Arizona At 100 Years

It's hard to believe that the State of Arizona is only going to be 100-years old this February, it seems longer. On February 14, 1912, after nearly 49 years as a U.S. territory and thousands of years as a sacred home to indigenous peoples, Arizona became the 48th and last of the contiguous states to enter the Union of the United States of America.

I've been living in Arizona for approximately the past twenty-five years. My parents were always on the move, continuously changing cities and states through my childhood, so I never really considered anywhere I lived to be my "home". Although I was born in another state, after spending most of my life living here, I've come to consider Phoenix, Arizona to be my home, a place to leave my legacy.

Arizona is a beautiful place to live and enjoy. Not only is the landscape and weather diverse here, but people of all races and cultures live here, creating a socially diverse, entertaining and exciting place to live. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. But, that cultural diversity often creates conflicts not usually experienced in other states. That's why Arizona is often depicted as a boiling cauldron of conflict, crime, and corruption, or as a weird and crazy place to live.

Although I love living in Arizona, in some ways, I have to agree with that depiction. A lot of strange things happen in this state. So, to celebrate the centennial, I thought I would blog about the crazy stuff that makes life in our state so interesting and unique.

Image Source: NPS: The Sonoran Desert