One Year in Phoenix: 20 Unforgettable Experiences

I'm so excited to have Jenn from Eating Bender on City Leaper today.

Four years ago, we met at a BlogHer conference in New York City and hit it off immediately. So much has evolved in her life since then - she became a full-time freelance writer, married her high school sweetheart, and found 'home' in the beautiful Arizona desert.

If you are planning a move to Phoenix (or already live here!), you'll find some great ideas here.

In her words, here are 20 of the most unforgettable things Jenn did, saw, tried and tasted during her first year as a Phoenix resident:

1) Attended Arizona Restaurant Week with new friends I met through blogging.

2) Searched for – and ultimately bought! – our first house.

3) Started a book club with my friend Nicole that is still going strong after nearly two years.

4) Sipped and savored delicious drinks and dishes at the Taste of Cave Creek.

5) Voted in my first presidential election as an Arizona resident.

6) Began a Thanksgiving tradition that brings my family and my husband’s family together.

7) Hiked to the top of Pinnacle and Piestewa Peaks.

8) Decked our house with Christmas cheer, including our first tree in our new home.

9) Joined “Team Dessert” to run Ragnar Del Sol, a 200-mile, 36-hour relay race in the desert.

10) Planned an incredible trip to Europe (made possible by husband’s new job with an airline)!

11) Competed in a fun and exhausting (in the best way) golf tournament with my mom.

12) Attended PhoenixComicon dressed as Hermione Granger.

13) Took a road trip to Sedona with a friend who I hadn’t seen in two and a half years.

14) Went tubing and rock jumping at the breathtaking Canyon Lake.

15) Watched a live version of Doug Benson’s “Doug Loves Movies” podcast at TempeImprov.

16) Enrolled in a “Custards and Creams” course at the Classic Cooking Academy.

17) Volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and UMOM New Day Center.

18) Co-hosted a Harry Potter party, which we appropriately titled, “Order of the Phoenix, AZ.”

19) Took a fall road trip to the Grand Canyon and Oak Creek Canyon.

20) Became a writer for ImagesAZ, a local magazine with intriguing stories and fun recipes.

"It was a lot of fun to look back on our first year and realize just how adventurous we were in our new surroundings."

Are you moving soon? (Start planning your adventure with our free moving planning journal!)

Connect with Jenn:

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