Proximity isn't everything, maybe someone lives is a rainy temperate climate and wants to escape from the scourges of long, cold winters, oppressive plant life and humidity. Honestly as fall encroaches the desert sounds pretty nice, weird or not. A few months of chatting, a visit or two and a spur of the moment move cross country. Sounds like romance to me!

Wait you aren't the guy who works on the Dustups ranch on youtube are you? Starting a desert forest from scratch sounds like such a blast.