The Valley

I am not originally from Arizona; however, I have lived in the Valley for more than six years. When I first came here, I thought that it was too hot and wondered why people lived here. After two years, I was used to the three-digit heat and learned to appreciate those days when the mercury skyrockets. Four of those years, I lived in Tempe. In the state of Arizona, two very different weathers can be found and that allows its population to take weekend trips and rest from the weather. In Phoenix, the temperature in the summer reaches over 110 degrees and that makes the residents want to stay indoors all day or simply head out to the pool and take in the soothing water. In addition, a weekend in Prescott, with pine trees and nice temperatures, makes people feel like they are in heaven. Where else can you drive two hours from extreme heat and enjoy much cooler weather? The forest and the desert blend, creating a piece of paradise. Geographically, Arizona is the place to be; the best sunsets I have ever seen in my entire life occur here, unlike any other beach or city. The colors are like none that you will find in any other place in the world.

Living in one of the biggest cities of the United States permits me to find everything I need very easily. The Valley also counts with a very good university that provides quality education at a very moderate price. A large city like Phoenix offers many different of job opportunities, especially for an engineer, like me. From jet turbines to microprocessors, the Valley offers a wide variety of engineering jobs. I am already calling Arizona home, not because I have lived here 6 years, but because it makes me feel even more comfortable than if I was in my own hometown.

Wickenburg Is My Home

“How can a person be born in Wickenburg, Arizona, but not be born in Wickenburg, Arizona?” By being a drug addict and an alcoholic, that’s how. I live in Wickenburg, Arizona now, but I haven’t always lived here. Originally, from Queens, New York, then New Jersey, and finally, Pennsylvania, I am a native of the Northeast.
I moved to Wickenburg, Arizona in January of 2005 because I needed help - serious help. Physically, mentally, and emotionally sick, I was so miserable and so ready to get better, but I didn’t know how. My sister looked up drug rehabilitation centers and found one especially tailored for young people with a very interesting and diverse program thousands of miles away from home - in Wickenburg, Arizona. My family was scared that I would leave a local facility and use with my old friends again. Something long term and culturally different might be the answer, they all thought. Little did I know that it was a one-year long program when I agreed to go, but once I found out it was, I figured I would be able to leave whenever I wanted to because I was 18 years old.

When I was living in the Northeast I only knew the climate, vegetation, and geography there. When I first moved out West I was so angry that I was here- away from home and going to rehab - that I made myself hate everything: the sand, the browns and tans, the cactus, the no trees, the heat, the no rain, and most of all - THE DESERT! I never let myself look for the finer things. I wanted to leave many times during my stay at the treatment center, but I didn’t. I grew to love getting healthy.

I’m not sure when things started to get better. In the treatment center, we were allowed to go into town to do yoga, and some martial arts such as Tai Chi and Karate. We did lots of community service - with children, for the elderly, cleaning, wrapping presents for the poor, going to soup kitchens, and volunteering all day for the homeless. I finally realized that life isn’t all about me.

I learned how to get clean and sober here. I learned how to be honest, how to care for other people and to finally care about myself. I learned how to have fun without using drugs and alcohol. I believe that I was sent to Wickenburg, to this treatment center for a reason, to get better. Wickenburg has offered me a new life about how to care and do service work for others.

I love Wickenburg because I love the small town life that it is so peaceful. I also love that I am only less than an hour away from a large city. I love that everybody knows and loves everyone. I love that there is so much community in this town. I love that there are also two other treatment centers in Wickenburg. It truly is a recovery town.

Then there is the physical thing. Wickenburg has the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises, the weather is always beautiful no matter what time of year, and I have even come to enjoy the vegetation.

When I was a patient at the treatment center, on special holidays such as the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the Wickenburg community allowed us to use their one-room movie theatre, so that all 80 of our residents would be able to go. We are welcomed in the stores and restaurants; on the streets, people smile at us. No one treats us like the outcasts we were when we were using. Instead, we feel acceptance, kindness, and the sense that the people are cheering us on, wanting and hoping we will succeed. This Wickenburg community has given us numerous things - their generosity in welcoming us as a part of them is something I will never forget as long as I live.

I thank Wickenburg for showing me the way to living a healthy, sober life. Wickenburg has taught me how to learn appreciation for small town living and the beautiful environment that I am surrounded by daily. Being here in this town now for fourteen months has changed my life. My old lifestyle is just a distant bad memory. I have a future now, and so much to look forward to. My dreams for that future include college, and I am hoping that Arizona will be the place where I can get that education. I want to stay here.

