I can’t tell you why anyone else loves living in the Phoenix area, but here are 10 of the reasons why I’m not looking to move again any time soon.

SOOO many sporting events
Since we're sports junkies, this is a detail I’m sure you can all appreciate. Phoenix boasts teams in almost all professional sports (NBA, WNBA, IFL, NFL, NHL, MLB) and has an aspiring MLS team (Phoenix Rising is currently in the USL) coming up in the ranks. And with all the spring training facilities within 45 minutes of each other, you can feed your fix for live events at any time.

Great weather
I really don’t have a problem with summer months with triple-digit temperatures, and, realistically, the perfection during the spring and fall is unmatched. Winter brings a climate Northerners would consider fall-like, which really lends to its appeal to travelers year-round. The rarely-missing sunshine is great for clothing options and a never-ending tan. Plus, with an average of just 60 days of rain per year, there’s little need for an umbrella. My favorite part about the climate? No humidity. (Sorry, Floridians!)

Indoor and outdoor fun!
Skydiving, rock climbing, go-kart racing – you name it, you can pretty much find it inside or outside whenever an activity strikes your fancy. You can also hike, bike, skate, paddleboard, kayak, water ski, etc. – I really can’t name all the activities, but the list is vast and can accommodate whatever you or any of your friends would like in the heat or not.

Beautiful landscapes!
Lakes, rivers, mountains, desert – you can find what you want in Arizona within a few hours of Phoenix pretty easily. And all the sights are gorgeous. Plus, the higher elevations do get snow, so if you feel as though you’ll miss winter, just go for a drive.

Surprisingly light traffic
As the fifth-largest city in America, Phoenix has traffic that is surprisingly light. From any location 30-40 miles outside of Phoenix to Downtown, you can pretty much get there within an hour. Unlike Houston and Portland (where I have personally lived in before), traffic gets nominally worse with our winter migration visitors (whom we call snowbirds). And a plus is that all the roads are toll-free!

Pretty artistically and culturally diverse
With so many different suburbs, there are plenty of places to take in theatrical shows, concerts and art shows. There are jazz bars, dueling pianos, karaoke, art walks – you name it, you’ll find it. Phoenix attracts the biggest-name music talents, comedians and others to accommodate anyone’s tastes. Some of the best draws are the Broadway traveling shows that come through ASU's Gammage Auditorium.

Family-oriented, but also fun
The ’burbs offer several amusement parks and fun cultural areas for all ages. I have never known a large city with three to four fun parks in almost every suburb. Most of these places have attractions for all ages, so along with families, they’ll attract groups of adults who want to get together.

All kinds of Mexican food
If you enjoy Mexican food from different regions (Norteno, Jaliscense, Oaxaqueno, Veracruzano, Yucateco, Poblano, Baja), then come on down! You can find perfect upscale or casual places to fit your needs.

Golf courses galore!
Whatever your skill level, you can get a tee time at a course probably no further than 5 minutes from wherever you are. Scottsdale is home to a PGA Tournament course at TPC Scottsdale, which attracts hundreds of thousands of guests each year for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Additionally, if you don’t want to hit the links for real, there are two Topgolf locations so you can practice your swings with flashing neon lights. It’s a golf party!

Affordable cost of living
While there are some ritzy places with high price points, all of the suburbs around the Valley have pretty affordable homes. Also – and I can't really explain it – our gas prices on average are some of the lowest in the nation.

You can see and experience all these great Phoenix attributes when you visit for the AWSM’s annual conference June 21-24.