A year ago today I touched down in Phoenix, AZ for the first time. I arrived on a Thursday afternoon and was greeted by a classic 116 degree AZ summer day. (It was 76 degree that day when I left Maine, I made special note of the temperature.) And about 24 hours later, I was back in Maine with the reality of moving to AZ starting to sink in.
I remember the trip from the airport to the hotel very clearly. I was in awe of this new environment. The cacti, the warm earthy tones, the public art, palm trees, and the contrasting landscape of the flat valley surrounded by mountains. It was completely the opposite of my world in Maine. Not good, not bad, just different.
After my interview out here, I was waiting at an intersection for my shuttle to come pick me up and take me back to the airport. I remember trying to orient myself to where the airport and hotel were in relation to this campus - I realize now I was terribly turned around. Thank goodness my sense of direction has greatly improved daily since being here.
I now walk by that intersection daily. It always makes me smile to think that's the spot where I made phone calls back east saying, "I think the interview went really well," "I think they liked me," "I may have said something stupid in front of the dean," "one lady yelled at me to drink more water because I was from Maine" and "I think I could handle living in the desert."
Well, it all worked out just fine - obviously.
Thanks for reading.
- M
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