I am now working as an intern for the program in which I was once a resident/patient. Being offered that position after completing the one-year program was the second success I had experienced in years, a success that happened in my new home, Wickenburg, Arizona. The first was my graduation from the rehab on January 14, 2006 at Wickenburg High School, where the graduation ceremony was held. A bunch of drug addicts and alcoholics are welcomed at the town high school each month to begin their new lives. So, “How can a person be born in Wickenburg, Arizona, but not be born in Wickenburg, Arizona?” The answer to the riddle should be obvious by now – as I stood at the podium at my graduation ceremony, I knew I was being born into a new life and a bright future, thanks to my new life in Arizona.

Tempe Is My Home

I currently do not reside in Arizona. This fact is quite sad. I lived in Tempe for three years of my life, and I only moved away because I was forced to. I have been taking a couple semesters off to live here in Indiana. Here are so many things that made me fall in love with Tempe. Let's start with A Mountain, the college mountain that has gotten painted so many times by the students that scraping it all off would fill a whole dumpster! There is a trail that leads up to the top of the small mountain, I used to watch the sunset and sit up there and look at the entire city at nightfall. I cannot explain to you the beauty of that city. I'd have to say that the spot up there is my favorite place in the world.

Another reason for my love of Tempe, is the weather. It is nice all year around. There are so many things I miss, like the smell after it rains. It's like no other scent I have ever smelled in my life. The pink sky from the light pollution. The layout of all the roads, how there are 3 lanes to every street and each light measures a mile. The street plan is one of the easiest to remember. I miss my church, Mt. Carmel, and all of my friends that I had to leave behind. I miss the local music, Edgefest, Edge 103.9 Radio. That annual concert is the best concert that is held every year.

There is a certain “hope” that Tempe brings to me. I feel as if I can accomplish anything there, it may just be the constant sunshine to blame, but I feel that that beautiful city will help me reach my goals, which is to complete college at Mesa Community, transfer to ASU, and start my own business.

Surprise Is My Home

As soon as the car door opened at a rest stop off Highway 17, my face was surrounded by a wave of overwhelming dry heat; and I soon realized we were in a place nothing like the rainy green forests of Washington State. My family and I had already experienced the beginning stages of our transition from Romania into America by traveling and relocating all across the north, from New York to Chicago to Washington. Surprise, Arizona became our permanent home because of my father’s job relocation, and we have not looked back since.

The history of Surprise began with the investment vision of a real estate developer named Homer C. Ludden to build inexpensive houses for agricultural workers; he named the city after his hometown of Surprise, Nebraska. With only a few houses in the area at its beginning, the city quite literally blew up since its establishment and due in part to the retirees that retreat to the many active adult communities in the area. Seven years ago when we drove into the city, there was not much activity covering the grounds here around Surprise, at least compared to today’s immense expansion rate. Along with most of the subdivision, the house in Kingswood Parke, we now own, had not been built yet. The beautiful Surprise Stadium that held my memorable high school graduation was then a large plot of desert and dirt, and plans for the new Willow Canyon High School were not brought upon the community until my sophomore year at Dysart High School. I still remember our class being given polls to vote on the name and mascot of the new high school; I proudly voted for The Willow Canyon Wildcats along with the majority of my classmates. The Surprise Regional Library that provides abundant computer, books, and DVD resources to children and adults from all over the city, and the Surprise Park that outlooks the library’s rear window both were not built until a few years ago as well. One of the main ways in and out of the city was and still is Bell Road. When I first moved to Surprise, Bell Road ran through mostly desert, and one of the main housing areas it paralleled was an upscale retirement community. Building projects for new restaurants and public service centers along Bell Road had not begun until recently, and the Bell Road Improvement Project was just set into motion in 2006.

Fast forward to today, and Surprise is a booming community that has evolved into arguably one of the more serene and beautiful cities in the state. Some hail it as a new Scottsdale in the making, with a less expensive yet just as prosperous theme of Arizonan lifestyle. What would one say to a potential new resident of this ever-increasing community? Do not count on things to slow down. With land to span for miles beyond and within the city limits, many companies both commercial and residential have begun making their mark on our community. According to a Wikipedia.com source, “Thirty-two of the state's top 50 homebuilders cater to new homebuyers, who are attracted by the city's modestly-priced homes, its relative proximity to Phoenix, and by the property taxes, which the city claims are among the lowest in the state.” The same Wikipedia.com source reports that in the year 2000 the population of Surprise was 30,848, and in 2004 that number rose to about 75,000. Consequently, Surprise has become one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona.

