Arizona

This dry, hot and usually sunny area has drawn my interest in recent years. I guess it may have something to do with my having grown up in the (relatively) lush New England states with the thick green forests. The desert and the rich, layered mystique that goes with it captivates.

Made the trip from Sedona to Phoenix yesterday. My week in Sedona started out with mild temperatures. Yesterday it was up around 100. I did notice at the (very) authentic little Mexican restaurant I stopped in at that the locals were ordering Menudo. Seemed awfully hot for soup. But, as I was reminded at this week’s conference, culture is hugely determinative when we make our food choices.

A good friend of mine (a native Hoosier) recently relocated back to Indiana having spent 12 years in Tucson. My friend was becoming concerned about overbuilding and the increasing temperatures. The major cities here are sprawling out more and traffic in them is getting heavier and slower.

The world is getting more crowded, of course. In my nearly 70 years on this (partly) green earth, the change has been dramatic. We’ve seen what kinds of things happen when people have to navigate less elbow room than they believe they need. Wonder what that’s going to look like in another 100 years.