Aliyah is the special Hebrew word that Jewish people use when they move to Israel. It means that a Jew has been divinely called to return to his or her birthright homeland. They "make aliyah" when they move to Israel. Granted, I'm not Jewish, and I am not moving to Jerusalem anytime soon, but I do feel as though Tucson (and southeast Arizona more generally) is indeed my own personal divine "promised land"--my own "holy city", as a Tucsonian friend of mine aptly put it recently.
- I have visited or passed through Tucson or the surrounding area a minimum of once a year every year since 2003.
- I feel so natural, so peaceful, so "in my element" when there and feel sad every time I have to go home.
- I know that southern California is not my "home", at least at this stage of my life.
- I have wanted to relocate to Tucson for six years, but never was serious about it until now.
Many lepidopterists (people who study butterflies and moths) and birdwatchers from all over the country have moved to Tucson because they feel "called" there because of the breathtaking Sonoran/Madrean desert habitat and wildlife there over the years. Some big examples from my own home state are the butterfly experts Jim Brock and Doug Mullins and the famous birders Hank and Priscilla Brodkin. By the grace of God, I'm joining them.
Butterfly Aliyah
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