Living in this city for the past seven years, I have seen and experienced more growth of my community than I ever have in any other state. Within the first days of moving here, I knew nothing of the small city called Surprise, a growing oasis in the center of the beautiful Arizona desert. For now, it is a quiet withdrawal from the fast pace of my childhood city of Chicago; but by the way things are moving it will soon become much more, much faster. It is exciting to predict what will be in store for our city in the coming years, and the residents of the community welcome each expansion knowing that opportunities for entertainment areas, shopping venues, service centers and housing projects will be as close and convenient as right across the street.

Scottsdale Is My Home

Wouldn’t you love to live almost everyday of the year in the sun and warmth? If so, then Scottsdale, Arizona is going to be the place for you. I have been a resident here for my whole life and know what exactly is best about this city. I also have lived in Kansas where it is just the opposite of Sunny AZ, and visited many other places where it’s just not the same. Scottsdale not only has lots of entertainment for all ages ,but they have beautiful weather, fairly low crime, lots of shopping, great neighborhoods, and the city officials have their job down cold.

When you think of a high-class city in Arizona, any true “zoni” is going to know that Scottsdale is the place to be. With the high-class restaurants and designer clothing stores, and beautiful resort golf courses, Scottsdale brings in lots of revenue each year because of amenities like this. The question is not about what are we going to do? But when are we going to fit it in? Possibilities are endless here, and I get to live where people come to vacation.

I have lived in the same community most of my life and I have seen the large changes in the city such as, new restaurants, and shopping, entertainment, schools, and roads. After living in another state for about a year, I realized that Scottsdale was where I want to live the rest of my life. Not only on the entertainment aspect and its home, but the city officials have their operations in control. With the growing population, it was very important the city was smart enough to leave room for expansion of roads. With this, the flow of traffic is not as bad as many other states or even cities in Arizona. For example, I am living in Tucson and everyday around 5:00 pm rush hour, the traffic is horrible on the I-10 freeway as well as the streets in town. We are talking bumper to bumper and having to wait three or four light cycles before you pass every major intersection. Scottsdale is similar in the way of rush hour in that the 101 is congested about the same as the I-10 in Tucson. The difference is in the streets off the freeway. Scottsdale has allowed more room and planed for future expansions to accommodate the growing population. This makes for less stressful quicker routes to destinations. Cities without expansions like this, the area would feel very congested with the growing populations.

Second and probably the most obvious is the gorgeous weather the state gets. Although it may get hot in the summer, air condition systems are standard in almost every home and business. This makes for a perfect type climate inside while making through some hot days in the summer. I did get the chance to enjoy part of a summer in Kansas. The summer was one of the hottest with humidity high and temperature reaching 100 degrees, it was miserable compared to what I am accustomed to. Many states are like this because of high moisture in the state creates a bad humidity. There is a substantial difference between how the heat feels which gives many people a false sense of perception when hearing our topping 116 degrees every summer. Along with the heat comes the sun, Arizona sees the sun more then half of the year. Giving everybody a beautiful tan and allowing for more outdoor activities. Such as baseball, the Giants a Major League Baseball team has an AAA franchise team and spring training for the Pro-players every year here. Also, having lots of sun gives the golf resorts which are one of the states largest tourist destinations a flourishing business.

Every year Scottsdale hosts many nationally known events such as, the Phoenix Open and Barrett Jackson car auctions. The Phoenix Open in itself brings a steady number of around 500,000 people in attendance per year for the past few years. Events like this give Scottsdale a fun atmosphere and bring tourists which help the city of Scottsdale pay for repairs and expansions it needs.

With all of the fun things and little details most people do not notice I have listed, anyone can see why Scottsdale is the place to be. I love it here, I have been watching is grow and I will be here long after it has. This is the place I have always have and always will call home!

Queen Creek Is My Home

I have lived in Queen Creek, AZ going on six years. The story of how I came to live there is long, but I will sum it up briefly. Queen Creek has been a great place for me and I know that it has for many other people too.

I was born in Hinsdale, IL in 1980. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago called Villa Park. I have one brother that is five years older than I am. We lived here for twelve years with both our mother and father. In 1992, our parents decided that they needed to live separate lives and filed for divorce. My brother and I stayed with our mother, but moved to Downers Grove, IL to live with our grandmother. This was a drastic change for all of us, though I feel that I took it the worst. Being daddy’s little girl I was very unhappy with the situation. Changing schools and not having any friends were just more problems to add to the list.

