Indiana, Tennessee, Michigan & Arizona

OK, I've now officially lived in 4 different states - 2 'midwestern' states, 1 'southern state', and 1 'out west' state.

Despite all four being part of the "United" states, there are many, many differences...some wonderful, some not, some funny, some not... So, when I drove home today and saw a roadrunner crossing the street with a large lizard in his mouth, I thought to myself, "Now THERE'S something you'd never see in Indiana, Michigan or Tennessee!" And that got me thinking about things in all the states that I've loved (or not loved) that are unique to that particular state.

So, here are the things (often odd) that popped into my head:

Living in Indiana for the first 25 years of my life gave me a very limited perspective on life and the world. The Marshes weren't a world-traveling (or even US traveling) family, so we just moved every year and a half to two years (always within Muncie).  Indiana is flat, with few lakes and no mountain ranges.  I think anywhere you grow up, you dream of 'getting out' and finding some place not so 'boring' (my definition of IN for most of my young life).  So, after graduating from college, I was offered a job in Tennessee, packed up my Toyota truck and headed out of IN as fast as I could.

I LOVED living in Tennessee. Tennessee has everything...four seasons (but the winters are VERY mild), GORGEOUS natural areas - state parks, national parks, lakes, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, pretty much everything but ocean (though the Tennessee aquarium in Chattanooga could make you feel pretty darn close and if you REALLY need the real thing, a mere six hour drive will get you to Destin). If you're looking for nightlife, Nashville is amazing...great local music (and NO, it's not all country!), great dancing, amazing food, shopping, cultural events and so much more.

Now, Tennessee IS a southern state...so there are still those who morn the loss of the Civil War and the fact that the south wasn't able to declare secession from the rest of the U.S. These folks hold very real 'Civil War Reenactments' and proudly fly the Confederate flag. The antebellum mansions still sprinkled all over the countryside offer you the ability to take a step back in time (Though how far back you want to go should be determined by whether your tour occurs DURING a Civil War reenactment or not. Do you need the sound of real musket fire in the background?).

I lived in Chapel Hill, Tennessee and it's most famous for sponsoring the largest tractor pull in the nation. And, just 20 minutes due east is Columbia which holds the annual "Mule Day Celebration" every spring (yup, they have a website!). You've never lived until you lived somewhere that shuts down the streets for a week for mules!

I miss the weather, the southern hospitality, the fact that everyone waves as they pass each other on the road while driving (with all 5 fingers, not just the middle one), the amazing local music, southern cooking (yep, you can fry a pickle, dip it in ranch dressing and darn near think you've gone to heaven), seeing country music stars in line at Target (wearing non-couture sweats) and not a single person asking for an autograph or hounding them (never ONCE saw paparazzi), camping with friends, floating on Center Hill lake (either on a raft or a pontoon), working at Saturn and all the amazing friends I made while living there.

Though I haven't lived in TN for 10 years now (and it doesn't seem half that long!), seeing the devastation from the recent flooding broke my heart.  I wanted nothing more than to get on a plane and be there to help.  Every day I wonder if my house made it.  That beautiful home I built from the ground up, where I cared for my 2 foster daughters, brought Janan home to, and lived out so many of my dreams.  It meant so much to me.  I lived less than a mile from one of the most beautiful rivers I've still ever seen, the Duck River.  And, I've seen the power she has when she rises above her banks. But, I know, Tennesseans will be there for each other and the Music City will come back stronger than ever.

Right before I left Tennessee, I was offered a very lucrative move to Detroit, Michigan to work for GM, which I turned down for many reasons.  So, how, three years later, did I end up in exactly the place I swore I wouldn't go?   Well, duh....LOVE.  Yep, just 10 months before our wedding my (now ex) husband was transferred back to MI (where he's originally from).  I ended up spending the next 3 1/2 years in what I often referred to as "the arctic north".

There are breathtakingly beautiful places in MI.  The lakes are so large you'll swear you're standing on the beach of an ocean.  The farther north you go is like going back in time.  The forests are dense with wild animals like bear, elk and hawk living together as they have for millennia.  But, for me, the lack of sun in Michigan was more than I could take.  Most people don't know (I certainly didn't!), but Michigan ranks as the top state in the U.S. for the least amount of days of sun along with Washington.  It was very hard for me to be in such a naturally beautiful place where I couldn't swim in the lakes (WAY too cold, no matter the time of year) and where everything was covered by this huge grey umbrella of clouds that kept the sun out all year round.  So, when the divorce became imminent, I knew we wouldn't be staying in MI.  Of course, my first reaction was to return to TN, but if I've learned nothing else in my life, I've certainly learned 'home' isn't a building or a place, but wherever your family is.

So, that's how we ended up way out west here in AZ.  Arizona's beauty is different from anywhere I've ever lived.  Much less water (it's a desert, people) than I'm used to but just as oak trees are described as majestic, so can saguaros be described the same way.  These amazing trees (and, due to their woody interior 'ribs' they are categorized as a tree) can grow up to 50 feet tall and hold up to 200 gallons of water to sustain them through the dry seasons.

Tucson, is surrounded by five mountain ranges - the Rincon to the east, Tucson to the west, Santa Catalina to the north/northeast, Santa Rita to the south/southeast & finally the Tortolitas to the northwest. No matter where you look mountains rise above the desert, often topped with snow which can be a bit strange when you're standing in 100 degree heat looking up at snow.  :o)  

Here, we're blessed with sun nearly every day of the year.  Even during the monsoon season when water fills the washes and closes roads, the sun will shine creating the most vivid rainbows you've ever seen.  And, though many people perceive the desert to be a brown, arid place with nothing but cactus I've rarely seen as many blossoms in one place!  The desert is alive with wildlife - lizards, snakes, javalina and mountain lions as well as trees, flowers and cactus that make it green and alive all year round.

I'm hoping we're done moving for years to come and, though it's not Tennessee, Arizona is an pretty amazing place to call home.