Its been a while, Tucson (Jaimee?) « Back to Group Discussions

[Ajbaby]

Ok, so where to start.

I know I haven't posted here in forever so here is a bit of an update. In March we were going to replace carpet in a bedroom. It didn't end with carpet (which we still don't have) and led to tearing out and replacing half our bedroom, our only full bath, and the eat in part of the kitchen. So we have been with out a kitchen table and have only had half a bath (with three adults and two kiddos) for, oh, about six months. So its crazy here.

Yesterday dh called and said he saw an opening at his company near Tucson and is going to interview for it tomorrow. I honestly don't know what the hell he is thinking. Our house is still torn up and ds JUST started school. I know absolutely nothing about the Tucson area (or the southwest for that matter). I might not even have to worry about it if he doesn't get the job, but just in case what can you tell me about Tucson if anyone knows?

Oh, here is a pic of Emily, who turned 10 months monday.

[Jaimee]

OMgosh I adore Tucson!  I miss it there so much.  I see you're in Central Illinois like me, so what you're currently used to is hot, humid summers, short fall and spring, and long, cold winters.  In Tucson you'll hot, but dry summers, absolutely gorgeous fall and spring weather, and mild winters.  Sun, sun, sun.  At first glance Tucson seems all brown, but it's not.  The desert is so beautiful.  Pink mountains, green palo verde and cacti, abundant wildflowers, vibrant electrical storms, awesome monsoons...  Really that area is stunning.  Tucson doesn't pretend that it's not in the desert like Phoenix does.  So the people are pretty down to earth and don't flood their yards to maintain their lawns.  Yards have xeroscaping with beautiful red rock and succulents.  Hiking is amazing around there and the Grand Canyon is just 6 hours away. 

The town is a bit sprawled out, but it has great amenities.  Parks, walking paths, natural food stores (including Sprout, Wild Oats, Sunflower Market, and Trader Joes), all the major stores you need, a decent public transportation system, one of the nation's first free standing birth centers, legal midwifes, parenting groups, and a liberal outdoorsy feel to the whole area. 

I really can't speak more highly of it.  Please let me know if you have more specific questions and keep us posted about his job!

[Ajbaby]

He had a phone interview today and will have another interview next week.  It looks like we would be looking a little south of the city.  He would be working at cat in Green Valley.  Do you know anything about Sahuarita or Vail?  Schools are probably the biggest factor if we do end up relocating.
 

[Jaimee]

I don't know much about those areas.  I visited Sahuarita once to visit a friend and her subdivision was very nice.  I know that area has a fishing lake, walking paths, etc.  I think you may be able to get even more for your money south of the city.  I'm not sure about the schools.  Frankly, Arizona doesn't have the best schools.   The best schools, that I was aware of, were up north like Catalina Foothills area.  Many chose charter schools or private.  I would post in the Finding Your Tribe section to get more details.  When I lived there I didn't have kids, well, for the last 5 months I did, but I wasn't thinking about schools.  I worked at a private tutoring company so I did hear things about the public schools, but mainly from kids that were struggling.  I have some friends that live there still, so if you have some specific questions, I can ask them.  LMK!

[Ajbaby]

Ok, thanks. Honestly I doubt the schools could be worse than the district I am in. District 150 in Peoria sucks to say the least.
 

[Ajbaby]

Well, he got the job. He starts October 8th. Not exactly sure how I feel about it to be honest. It took me 4 years to form a friendship with our neighbors and now I have to start all over again. Now we are scrambling to find a place to live and a good school.
 

[Jaimee]

Wow!  Well, I would HIGHLY recommend flying out there to look at the different areas.  They really do have different feels to them and you can get a good idea of how long it would take to drive to his work.  Definitely check out the Catalina Foothills area since that is your best bet for schools.  Maybe you could tour some schools in Vail and Sahuarita?  I think that you'll really love it there- especially if you love sunshine and warmth, culture, outdoorsy living, and appreciate natural food stores.  Keep us posted and again, let me know if you have more specific questions I can answer!