I avoided the places that I used to go, but that didn’t seem to be enough. I was always running into people that I didn’t want to see, not to mention that they all knew where I lived. I always dreamed to move to Arizona and attend Arizona State University. I spoke with a family friend of ours that had moved to Arizona and he agreed to rent me a room until I could get things in order to get my own place. Within a week, I had made the arrangements necessary to transfer with the company that I was working. My mother and I packed the car and took a long drive to my new home.

Gilbert, Arizona was the first town that I lived in when I moved to Arizona, but I will always call Queen Creek my Arizona hometown. After a few short months in Arizona, I thought that it was time for me to be on my own. I started looking through the newspaper and found a broker to help me see what I would be able to afford. At this time, I was 20 years old and never dreamed that I would be able to purchase a home. After talking with a broker on the phone, we made an appointment for her to show me some places that I might be interested. Diane told me that we were going to look at some new homes in Queen Creek. I had no idea where she was talking about, but didn’t really care either. After driving for what seemed like forever, we reached an area that looked like it was just being built. I asked Diane what was going on, and she explained to me that we were looking at houses that were to be built for the owner. I was shocked. This was something that I had never dreamed I would be able to do at such a young age. I signed the papers one week later for my new home to be built.

I moved to Queen Creek in May of 2001. The opportunities that this town had given me were more than I could have ever dreamed.

It took me a long time to meet people in my neighborhood, but once I did, I gained some of the best friends that I have ever had. We were like a family. Most of them were around my age and were from out of state. Not many had family that was close enough to visit frequently. When I lived at home, my mother always made holidays a big family affair. Everyone was invited and we had food to last us weeks. I took over that tradition when I moved to Queen Creek. All of the holidays were spent at my house and we would even bake cookies to take to people that were less fortunate.

After living in my new home for about a year, and becoming close friends with one of my neighbors, I met the man that I would eventually marry. It just happened that he lived right across the street.

Over the next few years, I watched the small town that I had made my home grow into a much larger place. We now had a Circle K gas station that was only a half mile from my home. This seemed like a big feat, until we got news that Fry’s grocery store was going to be built right across the street from the gas station. Now we didn’t have to go very far for the basic necessities that we required. I loved the fact that our community (Johnson Ranch) was considered its own little town. We had our own newspaper, and were known to people from other cities only by the name Johnson Ranch. Our newspaper that was delivered free to us kept us up to date on the growth and development of the city.

I married that man I met, who lived across the street, in 2005. Shortly before our wedding, we decided that we should start looking for a bigger house that would be able to accommodate the family that we soon hoped to have. We thought of no other place than Queen Creek that we both had already made our home. With the growth spurt that the town was in, we had many options available to us. We finally committed to build another home that would be located only one mile away from the house that we currently occupied.

The reason that I call Queen Creek my home is the many opportunities that it has given me. I know that it has done the same for many other people. A neighbor of mine was married very young and had her first child shortly after. Her and her husband thought they would never be able to move into a house and raise the family that they had started at such a young age. If it were not for Queen Creek, and the many opportunities that were open to anyone, they may have never purchased a house.

Queen Creek has helped me to become the person that I always wanted to be. I have since started nursing school in the hopes that I can follow my mother’s example.

I have kept my whole family informed as to what is happening in the area, and what the current prices of homes are. I know that I have encouraged a few of them to move here, and hope that others will follow. I would be proud to have Queen Creek as home to my entire family.

Peoria Is My Home

When you think of Arizona what is pictured? Can you remove your psyche from the old western movies that starred Clint Eastwood and a damsel fleeing from an army of bad men? Rolling tumbleweeds, an old Western outdoor theme, or maybe even a cactus wren scraping at an old flower for food could be a start. Well Arizona does have these traits.
Known as the Grand Canyon State, Arizona is home to thousands of wildlife ranging from wild birds and buzzards, vast amounts of beautiful plant life, desert mammals and rodents, to even large game of fish and serpents. The lives of all these different species are in synchronization with one another to form a great cycle of life. For instance, when a plant or fish dies, a bird now has food to feast upon and feed their offspring. Once that bird passes on, a small rodent to feast upon and so on so forth with the large mammal might then pick it up. This cycle can even spin in a totally different direction with the large mammal being the supplier of food to many species. One thing is for sure; it takes each and every one of the species in order to maintain the cycle. This concept is the law of life. Arizona, a state sprouted with wildlife and culture is also home to millions of human life as well.

