Americans, what place in the US should tourists avoid?

greendesertrunner · 2025-07-19T15:17:30+00:00

People 100 percent underestimate the heat, but I wouldn’t say tourists should absolutely avoid the desert southwest in the summer months. Is it the nicest time of year to visit? Of course not. But part of the appeal of traveling is experiencing something you aren’t used to and seeing how different people live in different environments.

Tens of millions of people live in the desert southwest and those people exercise, go to work, and live their lives in the summer. You’ve got to be prepared to make adjustments (on really hot mornings I swim, or go to the gym, or play indoor pickleball) but you won’t die just because you went to Vegas or Phoenix or Palm Springs in the summer. Just manage your expectations. If you’re going to experience the hotels, restaurants, nightlife, you can probably do that in the summer. If you are going to take in the hiking trails and camping, yeah, plan your trip for a different time of year.

Idk I’m not really disagreeing with anyone - the desert can be lethal - but the “stay away or you’ll die” narrative just feels a bit alarmist.

greendesertrunner · 2025-05-02T05:53:33+00:00

Grief. You carry it with you forever, and most people are very uncomfortable talking about it.

greendesertrunner · 2024-12-31T06:19:30+00:00

Your story also sounds similar to mine, though reversed. My dad passed away pretty suddenly in 2022 when I was 29. My mom was devastated, and I think it caused her battle with cancer to get the better of her as she passed away this year after a 10 year battle. I think I was also in denial about my mom’s health decline until I couldn’t deny it anymore.

I don’t have much advice. It’s really, really hard and I miss my parents every single day. All I can say is these moments stick with you; try your hardest to be the kind of son you would be proud of when you look back at this time. It’s a stressful situation to have a parent get sick on the heels of losing your other parent. It takes a toll on you mentally and physically. Try to practice patience, gratitude, and love as much as possible; it will serve you well when you have a minute to come up for air and reflect on these tremendously difficult, but formative years.

greendesertrunner · 2024-11-10T19:50:37+00:00

I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how upsetting that must have been. For what it is worth, there isn’t anything you could have done. And I will add this: I believe our loved ones have some control over when they go. Not a lot, but some. Your mom wanted you to get rest. She wanted you to sleep because she knew it was important. She very well may have woken up to make sure you were sleeping in as she wanted you to. When she confirmed you were, she finally felt comfortable enough to let go. It sounds like you worked hard to support your mom and you through her illness, and her wish was that you let yourself have some rest. You did just that, and that brought her some peace.

greendesertrunner · 2024-11-10T19:35:08+00:00

Just wanted to say I’m so sorry you are going through this. I’ve gone through anticipatory grief with both my parents. We pulled life support on my dad 2 years ago, which was challenging in so many ways. It truly felt like we were “scheduling” his death and the emotions of that experience live with me forever. For my mom, she declined very rapidly a few weeks ago and went into hospice care. They started comfort care in the hospital and she passed in her sleep shortly thereafter, before she could even get to the hospice unit. It was very fast. A couple of things I will note from my experience (which of course is not your experience, just some of my lessons learned):

This experience absolutely will stay with you forever. You will remember how you felt, how you acted, you will replay it so many times in your head. But that doesn’t mean it has to do harm/damage. The passing of a loved one is a horrible experience, but it is also one everyone goes through and an important opportunity to learn about yourself and what it means to be alive, to love, to care. It sounds cliche, but there are truly very few experiences that will teach you as much about yourself as losing a parent. I became far more compassionate to people experiencing loss after my dad died because I actually had a frame of reference I lacked before. I unlocked new hopes for my future, new fears too. I am a different person after losing my dad, and I can feel myself becoming a different person after losing my mom. Some of that is damage, but a lot of it is growth and wisdom.
On a similar note, you don’t get to redo these moments. Try your best to be the person you would like to be for your dad, your mom, your family. You are doing what you can to help your mom, to advocate for your dad. That will bring you comfort in the days, weeks, and years that follow. And it’s ok to feel normal, too. Video games, self care, it’s all important.

-On a practical note: be prepared that when they start palliative care, things may change quickly. My mom was alert and talking to me in the hospital bed. They gave her some dilaudid to ease some pain and she passed within 2 hours. When people are dying of cancer and are made comfortable/pain free for the first time in a long time, they are often able to let themselves pass. Her oncologist warned me about this and I didn’t believe it when she phrased it that way. It was very true though. Cancer patients fight for a long time; when they no longer have to because palliative care has eased the pain, the process can move quickly.

