Oh my beloved Tucson...

For those of you who don't know, which I think is none of you but whatever, I love Tucson. My brother Ben calls it a "love-affair" and most of my family makes fun of me for it, but I do not care. Tucson has been very good to me for the last four years. I came down here thinking that I was going to a trash/practically Mexico dump, but I am leaving it with much regret. Sure, at first all I could see were the couches/actual trash that people left on their front lawns, the awful conditions of the roads, and even the non-existant drainage plan when it rains. But since I've lived here I've learned that when people leave their furniture out it not only gets picked up by the city, but it also makes for excellent "dumpster-diving" items. I've also learned that when driving a truck, a raging river down your street is the coolest thing since sliced-bread!

Tucson feels like a small town even though it is huge. I still have not seen all of it, not that I've really tried. I love that the people on the west side of the freeway rarely interact with people on the east side, and the same goes for north and south Tucson. I love that while my neighbor is creepy because he's a trench-coat wearing weirdo who's constantly on the phone outside and makes it awkward to walk to and from my car I can still feel comfortable having his parents tease us about our very loud sing-along/dance parties. I also love that I can feel comfortable walking down the street with my roommates dispite the fact that we've actually called the police on our neighbors and had a stake-out waiting for some "Cops"-type action (which was a complete let down). I also love that in my little neck of the town I know exactly where I am or where I'm going based on street address alone. And the fact that the streets change names frequently makes that accomplishment worth-while.

On a list of my favorite places in Tucson The Big Bump out west on Grant where I have driven my truck over with screaming people in the car is definitely at the top, followed closely by the north end of Campbell where you can sit and watch the city lights and then the drive back that twists and turns. I love the view from Mt. Lemon where you can see exactly how much you have misjudged the size of the city. I also love the University of Arizona with its charming brick buildings, and especially the musical rocks by Old Main.

Yep, Tucson is great. I know that it is ghetto and kinda scary, but it's also original. There are few cookie-cutter developments and even less cookie-cutter people. You are allowed to be eccentric and quirky here and believe me, I've met plenty of people who are. This place has made for great stories and great friends who I hope never to forget!