I want to start off by saying that I have been to Phoenix twice but only during a layover, and while driving through so I did already have expectations of what or who would be there, so I thought. I remember it being 114 degrees and everything being very spread out. During my layover I remember leaving the airport to explore but I only so far that I never really saw much of anything, I was in what I thought was close downtown, heck, I was wrong. Not to mention, I have gone to the grand canyon, so I thought that was all to see in Arizona. Granted the drive in was littered with amusing signs...
What an awesome sign
As I arrived to my destination to meet a girl named Callie and her roommates, I was still unsure on who I would meet considering my previous assumptions. I pull up to her place, with a cool looking courtyard in the middle that connects 4 adjacent apartments. I knock on the door, she opens and greets me with a huge smile. She gives me a quick tour of her place and introduces me to her roommate "Bri" and roommates boyfriend. She instantly start chatting up about what I am doing, and how life is in Phoenix and after a beer or two, we are off to grab a bite to eat. She took me to a local restaurant that was walking distance, (when's the last time you walk a few blocks to grab a bite to eat?) We order a few drinks, some food, and little did I know she ordered some huge corn cob delicious...thing (haha) I've never seen something like it, so naturally I taste and it was DELICIOUS. We were plagued by the "itis" shortly after, so we began to walk home and she showed me some amazing artwork that I had to revisit in the morning.
Meet Callie!
Some cool street art on some local houses
Nom nom nom on that corn!
So the next morning I was joined by her roommate Bri and boy was she cool too. She took me to a local coffee shop and introduced me to some more DELICIOUS food, as well as some cool characters. Before she left for work she filled me in on some cool places to check out, handed me her keys, and bid me farewell. So as I sat there typing up a post and updating, I met some pretty cool newly engaged locals, Eric and Torri. They met because he saw her at a local restaurant and he said he immediately fell for her and had to speak to her. From there, after dating for quite some time, he popped the question. They were good people and we all about filling me in on the area and what their experiences with their community means to them. What a great feeling to meet people that are so open and willing to share their story. After my chat with them, I decided to go for a bike ride, so what better way to check out the SuperBowl festivities then by bike and GoPro? It was NUTS and packed with people, and at one point I had to walk my bike around. Definitely something I was happy to experience.
Breakfast with new friends
More awesome street art
Superbowl view on a bike!
So, what can I say about how Callie and everyone in Phoenix changed my perspective on the city? Even though they were all different in themselves they were part of a community there, they proud of their city, their culture, and one another. The Super Bowl crowd definitely hyped up the city a bit more than usual but the locals were just worried about the traffic more than anything else. Overall, I would go back to visit again, no doubt!
Next stop will be to San Francisco, where I meet one of the most spiritual people in my life. Check out the trailer to the video I am making below. Use the hashtag #TheCommunityMadeOfUs, repost the video on your pages, and remember, it doesn't take much to be part of The Community, and when someone helps you, make sure you pass it on.
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