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| Arrow pointing the way. De Soto State Park, Alabama. March 2021. Credit: Mzuriana. |
As with my July and August travelin' plans, I had no clue - until a lightning strike on Tuesday evening - about where (or even when!) I'd establish my next tourist-in-residency.
It was a place that I had never - never! - considered before. I hadn't considered it because it never even floated ashore as a possibility.
And then in a single moment, it zapped me and it felt exactly right, for so many reasons:
- The city offers massive quantities (and diversity) of cultural activities, especially in music and dance.
- There is a large university campus (~ 25k undergrads).
- The university participates in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), which I can join (as I did in El Paso).
- The city's population size is in my sweet spot of a little more than half a million.
- There is decent diversity of complexion, age, and income.
- The city is super close to national and state parks and nature preserves.
- The airport receives direct flights from many of the locations where my family or friends live - so visits would be both easy and relatively affordable.
I've been here once. Only for a night to meet up with a student visiting the US from Vietnam.
Might I change my mind? Well, sure! But today, it feels very, very right.
I'm enthused.
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