Thanks for the message. Not knowing someone is okay. I think the people I don't know is now down to 799,999,9800,000, counting you. Earth, eh?
Yes, as you saw, I am a graduate student in English, specializing in literature. I teach first-year students, and I must mention that I had a student from Chicago write a rather insightful paper about the cutlural differences between the Windy City and Tucson. Chicago is more midwestern (I'm from Iowa) and people are friendlier. Here in Tucson, things have been a big adjustment for my wife and I. We don't have close friends as of yet, and my wife is frustrated by the lack of jobs that match her qualifications/education level. I expected the social life to happen easier, but that may be a young-couple thing.
But you would maybe have the exact opposite happen to you. But I must caution you that people won't strike up conversations in the grocery, for example. If you're planning on being a graduate student, it may be hard to have friends outside of that group, depending on how you develop a social life.
As for the University, I absolutely love it. But I may just have new-graduate student greenness/glow. I love teaching, and hope to find an area of literature that I can really sink deep into with a faculty mentor. It would be good to have buddies, though, but that is a simple fact of moving to a new place where I/we know no one.
So, I may have told you some things that you knew already. But it's been fun writing to you. Hope you end up getting the chance to read this.
Sincerely,
ADAM S.

Meredith wrote:
> Hi Adam,
>
> I know you don't know me, but I figured that I might
> as well try and use this Friendster thing for
> something useful....
> I am seriously considering moving out to Tucson
> and getting a Masters degree at UofA. I'm from
> New York, live in Chicago, and know basically no
> one in Tucson.
> I was wondering if you had any advice - if its easy
> to meet people - if its worth moving out to the
> desert, etc.
> The reason I'm considering Tucson is that my
> family vacations at a ranch there every year (which
> I realize is much different from living there), and I
> really just love it out there.
>
> Thanks so much!
>
> Meredith