Born in 1912 as an official state of the ever-growing America, Arizona was already home to human beings. The first being nomadic hunters who settled around A.D. 200 and suddenly disappeared around 1100 to 1540 once Spanish explorers arrived. Until around 1857, more and more Indian Tribes began to call the Arizona and Mexico lands their place of peace. The year of 1857 was when gold was discovered in the mountains, which brought many prospectors and Confederacy to harvest and thrive on this new fortune. In the early 1800 to 1900’s tribes of the early Native Americans set foot and tool here. Navajo, various Apache, Mohave, Ak-Chin, Havasupai, Hopi, and Hualapai are some of the early tribes that shared their blood, sweat, and tears to maintain their civilization. Once the 1900’s came, however, Arizona underwent a “Boom” in civilization. Territories were made into areas, areas were then made into cities, and the cities were grouped to create counties. Today Arizona is home to about 5.15 million people who are widespread across the desert map.

I am one of the millions who are fortunate to call Arizona my home, my place of peace. Born on May 14, 1988 this day is marked as the day that I took my first big gulp of Arizona air. The city where I spent my tears, my love, and my happiness is the city of Peoria. Peoria, Arizona is a western suburb of the worldly known Phoenix, Arizona. I reside in the heart of Peoria in a mini town called Old Town Peoria. Loaded with culture and diversity, Peoria is by far the only place that holds my heart. Growing up I remember heading into the desert behind my neighborhood with a best friend and building forts. We would chase lizards and rodents around hoping to catch them but to of no avail they burrowed in their homes under ground. I remember just getting lost in the rolling hills of the desert all day, smelling all the flowers, watching all of the quail families enjoy each one’s company, and rarely catching a coyote run down a path. This place I call home has been branded into my heart forever just as the cowboy branded his cattle in the early days. It is actually what made me into the young man I am today.

These deserts are golf courses and neighborhoods now. The old hills have been flattened into parking lots for shopping centers. The flowers have been harvested and planted into the front lawns of many homes. I guess what I am saying is that never have I spent my life in a place more beautiful. Never have I visited a country so life impacting as the one I live in today. No matter how many plazas, parking lots, and houses have been built, nothing can ever erase this memory of the old outdoors from neither my mind nor my heart. I can say that I encourage many other families to begin their life in Peoria, Arizona. There is still desert and that great outdoor world. It is best to embrace it while you can. Peoria, Arizona is a place of peace and my childhood happiness. Peoria, Arizona is my home.

Mesa Is My Home

Arizona what can I say, it is a wonderful place to grow up in and live. I've lived in Arizona my whole life. I plan to never leave. It is place of certain beauty and integrity that I have never seen anywhere else. With it's diverse cultures, interesting people and the most beautiful mountains anyone could ever see.

I've lived in Mesa, Arizona for fifteen plus years and in Gilbert, Arizona for 5 years. I’m young and have not seen many places but I love my home state. I wouldn't trade it for any other place in the world. My favorite place in Mesa is Red Mountain. I go out there when I need a breath of fresh air or just to study. It opens my eyes with the reflection of Red Mountain shining down upon the Salt River, the birds singing and the water flowing. It is a sight to see.

Arizona is a lot more than what people think it is. It's not just a place for snowbirds to come in the winter because it's too cold in their states. It's a place that can be enjoyable all year round. Summers are hot here but that's what we have lakes and rivers for. Not everyone can say they can go swimming in the middle of April until the beginning of October. We have many attractions in Mesa such as the museums, they’re awesome and interesting. Main Street at Christmas time is so beautiful and bright. It's nice to see not all old things go out the window.

I won't say Arizona is meant for everyone because it's not. People may not like it because it does get hot, or that there's a lot of people here. I see Mesa for what it is, a place where I grew up. I have seen many things happen here that I would never see anywhere else. The sky-blue pink clouds at sunset on Superstition Mountains; the snow on Four Peaks and the fountain in Fountain hills, rising high to the sky. It's what I call peacefully beautiful.

We don't get too much rain or snow. We get a lot of sun, which is good for people who like to tan without the ocean. Tornado’s what are those? I've seen a funnel cloud once or twice but nothing major. The only time you worry about windshield wipers is when a storm actually hits. No hurricanes, no sinkholes or mudslides. It's like the best state it's simple and fun with not too much drama. We hunt and fish all year round, never get bothered too much by animals; it's very casual and laid back.

If you want a great suntan, a nice place to live, and some of the best schooling for you and your kids, Mesa is an awesome place to live. Don't believe me, just try it out, you'll see. As for me, I will never leave the beautiful Arizona valley that I call home. It is my one place of fulfillment and joy. Mesa, Arizona is a place I’m proud to call home and will always be proud of.

