1. Hope You’re Not Craving A Sonoran-Style Dog
A hot dog wrapped in bacon that’s topped with beans, grilled onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, jalapenos, and sometimes more, there are few meals as perfect as the Sonoran-style hot dog. Despite how awesome this tastes, this variation on America’s favorite food doesn’t travel much.
2. You Can Stop Fearing That Moment You Get Into Your Car
Growing up with the Arizona heat, you’re well aware that a car in the sun can quickly become a death trap, as anything metal or black will basically reach least several hundred degrees. If you leave Arizona, no longer will your car be able to deliver third degree burns.
3. Prime Parking Is Determined By Distance, Not Shade
While you’ve spent your whole life thinking that the spot in the back of the lot covered by a tree was better than one in the front row, you’d be surprised what most Americans will do to avoid walking from a distant parking spot. After all, finding shade isn’t as big of a deal everywhere else thanks to lower temperatures. Just keeping parking in the back and watch the lazy people fight over the front row.
4. You Probably Took The Awesome Mexican Food For Granted
A side effect of being so close to Mexico, every city in Arizona seems to have at least three restaurants that have been called the best in America at one point or another. Unfortunately, most Americans aren’t so blessed. In some towns, you’ll be lucky if there’s anything more than Taco Bell.
5. You’ll Have To Renew That License More Frequently
Arizona has some weird laws for their driver’s licenses. Basically, once you get it, it doesn’t expire until you’re 65, provided you keep replacing the picture every 12 years. Most states will have you renew your license every 4 or 5 years, meaning that many more trips to the dreaded DMV if you leave.
6. Wildcats Fans Get Pretty Scarce
While the University of Arizona Wildcats have a huge fan base in their home state, you’ll be lucky to find many outside of Arizona. Unless you run into someone that also moved away from the Grand Canyon State, you’re probably out of luck.
7. Sun Devils Fans Are Even More Rare
Arizona State Sun Devils fans seem to travel even less. You’ll rarely see someone rocking the maroon and gold you love on game day.
8. Dry Heat Is Not Normal Heat
Everyone is well aware that Arizona is a hot place to be. However, the hot temperatures in Arizona don’t mean the same thing they do elsewhere. Nearly everywhere else suffers from a little thing called humidity. It’s capable of making 80 degrees a sticky mess that you’ll dread more than 110 degrees in Arizona. Just hope you’re not moving somewhere in the South.
9. People Will Wonder Why You Always Shake Out Your Shoes
The first time someone who isn’t from Arizona sees you shake out your shoes, they’ll look at you like you’re crazy. Just Google pictures of scorpion bites and show them why you do it and they’ll totally understand. They’ll also probably think Arizonans are a bit more badass, too.
10. No One Else Will Have The Same Appreciation For Cacti
Literally protected by the law, it’s hard to understand how awesome cacti are until you see one in person. Capable of towering anywhere from 40 to 60 feet above the ground, you’ll miss these awesome features of the Arizona landscape.
11. You’ll Have To Start Adjusting Your Watches
Arizona is oddly one of two states (the other is Hawaii) that doesn’t observe daylight savings time. This is sure to catch you off guard for at least a decade if you move away.
12. Flip Flops Will No Longer Be Suitable For Work
We get it, it’s so hot in Arizona that most people simply give up on workplace fashion and opt for the most comfortable footwear available. Don’t expect to be doing this anywhere else without repercussions unless you’re literally living in a beach down.
13. No One Knows What A Haboob Is
A giant walls of dust and sand that swiftly descends on cities all around this state, getting caught outside in a haboob can spell disaster. Unless you meet someone that’s from Arizona, there’s a good chance they’ll have never heard of this word before—and they definitely won’t share the same fear towards these that you do.
14. People Will Assume You’re Basically A Cowboy
Everyone lives in the middle of the desert in Arizona, right? Thanks to the depiction of Arizona in popular media, people tend to assume that everyone there lives the life of the wild, wild, West.
15. Learn To Drive In The Rain, Fast
While people in Arizona might seem to be completely incapable of driving in the rain, most Americans don’t think twice before speeding down a wet street. If you don’t learn to do the same, you’re sure to ruffle some feathers on the road.
16. All That Spanglish You Learned Will Probably Be Useless
Another side effect of being close to Mexico, there’s a huge presence of the Spanish language that tends to slip into daily Arizonan life. Unfortunately, in most states, the simple word “queso” will leave some people bewildered and confused.
17. People Will Assume You’ve Never Seen Snow
When most Americans think “Arizona,” they think “hot” and “desert.” While both of these words are great descriptions, they tend to get a bit exaggerated. Anyone who’s been through places like Flagstaff and Sedona during winter knows good and well what snow is. This state even has a few skiers in it.
18. Dust Isn’t Such A Problem
Dust is everywhere in Arizona. It is a desert after all. Making it impossible to keep your car clean or have an open window for long, you won’t have to deal with these same issues out of state.
19. You’ll Never Have Anyone To Cheer With During The Diamond Back Games
Very rarely will you encounter someone cheering for the Arizona Diamondbacks outside of Arizona. By this point, even most of the bandwagoners have found someone else to cheer for. You’ll be extremely lucky if you can even find a bar with the game on while you’re out.
20. Vortexes Will Confuse Everyone
Nestled in the beautiful city of Sedona, these vortices are certain places filled with spiritual energy. It’s hard to explain until you experience it first hand and telling someone from another state about them is sure to make you sound crazy.
21. No One Will Believe Arizona Is As Beautiful As You Say It Is
You’ll hear things like “isn’t it just a desert?” and “is there even anything to do in Arizona?” quite frequently. The beauty of Arizona is definitely hard to capture in pictures, because no picture will actually compare to seeing the vastness and enormity of the landscape with your own two eyes. But that’s just fine, keep Arizona your own little secret as those tourists stay ignorant to the awesome things they’re missing out on.
Like This Post? You’ll Definitely Love These:
