What is it like in Tucson, Arizona?

Yes, Tucson is way hotter than Northern California, but the good news is that it is not as hot as Phoenix or Las Vegas. Since you are not used to this kind of heat and you are moving in during the summer, it will probably feel very uncomfortable to you at first. But don't worry. There is air-conditioning almost everywhere and, next year, it will feel a lot better. This is because you will be easing into the heat slowly but surely during the spring, so your body will have time to adjust.

Tucson is a medium sized city, with much of what you would expect in urban environments, both good and not so good. There is too much traffic, for instance, and too many people. But also you'll find some good restaurants and fun places to go shopping. There are a few great neighborhoods to hang out in, and there are also lots of southwestern styled suburban neighborhoods that, at least to me, are really blah.

One nice thing about Tucson is that there are plenty of places to go hiking nearby such as in Saguaro National Park, Catalina State Park, Madera Canyon, and, a little further away, the Chiricahua Mountains. There is even a ski area not that far away at Mt. Lemmon, in the Catalina Mountains. And the winter weather in Tucson is fantastic.

Good luck. . . I think you'll like Tucson a lot.