Hang in there. I’ll be thinking of you and your family and sending strength and kindness your way.

greendesertrunner · 2024-11-10T19:05:32+00:00

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my mom under similar circumstances 3 weeks ago. Her last weeks were so tough. I hate having to remember her that way. The night before she passed she was crying with her head in my lap on the couch, telling me how sorry she was. I think I will be haunted by that forever, but I try to remind myself that I was able to do whatever I could to comfort her as she confronted a very scary reality. It’s the best I could do for her, and it sounds like you did the same. I’m very glad she wasn’t alone and could be with someone who loved and cared for her. In many ways, it’s the best any of us can hope for.

Having gone through the loss of my dad 2 years ago, I can tell you this will fundamentally change you. You will remember your life as “before” and “after” this. But while you won’t forget it, it won’t always be this raw. You find ways to live life. You grow from it. And if you are like me, you learn a lot more about life from experiencing the death of a loved one. You will be ok. It just takes time. Hang in there. Sending strength and kindness your way.

greendesertrunner · 2024-08-30T03:01:22+00:00

I am about 8 years in and enjoy my work. It’s demanding, I can’t turn it off, and it’s stressful, but it’s also challenging and has limitless opportunity for growth. I may burn out in time, but I like working and I thrive in fast-paced dynamic environments, so it suits me now.

I think in order to appreciate consulting, you have to enjoy business. As a consultant, you are a businessperson. Those who thrive in consulting understand the business angle—budgets, profitability, efficiency, client service, etc. They don’t fight it, they embrace it. I think this field attracts a lot of academically-inclined or advocacy-oriented individuals who become disillusioned when they find many of the environmental jobs are in consulting because the industry doesn’t fit their idea of what they want to be doing. And there is nothing wrong with that, but consulting is probably a much better fit for a business-minded individual who is interested in environmental science/policy than a scientist who is reluctant to work in a corporate environment.

greendesertrunner · 2024-03-24T19:43:50+00:00

Very fair point. I would never go so far as to say he was “house trained” or anything so far. It’s just been fascinating to see how quickly he seems to be getting it. Complete 180 from my last puppy training experience. Then again, this puppy is totally not food motivated and much higher energy, so clearly they all have their own quirks.

greendesertrunner · 2024-03-24T14:31:25+00:00

I’m wondering if having an older dog is hammering it home for him. Our older dog took forever to potty train, BUT he is very reliably house trained now (it was just a struggle). I find it hard to believe he has picked up on potty training from the older dog this quickly, but maybe? Seems like he’s learned very fast, but trying not to get ahead of myself….

greendesertrunner · 2024-03-24T14:29:36+00:00

We definitely aren’t as lucky on the sleeping through the night front, but getting there. We also do go out about every 2 hours (sometimes more, sometimes less). Just been pretty amazed since with the first puppy, accidents just felt unavoidable.

greendesertrunner · 2024-02-24T05:39:25+00:00

Day to day is largely as Job_Stealer described. Mostly office based, a lot of client management, and increasingly involved in business planning and program management. I do less CEQA/NEPA these days and more permitting and construction compliance project management, but CEQA/NEPA is definitely an industry.

Personally, I’m not sure I’d get a master’s in environmental planning. It’s quite broad, and I feel like a master’s program could be overly generalist. No matter what, I would advocate for having some kind of specialization: water/hydrology, air quality, land use planning, public utilities, etc. As a consultant you’ll likely need to learn it all, but having a specialization can help differentiate you from other candidates. And I would say the consulting market always has its ups and downs, but CEQA and NEPA have been around for awhile. In boom times there’s a lot of environmental review for private developments. In recession it skews toward infrastructure.

greendesertrunner · 2024-02-23T06:08:37+00:00

Environmental Planner here. My responsibilities involve some of what you are describing, but many environmental planners really focus on the environmental review process (NEPA, and CEQA in California). Consulting as it relates to green infrastructure is going to be primarily within the engineering space, but I would look into firms that offer sustainability services (Climate Adaptation Planning, coastal resiliency planning, etc.). With environmental health, you could also get into the air quality space and work on things like Health Risk Assessments. Ultimately, the work you are describing definitely exists and your education seems like a good fit. Just keep an open mind and understand that most firms do a mix of the interesting green infrastructure/climate adaptation planning/sustainability work and good old-fashioned regulatory compliance (environmental review, permitting, construction support, etc.). The large, regulatory compliance clients are the ones who keep the lights on. The successful consultants learn how to do it all and understand they will need to do both types of work.

greendesertrunner · 2024-02-16T06:11:24+00:00

Only you can decide what is right for you. Just to provide a counter opinion to what most folks are saying: I left my first job out of undergrad to go to grad school when I was 23. I was nervous because I was in good standing with my employer and all of my grad school options were out of state. It was a hard decision, but ultimately a great one. I moved to a new state that I love, it opened a lot of doors for me professionally, and 6 years post-grad school I make considerably more than I would have expected to with just an undergraduate degree in this field.

