Three Years

We just passed the three year anniversary of being back in Phoenix. Hard to believe.

I have to be honest. There are things I do miss about Denver, but they're far outweighed by all the things—mostly related the simple act of getting around town (regardless of weather conditions) that I do not miss.

I also don't miss the constant struggle to breathe, something I wasn't even really aware of until we moved back to a much lower altitude.

I obviously miss the summer and autumn weather. With Phoenix now entering the hottest part of the year and the corresponding increase in humidity that goes along with it, things here are pretty damn insufferable outside of air conditioned spaces.

And I do miss snow; I do not miss attempting to drive in it.

Chinese food. I know that's probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you mention Denver, but damn…that city knows it's Chinese cuisine. And from someone who spent sixteen years in San Francisco, that's something.

Entertainment. There are still a lot of performers/films that will come to Denver but never even consider Phoenix.

Politics. For all the progress Arizona has made in social issues, it's still a definite red-violet state, whereas Colorado is definitely in the purple to blue-violet category.

And yet I get the feeling that if things ever really go belly-up in this country, Denver may actually be one of the few safe refuges.