Our story

[jack...@yahoo.com]

My wife and I moved to Flagstaff almost 3 years go each wearing a pair
of rose tinted glasses. We landed in Flag, after traveling between New
Zealand and the US, for several years working in seasonal jobs. We had
been told along the line that Flagstaff was an expensive place to live
but we brushed that off as we had always found that our money had more
buying power here in the US than in New Zealand and were sure we would
be fine. We should have listened shouldn't we?
The rose tinted glasses came off pretty quickly. We got quite the
shock. We didn't think that the cost of accommodation/housing was that
expensive when we first arrived. It wasn't until we were hunting for
jobs that we realized how shockingly disproportionate the income to
cost of living ratio is in this town. Balking at wages offered, we
initially held out for better paying jobs, but quickly realized that
one need take any job while you can. The first three jobs I had in
Flag all paid less than any after school and summer holiday jobs I'd
had while in high school (12-15yrs ago). I was also blown away to be
serving coffee at 6:00am with wonderfully intelligent people that had
degrees and in 2 instances masters (none in making coffee). That's
tough psychologically on a person. We got out off our apartment
a.s.a.p as the lease expired (they were going to jack the rent by $150
a month on our already overpriced place) and squeezed into a smaller,
cheaper place with a lot of our stuff left in boxes.
Life continued to be tough. During these first couple of years, we
met people and made friends, we discovered we were not alone. There
were so many people in the same boat. Bitching and moaning about our
situations created camaraderie (We actually made several good friends
by struggling in this town.) However many long time residents and some
not so long told us to "stick with it" and that "it'll be worth it in
the end." We've stuck with it. We both have better jobs now and have
managed to buy a house and start a family. We are, despite the change
in circumstance, spread incredibly thin.
We maintain a love/hate relationship with Flagstaff. We tire of
drunks and the homeless that arrive in droves in the summer asking us
daily for money that we don't have. We have contempt for the out of
towners that arrive with every snowfall that have all the gear and no
idea. Especially no idea how to drive in the snow (Milton Rd is not
the 101 thank you!) We wonder how much easier life might be elsewhere
on the same incomes: the Northwest perhaps?
Conversely we think it is fabulous to wander downtown, see familiar,
almost always, smiling faces, music in the square, kids wrapped up
waiting to watch a movie projected onto the side of Babbits (how cool
is that?), driving a half mile to walk the dog or ride in the forest
and see very few people or sometimes no one at all, or the sheer magic
of stepping out the front door and seeing a fresh coat of snow on the
peaks - magic. These are all great qualities in a town.
This is our story in Flagstaff. Somewhat typical I think. And despite
this forum, the story that Knau/NPR is doing, public discussions in
the town hall, very little is going to change. Of this I am certain.
It is a conscious decision to be here. Might it all get too much and
we have to head for the greener grass on the other side of the fence?
Sure, that's a very real possibility especially if we have another
child.
For now we are sticking with it. Nowhere is perfect. We realize the
sacrifices involved in being here and also the rewards. Time will
tell.