What I Learned After Trading –20° for 75° in One Flight
On February 8, 2024, I stepped off a plane at Sky Harbor Airport wearing a Chicago mindset and a winter coat that still had frozen air in it. Twenty-four hours earlier, I was battling –20° windchill, trying to convince myself that “I’m built for this.”
Then that airplane door opened…
75 degrees. Sun on my skin. Palms trees waving at me like, “Welcome home, playa.”
That was the moment I realized: Phoenix wasn’t just a place. It was another planet.
And here’s what I’ve learned since touching down.
1. The Heat Has Hands
You think you know heat until Phoenix teaches you a lesson.
115 degrees here feels different — like the sun personally applied pressure. It’s hot at another level.
But Phoenix folks? Cool as ever.
Shorts. T-shirts. Flip-flops.
Meanwhile I came in still rocking suits like I was headed to a board meeting. I had to quickly learn:
Phoenix is relaxed. Real relaxed.
2. The Grass is a Myth
If you come here looking for Midwest lawns, forget it.
There’s no grass — just beautiful desert landscaping, cactus, stones, and palm trees.
You learn fast out here that
the desert is its own kind of luxury.
3. Everyone Has a Pool—Even Folks Who Don’t Swim
Phoenix heat doesn’t care about your preferences.
That’s why everybody — and I mean everybody — has a pool.
Your neighbor, your neighbor’s dog, probably your neighbor’s dog’s dog.
It’s part of the lifestyle.
A pool in Phoenix is like a coat hanger in Chicago — expected.
4. The City Wakes Up at Night
Phoenix in the day is oven mode.
But when the sun drops?
This place becomes a whole different city.
Rooftops. Patios. Food trucks. Block parties.
Downtown lights up like a movie set.
In the summer, everything starts at sunset — that’s when the city comes alive.
5. Downtown Phoenix Stays Moving
I live downtown, and let me tell you:
There is always something happening.
A Suns game at Motgage Match-Up Center.
A Diamondbacks game at Chase Field.
A concert at Talking Stick Arena.
You could walk downstairs to grab water and run into 15,000 people heading to an event.
It’s consistent energy — big city energy — but in a cleaner, calmer, more spacious way.
6. The Mountains Are Calling You—Daily
The mountains here? Stunning.
Everywhere you look, the desert skyline feels like a painting.
Hiking trails are everywhere — Camelback, South Mountain, Piestewa Peak, you name it.
You start appreciating outdoor life in a way you never did in the Midwest.
Phoenix turns you into a hiker even if you’ve never owned hiking boots.
7. The Homelessness Is Real
Phoenix is beautiful, but it’s also complicated.
The homelessness crisis is visible and serious.
It reminds you that sunshine doesn’t fix everything — and every city has work to do.
But what I’ve noticed is:
People here care.
There are outreach groups everywhere trying to help.
8. The Food Surprised Me (in a GOOD Way)
A bonus lesson:
The food scene here is slept on.
Mexican food? Elite.
Soul food spots? Growing and strong.
Late-night eats? Better than expected.
Phoenix is a melting pot — and you taste that everywhere.
9. Transplants Run the City
One more thing I learned fast:
Most people ain’t from here.
Chicago. Detroit. California. Texas. The East Coast. The South.
Phoenix is like America’s fresh start city.
Everyone came for a new chapter — including me.
Final Thoughts: Phoenix Changed Me
Moving to Phoenix wasn’t just a relocation — it was a reset.
The sunshine hits different.
The lifestyle is slower.
The nights are livelier.
The people are diverse.
And the city feels wide open, like it’s still growing and waiting for you to grow with it.
If Chicago sharpened me…
Phoenix relaxed me, stretched me, and inspired me.
And every time I step outside to those mountains, hot nights, bright stars, and nonstop events, I’m reminded of the same feeling I had stepping off that plane:
I’m somewhere different — and I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.