raising arizona, part i.

I beat myself up quite often for not accomplishing all of things on my various to-do lists. Despite my constant failures, big and small, I am rather good at going places. I love to travel and I have found ways to sneak trips in whenever I am able. In the last seven years I have been to 27 different major cities, both national and international, not including my semiannual trips to New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. This week, I find myself in Tucson, Arizona, visiting my lifelong friend, Renée, before she and her husband, Mark, welcome their first baby. I have been in Arizona for about 36 hours now and I have already bore witness to all four seasons. I have experienced cool spring breezes, hot summer sun, chilly autumn rain, and even some short-lived winter snow. The weather is crazy here!

Yesterday, Renée took me up Mount Lemmon in Coronado National Forest. The temperature dropped about twenty degrees while we drove toward the summit. When we reached a nice lookout point, we stopped for some photos and a bit of sunshine - the views were incredible! My favorite parts were the rock formations and the saguaro, which reminded me of the dancing cacti in one of my family's all-time favorite movies, Disney's "The Three Caballeros." I had never seen either in person, and it made me feel like I was really absorbing a true piece of Arizona.

Today, I am huddled up in The Chocolate Iguana, an independent coffee shop in downtown Tucson. I have been watching the icy rain fall through foggy windows, contemplating my wet, frozen little toes and gulping down hot caffè latte in an attempt to warm up. I am here escaping the rain and struggling to lesson plan before Renée picks me up for some more culinary indulgences (this afternoon I enjoyed delicious tamales and cochinita from The Little Cafe Poca Cosa and I have been scarfing down fresh eggs from Renée and Mark's hens in the morning). No matter how lightly I plan on eating when I go on trips, I cannot help trying local cuisine and always end up eating way too much... juice fast this weekend, Douglas?

I really miss the mountains. Doug and I have been waiting for a bit more free time and some warmer weather; I hope we can hit the trails soon!