Laveen Is My Home

Arizona is my home. I live in the beautiful town of Laveen. Laveen is a great place to live. I live in a house with my wife and my two cats. Our views are beautiful and peaceful. Laveen itself is a quaint, small, farming town. We have many farms in the area, with cattle and crops. We can look to the north, and see downtown Phoenix, then look to the south and admire breathtaking views of South Mountain. We live in a new neighborhood, so we do have many neighbors.

Laveen is a very fast growing area. Everywhere you look; there are new houses, and entire communities being built. I suppose growth is a good thing. People want to live in the best areas possible, and I feel Laveen is the best area. We are close to Phoenix, but not too close. Our crime is relatively low. The people here are very friendly and polite. The whole experience of living in Laveen is very peaceful. I would like to invite anybody to move to this area. I feel safe here; I have a golf course across the street, as well as beautiful Cesar Chavez Park within walking distance. You can go for bike rides or nice walks around the area, or in the park. You can go fishing, or have a nice family picnic. I love Laveen. Please come and visit us soon.

Litchfield Park Is My Home

I was born at St. Joseph’s hospital in Phoenix. It is unusual to find someone who is an Arizona native these days. Most people you meet are transplants from other States. Although I have lived elsewhere, Arizona is, and always will be home for me.

Growing up, my family moved around Arizona. My father worked construction, and where there was work, we went. Globe, Miami, Page, Phoenix, Laveen, Glendale, Peoria and Waddell are a few of the towns we lived in.

My parents settled in Waddell and that is where I completed High School. Dysart is the school district I attended. Once I married and moved away, life changed. My husband moved us to Upstate New York. While it is beautiful there, it was never home.

I missed the wide-open areas. The “laid back” feeling of the West was missing. The Arizona sky at sundown cannot be replicated anywhere else. No other sunsets compare. These are a few memories I took with me. Eventually I came home.

I currently live in Litchfield Park. The old city began in 1916 for Goodyear Tire employees. Growing up in this area, Litchfield Park always appeared as an oasis in the desert. All around the city were cotton, rose and vegetable fields. To go to the grocery store was an all day event. Now I have the enjoyment of living in that oasis.

The lushness of the landscaping in the city contributes to the feeling of oasis. The citrus trees mingle with the more ecologically friendly native desert plants. The walking and biking paths create a network all over the city. Many times I stop and talk to my neighbors as we are out for an evening stroll. There are playgrounds for the children and the lake teems with ducks, geese and other water fowl. The children can hold a fishing line or feed the ducks.

Many times throughout the year, the city holds Arts and Crafts festivals. This is a fun time for the whole community. Artists from around the State bring their creations to share with us. The city, along with The Wigwam, hosts what is called Arts in the Park. This is a time of food, music and other entertainment that is for the whole community. Each July 4th celebration is quite an event. With craft booths, games for the children, food and a wonderful fireworks show, a great time can be had by everyone.

The feeling of the city is one of safety and community. There are not many cities left where you can walk the streets at night and feel safe. Knowing your neighbors and enjoying each others company is a wonderful thing.

Although the city has grown and developers have built new subdivisions close by, Litchfield Park has maintained that small town feeling of community. I am proud to be a resident of Litchfield Park and hope to always live here.

Glendale Is My Home

I wake up in the morning to the bright sunshine, filtering in through my bedroom window and still get a smile on my face. I walk into the kitchen, make my coffee and sit outside looking at all the beautiful desert landscapes in my neighborhood. I came from Cleveland, Ohio, where green grass and big trees were abundant. Now, I have a rocked front yard with a Palo Verde tree and a cactus, and have learned to love and appreciate every living thing in the desert.

I live in Glendale, Arizona and the first time the temperature hit 118 degrees, I felt like packing up and heading home. “Why would anyone want to live here,” were the words coming out of my mouth. Monsoon season came and brought gusts of wind and rain, and the most spectacular lightning I have ever seen. That was when I knew I was falling in love with the harsh conditions of the desert. I made it a point to find every mountain preserve around the city, to climb every mountain and explore all the natural wonders Arizona has to offer.

