The New York Times says that expressing gratitude makes people happier, so we thought we’d provide you with a brief list of wonderful things to be grateful for in Arizona this holiday season.
Being a local Arizona company, the amazing winter weather here has to be near the top of the list. While much of the rest of the country is pulling on their long johns and preparing to hibernate, Phoenicians are happily heading for their patios and firing up the grill. There’s nothing quite like a gorgeous fall day, bright and sunny and a perfect 75 degrees, to make you forget that ridiculous summer. And it’s always fun to share a picture of the temperature with your friends back East.
Speaking of patios and sunshine, incredible modern technology that frees up our time and unchains us from our desks is definitely something to be grateful for. The development of things like WIFI and cloud services means that even if you have to work (as most of us do) you can at least do it from somewhere nice. If you happened to be using something like Xerox ConnectKey in your office, you could scan documents, send them directly to a cloud service like Google Docs or Office 365, and then view and edit them at your leisure (ideally, while seated on your patio sipping a refreshing beverage).
That brings up something else to be grateful for: Family. This time of year never fails to draw families together, filling your once peaceful patio with screaming nephews, awkward uncles, and your omnipresent mother who is most certainly disappointed that you are still swiping around on that iPad. On the upside, somebody probably brought pie!
If your family is getting you down, don’t worry, Arizona has just the thing for you. Our state now produces a wide variety and seemingly limitless supply of tasty adult beverages. Thanks to a favorable legal climate and growing demand for craft brews, the Grand Canyon state is now home to nearly 90 licensed breweries. If beer isn’t to your liking, Arizona is also home to over 100 wineries, and even a few distilleries which have popped up in the past few years. So raise your glass, give thanks, and remember to drink responsibly.
Of course, not everyone is a drinker. For those looking for a healthy alternative, and an effective escape from the family-filled indoors, hiking might be your best bet. It’s hard not to be grateful for Arizona’s incredible natural beauty. With so many hiking trails located just a short drive from, well, just about anywhere you might be, there’s really no excuse not to get out and enjoy it. A good long walk is a great way to get the kids’ wiggles out, clear your own head, and convince your visiting relatives that they should move here.
Two excellent options for family-friendly hiking are McDowell Mountain Reserve in North Scottsdale, and Dreamy Draw (by Piestewa Peak) in central Phoenix. Both parks include easier, more accessible trails that would be fine for inexperienced or younger hikers. Of course, they’ve also got some longer and steeper options for those who are looking to burn some of those Thanksgiving calories.
Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge how grateful we are here at Smart Document Solutions to be able to work with so many fantastic people and businesses in Arizona. We’ve been at this since 1988, and the support of our customers really means a lot to us. So, from our family to yours, thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving!
