Reality Sets In

Arizona is the first stop that hasn't felt at least a little bit like a vacation. Maybe that's because it's the first place on the trip (other than with family) that we've both been to before. Maybe that's because much of our time has been spent making arrangements for our arrival in Portland. Or, maybe it's just because the end is getting so close. The funny thing is that the non-vacation-y part doesn't feel that bad! It actually feels nice to be close to settling down for a while. 

It feels nice to have our cats back ... finally! 

It feels nice to visit with old friends! We had the opportunity to visit with the Dolloffs and see their amazing new home and take a walk through their cool neighborhood: an enclave in Scottsdale that has everything you'd expect from an upscale suburb ... plus horses, goats, chickens and turkeys.

Tim and I even had the chance to play a game in person for the first time in about a year! I swear, the only reason he won is that my mask kept fogging up my glasses.

Cats, friends, and familiarity made Arizona feel a lot more like home than anyplace we'd been so far.

We also had a pleasant little house to call home ...

... and one morning I woke up to a sky full of hot air balloons.

For all of the normalcy we felt, there was still a little bit of adventure. On Saturday, we drove north to Flagstaff, then back south to Phoenix through Sedona. The scenery was amazing, but unfortunately we happened to be visiting during Spring Break week. We attempted to hike a trail near Sedona that a co-worker had recommended, but when we arrived at the trailhead, there was a line of no less than 15 cars waiting for one of the few parking spots to open up. At that point we said we'd done enough hiking this trip already and called it a day.

Well, we didn't exactly call it a day. We made a brief stop at the small but charming Montezuma Castle National Monument just north of Phoenix. It's a serene little park that features a beautiful walk along a river and some amazing cliff dwellings.

And then reality truly set in. Yesterday morning, Rachel left Nathan and I in Arizona so that she could take care of some remaining business (including picking up Bailey) in Long Beach. We'll only be without her for a couple of days, but it occurred to me as she was driving away that it's the first time we'd been away from each other for more than a few hours in more than a year. It felt like losing a limb.

All of that said, Nate and I had a couple of "Boys' Days," and, even better, we'll get a chance to visit with the Michelyras in just a few day. California, here we come!