"So, who are you - and what do you know about Arizona, anyway?"

Hi! I'm Brittany, nice to meet you.

(Photo above is me at Cibecue Falls, a gorgeous spot on the White Mountain Apache reservation)

I'm a soon-to-be thirty year-old Arizona resident, living and working on the White Mountain Apache reservation in Arizona. I live with my husband, and I dream of getting a house with a cat  or six someday! I'm currently working on getting property sold in southern California, then I'll likely be on the hunt for real estate out here in Arizona. 

Although every Arizonan will have a different perspective on our great state, I think mine is unique. As a teacher, I've gained some interesting insight to just how messed up the education system is in our state. America as a whole has a lot of work to do, but Arizona in particular has some very unique challenges. The teacher shortage (and really, crisis, in general) being one of them.

(Graphic above is taken from an article in Tucson Weekly, worth the read! https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2016/09/15/teacher-                                                                               shortages-things-are-bad-all-over-only-more-so-in-arizona)

Politically, I'm on a bit of an island. I lean heavily to the left with some of my Flagstaffian and Tucsonan friends, yet I also agree with the mountain folk of the White Mountains on some issues. I find that being a centrist makes you a bit of an outcast to both camps, as neither seem to want to ponder the idea that the other camp may have some things right. I'll talk more about that as the blog goes on. No need for you to hate me this early on. ;) If you're unfamiliar with Arizonan politics overall, it is very much a red (read: deeply conservative, Republican) state. Political leanings do vary a bit by county and city as mentioned above, but overall, rouge. Ruby. Rosy. Note, too, that the counties with the most red have the most heavily populated cities. The blue areas tend to be Native American reservations, and/or areas with a predominantly Hispanic population. I find those facts interesting, though not too surprising.

(Pictured above is the 2016 Presidential Election results by county. The deeper the red, the more votes from Trump, and vice versa)

I've lived in Arizona for about eight years now, and most of my immediate family lives here - so I don't plan on leaving anytime soon unless a really AMAZING opportunity comes along. I think the thing that drew me here was the fact that the climate is so diverse and beautiful! Only in Arizona and in parts of Mexico can you find the saguaro cactus. In just three hours, you can drive through desert, high-desert, mountains and forests There are so many gorgeous, scenic drives here, that it's a whole post in itself! And the weather - obviously a big draw to many of our neighbors from the Midwest. It's hard to beat 70s and 80s degrees F (21-27 C) in the desert winters while others across the country and world are in a deep freeze! And our mountains to the north offer quick escapes from the 105-120 degree F (40-49 C) heat! The exposure to wildlife is also incredible. I've crossed paths with black bears, wild horses, burros, bobcats, all kinds of lizards, foxes and coyotes since moving here - and I'm sure there's more I just can't think of at the moment. And yes, I've seen my fair share of snakes, along with MORE than my fair share of scorpions (not a fan of the latter). Here are some photos from beautiful, IG worthy places around Arizona (and it's definitely NOT an exhaustive list!):

                                      (This is me and my husband hiking in a small canyon near the Catalina Foothills, outside of Tucson)

                                                          (This one is of the beautiful Superstition Mountains, with me in the foreground)

(This photo definitely doesn't do the view justice, and it's one of my favorite spots in this states. This is the view of our gorgeous Mogollon                                                 ((muggy-own)) rim. This will have to be covered on a separate post about worthy road trips and vacations!)

(This was taken down the street from where I work. One of my favorite natural phenomena is clouds settling lower than the surrounding mountains. Also, fun opinion - this looks like a still from a car commercial. I don't know why!)

 (This photo doesn't do this image justice, either - but this is the view from my back porch!! I feel very fortunate. This is definitely a million dollar view, and I only pay $360 a month for rent!!

If you're thinking about moving to Arizona, or even if you just plan on visiting, I hope that perusing my blog will be helpful or you to build your itinerary, and learn a little more about what makes Arizonans tick. Yes, most of us are Americans - but Arizona is a very unique place, with its own micro-cultures. I'm excited to share what I know with you, and I'm excited for your journey!

(Pictured above is me with two my friends, Aspen and Oak, who currently live in North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively)