1 more question: Do you miss the Ocean/Water? (Phoenix, Sedona: how much, home)

[Nancy Lynne]

For those of you who have moved to AZ from coastal areas of the US, as I will be, do you miss the closeness of the sea? do you feel land locked? or does the majestic view of the mountains make what you left behind a distant memory?

[Nea1]

I prefer the mountains over the water anyway, so i dont miss either coast i have lived on. If i do I can drive to see it San Diego is 6 hours away.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by Nancy Lynne

For those of you who have moved to AZ from coastal areas of the US, as I will be, do you miss the closeness of the sea? do you feel land locked? or does the majestic view of the mountains make what you left behind a distant memory?

I miss it IMMENSELY. I grew up near a much different mountain range so I'm not overly impressed with the ones here. But I do miss the coast.

[movin'on]

Originally Posted by Nancy Lynne

For those of you who have moved to AZ from coastal areas of the US, as I will be, do you miss the closeness of the sea? do you feel land locked? or does the majestic view of the mountains make what you left behind a distant memory?

I hate it here. I grew up in the land of 10,000 lakes and then lived on the coast of Ca for 13 years. A pool just does NOT cut it, nor am I fond of concrete slabs of man made lakes. I hate it here. I miss real water.

[Steve97415]

Oddly, I find that the desert and the sea have much in common. The desert is a sea of dry earth, the sea a desert of water. Both are environments to which humankind is poorly adapted and pose potential dangers. Both have wide horizons that offer expansive vistas. Both harbor exciting and somewhat alien life forms that humans normally have little contact with. Both are sere and economical biomes characterized by a lack of plants. Both have a particular relationship with sun and sky that other earthscapes lack. They are, in their own different ways, the top two places that people retreat to in order to seek out solitude and spiritual insight.
I live 100 yards from the ocean and I miss the desert greatly. In the tropics, or in a hot arid environment, proximity to the sea is a welcome amenity that tempers the heat of those climates. Elsewhere, the ocean just casts up fog and chill, enveloping the world in a shroud of gray and erasing the march of the seasons. I love gardening and in a mild maritime climate you can grow so many things. Were it not for that, I would return to the desert...at least I would if I could find a decent city there to live in!

[Nancy Lynne]

What a great reply and so very true as I think about it and put myself in both places. I, too, am an avid gardener...putting my hands deep in dirt...makes me feel "one with the earth", or grounded, you might say.

The ocean CAN feel lonely...unless one is enjoying it at the height of the beach season...sunning oneself and watching kids play in the waves.

Are you saying that there isn't much opportunity to "garden" in AZ? I would think that there are many beautiful flowering plants and tropical fruits to grow --- but I am purely guessing --and it sounds as though I might be completely mistaken --- maybe all I can grow is cacti and ecalyptus?

[tucsondesertdweller]

If you miss the ocean, then a trip to the Pacific ocean is 5 hours away, and by air San Diego is less then an hour give or take. The scenery here is magnificant, but after living here close to 7 years, not sure I would recommend living here with high expectations.

[ElizaTeal]

I lived in Sedona for 10 years. Just bought a second home a few blocks from the Colorado River. Yes I missed the water!

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by Nancy Lynne

Are you saying that there isn't much opportunity to "garden" in AZ? I would think that there are many beautiful flowering plants and tropical fruits to grow --- but I am purely guessing --and it sounds as though I might be completely mistaken --- maybe all I can grow is cacti and ecalyptus?

Desert gardening can be very rewarding, particularly in the low desert (Phoenix area) where a lot of subtropicals can theoretically be grown (you haven't had really good grapefruit or oranges until you've had desert citrus). But increasing housing density is making tiny California-type lots the norm in AZ and concerns about water conservation (and the COST of irrigating those landscapes) has reshaped the sense of desert gradening opportunities in recent years. If I still lived there now, I think my conscience would compel me to garden mostly with xerophytes -- which can still be beautiful, though the options are more limited.

[afvet]

I can't express how much I miss the water! In Virginia, I lived on a river and could catch blue crab from a dock in my backyard. I miss being able to go to the beach whenever the mood struck. I do feel a little trapped by the mountains sometimes, but the ones here don't compare to those in CO Springs. One of the best parts of living here is the amazing sunsets. They're the most beautiful I've ever seen.