High School Musical 2 - the Arizona Remake

Scottsdale, Arizona

The sweltering heat from the 100 degree sun was no match for my newfound golf skills. Gripping the club my dad handed me, I took a deep breath, swung back, and—bam! The ball kind of rolled forward. I rest my hand on my hip and watch proud as I am getting closer to what I plan to call a “hole in one” regardless. 

It is hard to put words to the beauty of this luxurious golf course placed in a desert. But, if you close your eyes and imagine High School Musical 2, you'll be in the same place. Taking a look into the horizon, my eyes are gifted with the red-orange mountains looming in the distance, rugged and majestic, towering over the peaceful landscape.

I close my eyes and open them to trees rushing past me out the car window. My dad is driving my family in a rental car to a mystery dinner. 

Behind the trees are homes straight out of an Architectural Digest magazine. The homes lining the streets were Spanish colonial in style, each one boasting beautiful courtyards filled with vibrant desert plants. Yet, there was a modern edge to them—a seamless blend of old-world charm and contemporary design. What caught my eye the most were the tree trunks painted white.  A quick Google search taught me that this was to prevent the sun from splitting them. 

As we explored Scottsdale further, one thing became clear—almost no one here was originally from Arizona. Instead, we encountered countless Midwesterners who had found their new home in the desert. I noted that when I eventually move to Arizona, I will not be able to brag about the cold winter months of Indiana.