Hola, Arizona!

I know some people might not fully believe me when I say that I had a great time visiting my friends in Sahuarita (near Tucson) because I helped them move, but I really did enjoy myself.  I had no idea they were moving until I got up Thursday morning and saw the boxes and such.  I know most people (ah-hem, a certain brother of Dave's- haha) would have turned, got back in the car, and moved right along to Phoenix but I feel that I have such a great number of friendsand family who help me move on an annual basis, best to pay it forward. 



 



My room! :)



Dave and Alex were wonderful by putting me up during the crazy scramble to get their things together: gave me a bed, hot showers, fed me... and it was not a huge hassle to move them- a good number of people helped. 

 

They just bought a gigantic previously-owned house over the summer (one that housed 7 DOGS!) and, with a lot of help from their family, rehabbed it into a gorgeous home. 

After all of the physical work on Saturday, we went out to consume an insane amount of pizza with Dave's parents, and then on Sunday Alex and Dave took me down into Nogales, Sonora in Mexico.  Parked the car at a lot near the border and walked over to do some shopping and lunch.  Many of the shops were difficult to get to due to the streets being under construction.  Walking along the plazas, you have so many shop owners waving you in to buy buy buy.

 

 

We wandered passed all of the burros in sombreros, waiting for you to sit on them for a photo, and into the city for lunch: carnitas! Yum, yum.  Sides of guacamole, salsa, lime, cucumbers, and Mexican Fanta to drink.  Best part: hand-made tortillas!  Super cheap too (most places take American dollars, but some won't have change for you).

 It was great to experience part of the city that wasn't lined with gift shops, and just absorb the lifestyle on a regular Sunday for the people who live there. 

After some impulse purchases on my part along the walk back towards the border, we rode back to the house where I gathered up my stuff from the guest room that I would have had to start renting from Alex and Dave if I stayed any longer :)

and headed north.