You know how it is, sometimes you just hit a wall. I was there. Same four walls, same routine. I told myself, “Alright, enough of this.” Needed a proper shake-up, not just a weekend trip. So, I actually started looking, seriously looking, at what else was out there. Not just another town, but maybe a whole different way of doing things.
Figuring Things Out
Arizona kept coming up. People talked about the sun, sure, but also about a different pace. I wasn’t just gonna take their word for it. I spent a bunch of nights online, just poking around. Then, this acquaintance, I think it was my wife’s cousin, mentioned Queen Creek. Said it was growing like crazy but wasn’t a concrete jungle yet. And then, almost as an afterthought, they dropped the name “Encanterra.” Sounded a bit high-falutin’ to me at first, if I’m honest. Made me wonder, what’s the deal with a place like that?
I’m not one to sit on curiosity. If something gets in my head, I gotta go see. So, I figured, what the heck. I cleared my schedule for a couple of days, gassed up the car, and just headed out. No big entourage, just me and my thoughts. The drive out to Arizona, and then towards Queen Creek, that was an experience in itself. You really see the country change, and it gives you time to think. That’s what I needed.
That Day in Queen Creek
So, I finally got myself to Queen Creek, and then I hunted down Encanterra. Pulling up to the entrance, I kinda paused. First thing that hit me? This place was clean. Like, really clean. Not a blade of grass out of place. You can tell when folks are paying attention to the details. I parked the car and just started walking. Best way to get the real story of a place, I always say.
- I saw people on the golf course, others just hanging out by a fancy looking pool. Seemed like they had their own little world there.
- The buildings, the landscaping, even the streetlights, man, it all looked like it came out of a magazine. Very put-together.
- I watched folks interacting. Seemed like a community, but a very specific kind of community, if you catch my drift.
It wasn’t just a bunch of nice houses. It was a whole setup. I walked around for a good while, just observing. Tried to picture myself there. Would I fit? Was this the “different pace” I was looking for, or just a fancier version of keeping up with the Joneses? I even chatted with a groundskeeper for a minute. He was a regular guy, just doing his job. Said it was a busy place.
I left Encanterra later that day with my head spinning a bit, but in a good way. Didn’t sign any papers, didn’t make any rash decisions. But that trip, that day I spent nosing around Encanterra down in Queen Creek, AZ, it really made me think. It wasn’t just about whether I’d live there. It was about what I learned about what I wanted, or didn’t want. Sometimes you gotta see the shiny, perfectly planned places to figure out what “real” means to you, or what kind of “different” you’re actually after. It was a useful day, that’s for sure. Helped me sort out a few things in my own head. And that, to me, is always a good use of time.