Mindful Girl Blog

Every once in a while I really miss Tucson.

Background: My husband and I have this crazy wedding story. After a whirlwind romance, we got engaged fairly quickly and married about a year later. I had already had it up to my eyeballs with living in Manhattan. For as much as I loved the energy and the convenience of living in The City, I also was very aware that living in this atmosphere was contributing to my mounting anxiety. Nutballs were pushing people onto subway tracks or whacking them over the head with bricks; Mean, dirty people would hock mucus onto my feet; More often than not, I felt overcome by fear. I knew I needed to get out.

So I convinced my husband to move with me. We settled on Tucson mostly because it offered us peace of mind, freedom of spirit, and a general atmosphere of compassion that Manhattan lacked. (Plus, it’s where “Can’t Buy Me Love” was filmed. Another big selling point.)

We got married on September 9, 2001. We were scheduled to leave for Tucson on September 11 by way of a roadtrip honeymoon across the country.

We didn’t leave that day. But we did head out, despite some reservations, on September 12. And, thus spent one of the most tumultous times in modern American history on the road, travelling cross country through strange cities (many in the Bible Belt), as we and everyone around us tried to cope with the aftermath of 9/11.

But that’s a story for another time.

We settled in Tucson and from the get-go, the city lived up to our expectations and then some. There was definitely an adjustment for us as we got used to people being “nice.” Neighbors went out of their way to make us feel at home and welcome. Our new co-workers quickly treated us like family. And before long, we learned to expect the enthusiastic greetings from strangers, the slow pace at the bagel store, and the buzz of happy energy around us.

In addition to becoming a home away from home for me, Tucson also was the land of discovery. A metamorphosis of sorts took place for me.

There, I first learned about midwifery; about integrative pediatrics; about chiropractic and NAET. Tucson was where I first figured out the difference between Organic and Conventional; where I really started to understand the value of conservation, particularly as it related to water. For me, Tucson was my University of Conscious Living. And living there opened up a whole new world for me.

Leaving this mecca for holistic lifestyle (and our friends) was not easy. But we decided to move back East to be near our extended family, as our little family began to grow. I was worried that moving back would be moving backwards. That our return to the fast-paced life that comes with settling down in the NYC suburbs would turn us toxic and cold, and not just from a temperature perspective.

But I was wrong. And what a pleasant surprise.

On the whole, it’s true, people are not as friendly or as warm here in NJ (sorry!) as they are in Tucson. To be specific, NJ folks tend to want/need/expect more from me faster/now/yesterday and are not as nice/compassionate/kind in how they express this. But, a community of conscious living is actually strong and vibrant and loud here.

There are, of course, towns in which this community is more vocal and apparent.

Towns like:

• Princeton, home of The Whole Earth Center
• Montclair, where Bloomfied Ave. bustles with acupuncturists, organic spas, and healthy living centers
• South Orange/Maplewood: Home to multiple yoga studios
• Ridgewood: Home of the organic pizzeria
• Red Bank with its mecca of New Age healers
• West Milford, which has their own “sustainable” web site and annual Green Day Fair

There is still a lot of work to be done in terms of making NJ residents aware that these options for holistic living exist here, and engaging holistic businesses in the practice of making themselves more accessible to the average person. But I do believe this is part of the task at hand for us at Mindful Living NJ.

And, perhaps, if you are the type of person who believes in fate or synchronicity or purpose (which I am), then perhaps you might consider my move back to Jersey a subconscious, conscious decision. Peraps I was drawn back to NJ to share the wealth. Tucson opened up so much for me and for that I am forever grateful. I’d love to think that through Mindful Living NJ, I’m able to pay that forward.