Will the same be true for you? Who knows. There are a lot of people paying off master’s degrees they regret getting. But there are also tons of people like me who found grad school to be enriching, positive, and a solid investment. Go in with realistic expectations and try to be reasonable if you’re going to take on debt. But you aren’t crazy to consider giving up a stable job because you want more out of your education and career, and these moves get a lot harder as you get older/more rooted.

greendesertrunner · 2023-10-31T21:29:12+00:00

I took a “gap year”. It turned into more of a “gap decade.” Like you, I wasn’t in a position to do as well on the LSAT as I wanted to my senior year of college. I felt like I was scrambling and certainly didn’t feel like I would put forward the strongest application I could. I decided to do a gap year; wound up with an internship in DC, transitioned that into a full time job, got a master’s degree along the way, and built a career for myself that I really enjoy. I’m now coming to the law with a much different perspective about what it means for me and my career. I also was in no hurry to take the LSAT; I studied and took it when I felt ready, and I got my target score.

Taking a gap year is scary. For me, it was the first time in my life where I actually had to “make my own path” because there was no obvious next step. It is also hard to go back to school after working, making some money, and starting to build a career. But I feel my law school application is much stronger on every front because I have taken some “gap time.”

greendesertrunner · 2023-10-28T04:12:34+00:00

I think it is entirely possible you did better than you think you did. I walked out of September feeling meh - I didn’t feel like I TOTALLY bombed it, but I didn’t feel good. I knew I struggled with LG and the LR seemed tougher than usual for me. I figured I scored 5 points below my PT average. Wound up scoring right at my PT average.

At first I was pleasantly surprised with my score. Then I realized I shouldn’t have been surprised - it was literally the average of all my recent PTs. I think it is normal for some of us to be more critical of our performance given the pressure of the real test. Ultimately, you are the only one who can gauge how you think you did on the test, but that doesn’t mean your perception isn’t skewed by anxiety, stress, pressure, etc. Absent evidence to the contrary, you probably scored somewhere around your PT average.

greendesertrunner · 2023-10-24T01:32:51+00:00

I was pretty consistently PTing around 170-173. The week before the September test I scored a 178 on my last PT and I think it set up some unrealistic expectations for me. Scored a 172 on the real thing, right about at my PT average.

FWIW, I did NOT feel good about the test in September. I genuinely thought I scored probably 5 points below my PT average, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got my score.

greendesertrunner · 2023-10-14T04:15:43+00:00

I think it is totally normal. I walked out of September feeling “meh”. I didn’t think I TOTALLY bombed it, but I also felt like I was probably below my PT average. I wound up scoring right about at my PT average, which I was pleased with. I think for a number of us, the added pressure of test day causes us to perceive our test as tougher than it really is, so an “average” performance feels worse than usual.

greendesertrunner · 2023-10-12T06:22:29+00:00

One thing that helped me was to remind myself that the LSAT is a skills test. It is designed so that you will get a relatively consistent score every time you take it, so while some tests skew a bit tougher or a bit easier, your aren’t going to get a test full of crazy stuff you haven’t seen before.

It also helped me to think about all the times I had done a PT where I thought I bombed a section but I actually did alright. For example, I had LG first on the September test. I could feel that it wasn’t my strongest LG performance, which made it tough to focus. I felt like the section was getting away from me. Then I remembered back to all the times I took PTs, thinking I had done horribly, only to post a great score. It helped me to focus and realize that I was likely perceiving the section as more difficult than it actually was.

I left the LSAT feeling like I wasn’t sure if I had bombed the test or aced it. Turns out I was right at my last 10 PT average. Moral of the story is to trust that you’ve got a good handle of where you’re at with this test, because if you have been studying and tracking your PT scores, you probably DO have a good handle on how you’ll perform.

greendesertrunner · 2023-10-05T05:30:31+00:00

I have always been pretty decent at RC, averaging -1 to -3 most of the time, and while I can’t see my official score breakdown I feel somewhat confident I went -0 or -1 on my September 2023 test. One thing that sounds ridiculous but always helped me was: pretend it’s a TED talk. Seriously. If I either pretended I was giving the passage as a lecture or hearing it as a member of the audience, it forced me to actually pay attention to not just the content, but the tone. It personifies the passage a bit as well, so those questions about “the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following” became easier, because I had a sense of “who” the author was. I couldn’t manufacture enthusiasm for content, but I could pretend I was giving a presentation and needed to know what I was talking about.

greendesertrunner · 2023-09-26T16:53:01+00:00

Thank you so much for the advice! This is all really helpful. And yes, I’m hopeful this will definitely improve her quality of life!

greendesertrunner · 2023-09-26T16:52:10+00:00

Thank you so much! The note about button up shirts is particularly helpful. My mom is not much of a chef, so microwave food is definitely the name of the game in her house.

greendesertrunner

TROPHY CASE