Living in Glendale has been such a treat. I have all the amenities of city life close to me, but I am not far from the numerous mountain parks around the city that provide hiking trails and picnic tables. I am also close to all the major freeways and back roads which allow me to explore the untouched land of Arizona. I have been all over the state, backpacking and hiking through the most beautiful landscapes. I have seen ruins in the Superstition Mountains, and have jumped off cliffs in the presence of the most beautiful waterfall in Havasupai. I have learned to love and appreciate Arizona in the last five years of living here. Who can’t love such a diverse state with so much to offer, so get out and explore!

Gilbert Is My Home

Arizona has been my home for most of my sixteen years of existence. I have always enjoyed living in Gilbert, Arizona because it has so many things to do, like going to the movies with friends to extra curricular activities, and many cultural experiences, like the Native American Pow Wow that was held at the Town Center a month ago and the Gilbert Rodeo Days Parade. I have always loved the dry weather here, even though it does get scorching hot in the summer. Snow has never interested me much. There is always something to do with your family or friends, and there are hardly any dull moments!

For a while now Gilbert has been growing in population rapidly. It went from a small farm area to a large town in such a short amount of time! But so many people here in Gilbert, no matter what religion or nationality, are so interesting and are just great people in general! Meeting new people has never been hard here in Gilbert, you just have to get involved in all the new experiences and activities!

There are more than just sports to get into. There are so many things to do, from jobs to art classes to theatre! Gilbert, in my opinion, has such a great Art Community! Not to mention so many great places to eat. The large range of different foods has also gathered to the cultural experience of Gilbert. I have met families that own restaurants from Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and so many other countries, that all the different cultures meshed into Gilbert have opened my eyes to what's really out in the world!

There is also a large number of Hispanics here in Gilbert since we are so close to Mexico, so a majority of Gilbert's culture is revolved around Spanish traditions!

Gilbert is always somewhere that I will think of as my home. I have been here for most of my life and it is always a place that I can come back to!

Fountain Hills Is My Home

In moments like now, where school, homework and work constitute each day, it is hard to believe that one day I will make the decision on where I will call home in Arizona. “All that is Arizona” is the town motto of Fountain Hills and when that time comes I will anxiously choose Fountain Hills as the town I call my home. The town sprawls out over 11,340 acres of land. Fountain Park is at the center of the town. At the center of the 32-acre park is a man-made lake which houses a fountain that shoots over 560 feet. The world’s tallest fountain is quite a sight to see and it amazes me that water can be pushed through gravity in such a way. Fountain Hills sits 500 feet above the busy city life of Phoenix and is protected from the Valley of the Sun’s growth with the McDowell Mountains to the west, the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation to the east and Salt River Indian Reservation and the McDowell Mountain Regional Park to the south.

A small-town friendly atmosphere coupled with a close proximity to the city is an ideal lifestyle as a place that I will call my home. The clean air and spectacular views of the desert landscape place me there at this moment, golfing in complete serenity.

My goal is to become a professional golfer and teach the game to all those that love to play. I am currently a sophomore at ASU in the Professional Golf Management Program. I am completing the rigorous PGA Golf Professional Training Program while obtaining an agribusiness degree. The opportunity to golf all year long is a high priority to me and Fountain Hills is the perfect fit for a fantastic career in teaching the game that I love to others.

I vividly remember taking the Bee-Line Highway and Shea Boulevard to my internship this summer with the Southwest Section PGA. That experience of driving through the town grabbed all of my attention with the grandeur of the scenery. The sun was gleaming off the McDowell Mountains and the views from there gave me an excitement to come back more and more. I love to be outdoors each moment I can and with a location close to Tonto National Forest where I can hike until my body cannot handle it and Saguaro Lake about 12 miles away to have fun boating, is an ideal situation for my outdoor cravings.

Safety is an important quality in deciding the town that I will call home and with the small town friendly atmosphere, Fountain Hills meets that quality for me. The reputation of the golf courses in Fountain Hills is outstanding with the properties of Eagle Mountain, Sunridge Canyon and Firerock Country Club to name a few. The condition of these courses never ceases to amaze me and their astounding layouts in the desert landscape are a fun test of my skills. Teaching the game that I love to others is my passion and I strive each day to accomplish my goal to one day call Fountain Hills, Arizona my home.

El Mirage Is My Home

They say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. That is true in my case for I have fallen from the tree, yet it seems that I never leave the Arizona shade. When my family arrived to the states, they met most of their current friends and acquaintances in El Mirage, Arizona. I was born in Phoenix and brought home to my 15 family member-one room apartment in El Mirage. I had lived my first years in El Mirage and have never stopped attending or visiting people there. My family and I always had pending invitations for barbecues, birthday parties, or weddings. That is where the mothers would catch up on the gossip, the dads would cooked the barbecue, or the kids would go ahead and take down all the balloons from the decorations, after all, which kid is going to care what other adults do when there is a clown pulling a quarter from your ear! Everyone knew each other there. If you went to a party, you would see the same people again (another opportunity to catch up on gossip because only so much could happen within a week).

