Are you thinking of moving to Northwest Arkansas from the Northern US? If so, there are several things you may need to get used to once you move here. There are so many that I split this into two parts, so let’s talk about part one.
What you have to get used to when you move to Bentonville, Fayetteville, or Rogers, Arkansas, are the storms, heat and humidity, and the nice people. The bugs can be insane, but it’s beautiful and clean here.
I will post part two of what you have to get used to here, but let’s talk about part one, so stick around!
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Heat and Humidity
Those from further south, such as Florida, Houston, Dallas, or Arizona, will laugh at this first point, but during the summer, Northwest Arkansas can get very hot and sticky. However, if you’re moving from the north, such as Colorado, Wisconsin, or Minnesota, you’ll definitely notice the big difference in the climate.
If you move from the Midwest to NWA, the humidity will be less, but you’ll experience more heat. However, if you’re coming from California or other dry states, you’ll experience the same amount of heat, but the humidity will be more than what you’re used to.
I tell you this so that you’re not completely surprised about the climate in NWA.
The average summer temperature is around 92℉, but the humidity isn’t as bad as when I lived in Chicago. It might be more than you’re used to coming from a dry state, but if you’re coming from Florida, it might be more tolerable than the Florida humidity.
One of the perks of this area that affects the “feels-like” temperature is how many trees we have. Trees absorb the sun’s heat, which makes everything cooler here.
Crazy and Insane Storms
One of the weird things about living in Chicago is that we get the cold from Canada and intense heat from the south, and those two things combined created some intense storms. However, other areas of the US probably don’t have the same level of intense storms.
I’ve had people move here from Las Vegas or California amazed at the storms in Northwest Arkansas, but when I moved here, I was surprised at how mild they were.
The storms here could be more intense than in the Western states. There could be more lightning, thunder, and rain than what is out there. But they are mild compared to the upper Midwest storms.
So that’s another thing that you’ll need to get used to when moving here. I mean, it’s not a big thing, but it’s something to remember.
Nice People
Something I had to get used to here, and I wrote about this in another post, is that people are generally nicer here than in some of the bigger cities in the US. When I first moved here, this caught me off guard.
People approached me and struck up conversations, and I was like, “What do you want? Are you going to mug me? Are you distracting me to take my wallet?” At first, I checked my pockets to ensure my wallet was still there.
But people are genuinely nice here. Clients are often amazed by this, but people genuinely care about your well-being and success in a friendship-type way. It took me a long time to get over this, but I’m getting there.
People want to help you, regardless of the situation you’re in. And that’s something you might take a while to get used to as well.
Beauty and Clean
When you move to the area, you might be shocked at how clean the area is and then how beautiful the area is. Traveling around the area, you might notice that no matter where you go, you’ll find so many preserved areas, such as parks, trails, and mountain ranges.
And they are very clean–people take care of the preserved spaces and keep them clean.
The other day, I drove out near Eureka Springs and wrapped around Beaver Lake, and oh my gosh, it was so beautiful! The overlook above the lake and the rolling hills contribute to the overall beauty of Northwest Arkansas.
The other thing that I briefly mentioned is that it’s very clean here. People respect the area and the outdoors, and they don’t throw trash in the streets. But also, a street sweeper travels along I-49 often to clean up any trash that ends up there.
This shows how intense the prevailing attitudes are in NWA. You might also see people out picking up trash along the highway. So that’s something to get used to when moving here.
Bugs
The last thing in this first part of what you must get used to when you move to Northwest Arkansas is the bugs. Of course, this might range from not that many bugs to an overwhelming amount of bugs, depending on where you’re coming from.
If you move here from Minnesota, Wisconsin, or the Chicago area, you might be pleasantly surprised about the lack of bugs. Up north, there are several more bugs, which doesn’t make that much sense because one would think the harsher winters would kill the bug population once and for all.
But maybe it’s because of the standing water up there that breeds so many bugs. While we have a lot of water, it’s mainly moving rivers–not lakes. What I do know is that there are fewer bugs here than in the Upper Midwest.
The winters here are mild, and yet, we don’t have as many bugs, including those creepy, crawly things that annoy you.
Of course, if you’re coming from a drier area like the American Southwest, you’ll more than likely encounter more bugs than what you’re used to. But it won’t be overwhelming, like if you were to spend a summer in Minnesota. At least here, you can enjoy the outdoors all summer without a crazy amount of bugs crawling all over you.
Conclusion
Moving to a new area always brings the unexpected, and Northwest Arkansas is no exception. You’ll need to get used to quite a bit, depending on where you’re moving from. But it’s not terrible, and you’ll fit in quickly.
In the meantime, stay tuned for part 2 of what to expect when moving to Northwest Arkansas, and I’ll see you next time.