It’s been a little over one year since I moved to Tucson for work. The one-year mark feels like a good time to reflect, not on work, but on how the move has gone and my thoughts. A lot is different, but at the same time, a lot is the same. As an indoors-person, I don’t get out much, but looking back, it’s been a year of exploration and settling in.
My immediate impressions is that wow, Tucson is insanely hot. Sure, it’s no Phoenix, but compared to Seattle, it’s like a whole different planet. Streaks of days over 105 degrees fahrenheit, nighttime temperatures hanging around the 70s and 80s, is just unfathomable to someone from the Pacific NorthWest. The winters are cooler than expected, and it actually gets cold at night, but man is the summer heat crazy.
The lack of trees is also a bit strange to me. Cacti look cool though the novelty kind of wears off and there’s just a lot less of them in the city. Speaking of the city itself, the lack of a highway to shorten commute times means a lot of driving is just done on long main city roads, which is wild. I hear it’s to maintain the scenic views or neighborhoods, which I can understand, I guess. The roads feel even more monotonous given that Tucson is relatively flat even though its flanked by mountain ranges, so the roads don’t really bend as much as they do in Seattle. Other quirks I’ve noticed is the lack of real high-rises or traffic light cameras (explains why so many people run lights here).
As an Asian (Vietnamese person), the lack of real authentic options makes me homesick. Vietnamese food does exist, don’t get me wrong, but Miss Saigon and Ha Long Bay (any other highly rated or commonly suggested option) are just not it. I would say that Com Tam Thuan Kieu, off of Lee Lee’s on Orange Grove, is the best option, but generally I’m not really impressed with what Tucson has. Going to Phoenix is probably my best choice for Vietnamese food. The Chinese landscape is also quite devoid of options.
Some of the food spots that I like and have cycled into my rotation include Pure Poke, which has a nice staff and gives out very generous portions, Kiwami Ramen, and Santorini Greek Cafe. In my opinion, Beyond Bread is far superior to Baggins. For drinks, I really like Robeks and Qing Tea. The prior are local chains, obviously I am aware of national chains like In-N-Out, Culvers, and Jamba. I aim to try out more places next year.
Beyond just food, I’ve done some light exploring of Tucson, though as mentioned earlier I’m not really an outdoorsy person or social butterfly. I’ve only went to downtown once (shockingly), but I have made day trips to the Desert Museum, the Saguaro National Park, and Mission San Xavier del Bac. The desert landscape is beautiful, though the heat will continue to be a make outdoors exploration a challenge.
I really like the apartment I’ve found, though I’ve had headaches with the air conditioning having a leak. It’s still not perfect or my forever home, which is a problem for me as I like to buy posters but out of fear of clean-up and damage I don’t want to set them up until I find a place I’ll likely stay at for awhile. That’s just a me problem though.
This year also brought a new diagnosis, though I’m not blaming it on Tucson, which is epilepsy (focal cortical dysplasia type 2 to be specific). While it has made driving a struggle, I appreciate my work for giving me the option to work remotely more often, and I am adjusting.
Looking back, it’s been a year of adjusting, discovering the city at my own pace, and making a home in a place that gets up to 110 in the summer.