For school, I attended El Mirage Elementary. Most of the kids I went to school with are now my close personal friends. It’s amazing, yet sometimes frightening, that the same little boy you went to preschool with is now married or that little girl is going for a medicine major at the university. I feel that El Mirage is my home because I am a Hispanic minority and the Spanish speaking community mostly populates El Mirage. I feel like I fit in because people there look like me. Also because many of the youth there have Mexican parents yet live in a total different country. It is easy for me to identify with them in not being sure exactly where we are from. El Mirage is and always will be my hometown even though currently I live two hours away [Tucson]. I come home every weekend and am glad to see my friends are still there.

El Mirage is also mostly a church town where every major social event would happen at the St. Teresita Church Fiesta De Las Flores. The whole town gathers for this great festival in order to pay tribute to patroness St. Theresa of the Flowers. The party committee would hire Mexican bands and contract radio stations for publicity. Also, there were queen candidates that would work hard to earn the crown. The girl who raised more money for the church would win the crown. The funny part of the race was that the King would probably be the same one since the last couple years not many guys even wanted to participate. I am proud to say that I was crowned Queen of the St. Theresa Church Fiestas for 2002 after helping raised $11,215 dollars for the church fund. Another reason it is a church town is because some of the teens go to Friday youth group at church while the adults go to the Wednesday family support groups. Some of the community projects, such as the annual St. Theresa Fiesta Parade would be helped organized by the youth group. Another parade, the annual El Mirage Spring Parade, would begin on the church grounds. Besides, anybody who is anybody would gather at church.

I owe some of my life experiences to El Mirage. I remember when I was 5 years old, I was listening to the radio on my way to school that a man named Cesar Chavez had died early that morning. Why did they pay tribute to that man all day, I did not know. But as I grew up, I realized exactly who that man was and what he was standing for the day my dad came home from work because he was fired form his job in the fields. For a five year old, I guess that was an eye opener. Another thing was seeing how drugs and alcohol took over my family and friends. El Mirage had troubled youth that would find no other asylum but in the streets where predators such as gangs would offer a “family”. My uncle unfortunately died about three years ago after finding that “family” and drowned himself in the world of alcohol. This gave me encouragement to never make my mother suffer as much as my grandmother did for my uncle. For the kids I went to school with, some made it, some did not. The kids, who made it, now have decent jobs at a nursing home or Burger King. After all, the farm fields do not pay that much money for a better education.
Although a New Yorker or a Californian would strongly disagree, Arizona summers are not that bad, although one does get used to it after living here for about nineteen years of their life. But that is what I love most about Arizona, the summer. I loved the hot summer nights where I would sit on top of my roof and watch the entire neighborhood. I would see cars parking in their garages, kids playing in the streets, and dogs running loose. How surreal. The heat is just a small price to pay for seeing such glorious and magnanimous sunsets. The sun hiding behind the hills and mountains while purple clouds would shadow the red veil that the sun would wave behind (wow, maybe I’m the next Maya Angelou, or not). Neither California nor New York could release such beautiful waves of clouds like Arizona; it’s illegal. Besides, at least we do not have to be aware of tornado warning signs or worry about the floor quaking. Although I love rain, hurricanes would not be my favorite season. Besides, housing here is much cheaper than California!

Luckily for me, I am now proud to say that I am a student from the University of Arizona. I chose Tucson over Flagstaff mostly because the campus was beautiful and represented every nature of Arizona. We are in the middle of mountains, so we are cool in the summer, well at least less hot than Phoenix. The campus is filled with Honeysuckle flowers and Palo Verde trees that snow down yellow flowers upon you on your way to class. The thunderstorms bring down actual rain, not sprinkles like Phoenix; I mean I actually get drenched in water. But most of all, I chose Tucson because it was much further away from El Mirage where everybody knows me! Even though I am far from home, it seems that I can never leave the Arizona heat. I yearn for that summer vacation where my surreal sunset would greet me again.

Arizona is and always will be my home. For my Arizona, every single memory that I have ever experienced has been here...from growing pains to laughing days. And my whole education has been given to me here. Memories, life experiences, life lessons, but most importantly educations, it’s not just about living here, but its mostly about growing next to a community that gives you the tools for life.