out even if they don't have kids or grandkids playing.  They watch just because they are supportive.  But I'll love that my whole family can watch both the boys play football this coming season.  Like I said, the boys have had great support and great friendships here, it will just be nice that ALL of us can be there to yell for them.  I will miss being able to walk to work or if I do drive it's 2 blocks away.  I'll miss knowing I can leave my doors unlocked or my garage door open all night and nothing will happen.  I'll miss the door to door honey sales in the fall. 

We're all very anxious to get back to our family and have the conveniences of big city life.  It will be sad to leave but also a relief to know that we ALL fit in in AZ and the anonymity of it saves you from cliques and gossip and speculation.  Not that it doesn't happen there, but at least you're just another small fish in a really big pond and you can sort of escape it.  And you'd have your friends and your family have your back and no one would leave your cheese hangin in the wind.  You are surrounded and supported by your family.  And that's how it's supposed to be.