I never visited Tallahassee before I enrolled. I just showed up with a fully loaded VW Microbus, with full-sized bed and all my belongings. Stayed in a mom and pop hotel a few days. If my daughter tried doing that I would be all over her. I was in a vulnerable position with a VW Microbus fully loaded and no place to live. Bought the newspaper. Looked for a place to live. Actually found a nice place - pure luck - with a great neighbor above-me who has been a friend for life.
This was me, moving out to AZ. Never been west of Baton Rouge (not counting birth-3 yrs old), but packed up all the stuff I could in a tiny u-haul trailer, towed by my tiny Saturn.
My dad was cute, he printed out directions from Gainesville to Phoenix, which was all of 1 turn, lol. North on I-75 for 40 miles to Lake City, turn west onto I-10 for 1800 miles to Phoenix. Lived in a Hampton Inn for a week while working and finding a place to live.
I had more teaching stuff with me than personal belongings. Only 'big' thing was a desk my parents bought me.
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Looking back, that was pretty crazy. But the drive out was memorable because I'd only been in the southeast (aside from airports). The eastern half of Texas might as well be Florida with hills. The LA/TX border is unsightly, with all the oil industry infrastructure just laid out all over the place. But once you creep a few hours west of San Antonio...the world changes. The highway changes - the exits are different out there. Then my first, official 80 mph speed limit signs. Elevation. Desert. Rock formations. Stuff you could see from 200 miles away if you dropped it in Gainesville, but out west, it's unremarkable.
Such elevation! And cactus. El Paso's overpasses are all very decorated and you can look over at Mexico. The terrain was just a marvel as you drive into New Mexico (for someone who's only lived at sea level).
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I always prided myself on geography knowledge, but had no idea northern AZ is at 6000-7500'. Flagstaff is 2,000' above Denver in elevation. If you ever have some time to kill, driving along the Mogollon rim, where the southern AZ desert gives way to the Colorado plateau, it's beautiful. From I-17 out towards Payson.