Living in Wild West Tucson

Not many foreigners know much about the “old pueblo”. Possibly because it is often overshadowed by the capital city of Phoenix. However, Tucson’s desert landscape, outdoor lifestyle, and abundant wildlife create a uniquely relaxing atmosphere well-worth of greater recognition.

I have lived in Tucson for about five years, but have rarely taken the time to explore all sights in the city. Similar to Sedona, I felt that I can visit them anytime because I live here. However, now that Paulina was visiting, I thought it would be a great time to explore the city with her.

Having been away from home for several days and driven for seven hours back to Tucson, Paulina and I were ready to rest at home.

Sahuaro National Park

The Saguaro National Park is an astonishing natural park formed of a beautiful desert ecosystem, with its many large Saguaros being the main attraction. The park has many hiking trails and a very scenic drive, where you can make frequent stops to appreciate the views.

Paulina and I made several stops to go hiking on some short and fun trails that showcased the beauty of the Sonoran desert.

Surprisingly, Paulina did not seem afraid of potentially coming across a snake. I remember she said she was going to be afraid of getting off the airplane when landing in Arizona. I suppose she was enjoying the moment so much that she forgot about them. It did not really matter because snakes are primarily seen during the summer.

Sabino Canyon

Sabino Canyon is an adventurous hiking area with many long but fun trails. We visited it twice. The first time, we mistakenly thought we were on the right trail heading towards the popular “Seven Falls”, and the second time we started a little too late for such a long hike. Nonetheless, we had fun on both occasions.

It came to our surprise that we needed to walk across running water. I had forgotten that it had been occasionally raining the past few days. We were not prepared for it. But having committed to completing the hike during our first day, we took our shoes and socks off to go across… little did we know the water was going to be extremely cold as it had melted from the top of the mountain.

After having dried our feet and putting our shoes back on, we continued with our journey, only to come across another wash within a few minutes. This time, however, Paulina’s big and strong boyfriend offered to carry her on his back and take her across. Paulina loved it and I did too until I saw the sad and jealous looks of several women whose boyfriends were not doing that. I have to admit that deep down in my heart I felt I was betraying other men by setting the bar high…

The Tucson Bicycle Loop

Home Activities

Due to coronavirus restrictions, we were not able to go to restaurants, the movie theater, or the bar, but that did not stop us from having fun. Instead of going to the movie theater, we watched a movie at home; instead of having dinner outside, we had cooked dinner at home; and instead of going to the bar, we had drinks and played Jenga at home.

We also went shopping for succulent plants and a tree for my garden and picked a colorful firesticks plant and a donkey’s tail plant. We enjoyed watching them in the mornings with some cake and coffee as we admired the garden.

Our Last Moments

Having Paulina’s returning flight canceled, she rebooked it to return two days after initially planned. Unfortunately for me, I had to go back to work.

But coming back from work, Paulina received me with tasty diner. I was speechless with her dedication to make a memorable last day. Unfortunately, after such a fun and incredible journey, it was time for her to return to Poland.