When my husband and I decided to move to the small desert community of Borrego Springs, California, we knew a few things going in.
It’s going to be really hot in the summer, triple-digit hot. We’re going to have to drive a long way to get some of the things we’ll need. Healthcare could be challenging. If one of us loses a job, there isn’t much of a local job market to tap into. And so on.
But once we settled into our home and started living the day-to-day in the desert, there were things that surprised us.
We Need Flood Insurance?
Wait, what? Really? Here in the desert?
Yes, indeed. Borrego Springs is prone to flash flooding, and our lender required us to have flood insurance. We were clueless when we moved here.
What’s With the Wind?
The wind blows through almost every day at our house, mostly in the late afternoon. Sometimes it’s light. Other times it howls loudly, making us wonder if we’ll end up with any damage.
The wind also tends to blow leaves, flower petals, palm fronds, and sticks into our pool, which really annoys us on the days that we’ve done the pool cleaning in the morning.
What’s That in the Pool?
We didn’t realize just how many creepy critters we’d find at the bottom or floating on top. I’m talking about beetles, grasshoppers, kangaroo rats, lizards, mice, scorpions, snakes, spiders, and some unidentified bugs.
Every morning, we head out to the pool to see what might have gotten in there overnight. We never know what we’re going to find.
We Have to Keep Everything Shut?
We quickly learned to keep our doors or windows closed, not only to keep out the heat but also to keep desert bugs and creatures from getting in.
Our house stays buttoned up tight, and we always close the doors behind us pretty quickly.
And most recently, we learned that we need to look before we step outside our front door. Fortunately, my husband spotted a baby sidewinder that had curled up on the edge of our doormat.
Water Is Basically All It Needs?
One thing that’s really surprised us is how easy it is to keep our landscaping green.
We thought it would be tough here in the desert, but we just give it a little water (via an irrigation system that came with the house when we bought it) and it thrives.
The desert around us seems to respond the same way – give it a little rainfall and things will start to grow, flower, or turn green.
Why Is Yard Work Such Hell?
Now I do have to say that while it’s easy to keep our plants, trees, and bushes alive, manicuring them is a whole different thing.
The one thing we’ve discovered about doing yard work in the desert is that it’s much harder than doing yard work elsewhere. Here, you have to deal with heat, bugs, thorny, prickly plants that hurt you, and trying to figure out how to get rid of the debris when you’re done (because we don’t have yard debris service here).
Can We Get a Car Wash Built Here?
In Borrego, you can buy groceries, put gas in your car, get a haircut, watch a movie, eat at a restaurant, and more.
For a small town, it’s amazing what’s available to local residents.
The one thing you can’t do, though, is run your vehicle through a traditional car wash. This is the one everyday convenience my husband and I really miss.
I’m sure it has something to do with the water supply, though, so I get it.
Wait, We Don’t Have a Mailbox?
Nope. Not in Borrego Springs.
Most mail is delivered straight to the post office and you have to go pick it up. Every local resident gets a PO Box for free.
Despite the initial surprises, trading city life for the desert actually hasn’t been that hard for my husband and me. We’re almost two years in and still feel like we made the right decision. Borrego is now in our blood.
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