For the past couple of years, I’ve longed to move to a small city, but something always held me back—until I met my significant other. Don’t get me wrong, Orange County is a beautiful, nearly perfect place to live. Within a mere 30-minute to one-hour drive, you can experience a variety of lifestyles: beach, hiking hills, wild reservation parks, city life, and suburban green parks. I guess I took it for granted.
Yet, I found myself missing the slower pace and smaller crowds. Some say that empathic people, who absorb emotional energy from others, need to retreat and recharge. Perhaps that's true.
I made a few friends in Orange County, and I knew I’d miss them when I decided to move away. When you’re over 30, making friends and maintaining close relationships isn't easy—we’re all busy with life, doing what we think is important. Sometimes, I question my priorities and realize that we might miss simple opportunities to connect with loved ones because we’re so preoccupied with the tasks at hand. Yet, these chores and errands shape our identity.
At the end of April, we set out for Arizona. The moving process felt like shedding old karma. I was reluctant to let go of some possessions I was emotionally attached to, even though they didn’t serve my future or spiritual growth. It was hard to understand why making this change and taking a leap was so challenging. In my early 20s, change and moving weren’t hard—in fact, I thrived on it. But again, this is no small move; I am literally moving to a state where I’ve never lived. But for most of my life, I’ve taken blind leaps, not knowing what lay ahead, and it hasn’t been bad. No preconceived ideas or expectations of the new environment.
Once I let go of the things I’d hoarded, I felt lighter, energetically. But I still needed to shed some self-identities tied to my job and place of residence. Unaware of these self-made identities, we often fail to see the attachments they bring.
The drive wasn’t too bad—altogether 7.5 hours. We stopped at a motel halfway, our room had very green walls. I drove my small Prius while my significant other drove a rented hybrid Chrysler van, both fully packed. Oh, that van was smooth! The motel had a back sliding door to a shared yard. Interestingly, on one side of the motel were almost a hundred abandoned trailers—unclear if they were once occupied.
We left the next morning, and after 3.5 hours, we reached our Airbnb un Tucson. It looked much bigger in the pictures, and I hadn’t realized the yard was shared with other occupants.
Already, we felt the Arizona heat, but it’s probably nothing compared to the 120-degree summer. I loved seeing the mountains so close and the interesting clouds in the Arizona sky.
Tucson has its own charm, and the energy is calmer compared to Orange County. I’m already feeling the relaxation of a slower pace. The heat certainly makes both humans and dogs sluggish, but there are many parks around. People are chill and friendly—at least the ones we’ve met so far.
The energy here is kind of artsy. Each house has its own unique style and design, reflecting individuality rather than cookie-cutter buildings in metropolitan areas.
Being here inspires me to start on art or creative projects, though it's still too new to say how I truly feel. Part of me remains in a "traveling" or "vacation" state of mind. I haven't felt fully settled yet, but that will come with time.
I look forward to having clients in Tucson. It seems QHHT will be a perfect fit in this mysterious, artsy, and somewhat isolated place.
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