It’s been a while since I made a trip post. Hopefully, I can find a way to shake off the rust starting with this trip to Arizona – my first of the year (:
I went from January 4th to the 8th. My flight was an early one. I learned that if a seat upgrade is more affordable than the luggage fee, you may as well treat yourself a little bit and save your coin. I flew from Raleigh to Atlanta to Phoenix. The last leg was about a five-hour flight. I was disappointed in the meal, but I loved my flight attendant; she was quirky and sweet. Upon arriving to the Phoenix airport, you can see the mountains in the background, and they were huge! This is my first time, mind you, on the West Coast so I hadn’t seen anything like this in person. I was excited to discover the landscape. No time was wasted after checking into the Villa – I headed straight over to the Sonoran Jeep Desert Sunset Tour. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable, and the facts were fun. I’m much more of a visual consumer than I am auditory, so I kind of got burnt out listening to him talk. 60° in Arizona felt like 30° in North Carolina. I learned that it’s because there’s no humidity in the air making the atmosphere less cozy. So, it was really only comfortable in the sun. I wish I had on a toboggan, scarf and gloves but I made it work. I was very hungry and quite tired by the end of the event. I went to a steakhouse nearby called Prescott. Nice ambience but not the kind of place you wanna go without being a little dressed up.
During this trip, I noticed I actually like to work out during the day, preferably min-morning. I enjoy going and being consistent but when I’m home, work gets in the way. But if there’s a facility two minutes away from me (walking distance) then I’m there! The following day, I went to the gym, grabbed breakfast at First Watch (which was amazing, I love eating there) and then I hit the road for Sedona which was about 2 1/2 hours away from Scottsdale. Let me tell you… I had every intention on planning what hiking trails to go on but it just did not work out for me. I struggle-planned a lot of what I got to do in Sedona. That’s my biggest regret with this trip. That city is so beautiful, and I only got to see a very small fraction of it by accident. I also did not have proper hiking gear besides my boots. Next time, I’ll join a hiking group that way, I’ll be around more experienced people and get to see more. Nevertheless, I made it work! I got to hike along Boynton Canyon and checked out the sunset at the Airport Mesa. Upon my descent, I noticed one parking spot opened up for a highly popular viewpoint. Quickly, I pulled in switched my boots and climbed to the top. There was a soft dark glow in the sky and the lights from the city below gave a soft glimmer. At this point, my hunger was rather demanding. Earlier, I chose which restaurant I wanted dine at, but I changed mind. I’m so happy with what I chose! The restaurant is called las Tortas Fuego, and it was DELICIOUS.
The next day I had to work remotely. It was nice working in a different location while still being productive. During my lunch break, I worked out for 30 minutes then headed to In-N-Out Burger for my first time! People have said before that it wasn’t worth the hype but I thought it was pretty tasty. Somehow, someway the fast food tasted clean. I thought they were quality burgers and fries. I went back to work and by the time I was off it was 3:30 PM (EST). I had a lot of time to spend. Why not spend it at the Biltmore Square Fashion Mall? I have a newfound adoration for Burberry and decided to b-lined to Sunglass Hut to find my new fixation. I ended up buying them the next day when I was in Phoenix. Shopping in different cities is fun even if you go to the same stores you have at home. The location and memories are attached to the item you purchased and it ends up being meaningful. While I was at Sunglass Hut, I hopped over to the fragrance bar at Macy’s. I sprayed a piece of paper with the YSL Libre Intense and fell in love. I kept that little piece of paper for a few days just to make sure I really loved the scent. The next spot I wanted to check out was the Desert Botanical Garden but by the time I arrived I was too late for the last admission block. I looked up what else I could do in the area and there was a comedy show going on. The comedian was Keon Polee and he was someone I used to follow on Instagram. I skipped over to the venue, I was seated, order my food and got my laughs in.
Friday was my last full day and I was determined to enjoy myself as much as possible. It’s so funny because during a majority of my trip I kept going back-and-forth about whether or not I wanted to get my nails done. I had chipped neutral polish on my nails so it wasn’t obvious, but I could tell they needed some TLC. I eventually opted to get them done. After work, I googled a highly rated nail salon near me and I came across a Plush Nail Bar. I showed my nail tech a picture of what I wanted. He understood the assignment! He executed my very specific request and I fell in love with my baby French manicure it was so cute he did an amazing job. I cannot hype him up enough. After I got my nails done, your girl was hungry. I went right back to First Watch and ordered one large blueberry pancake with a side of chicken sausage patties (which are bomb). I was catching up on Euphoria while I was waiting for my food. I spent 30 minutes in the gym and then I got ready to check out the Botanical Desert Garden. The weather was perfect. The flowers, the views, the variety of cacti, all of it was amazing to see and was so informative. I didn’t know there was an aloe vera plant that grows on a tree. I think it’s called aloe vera majesty. I checked out the whole garden and stopped in the gift shop to pick up a couple of items. I still had some day left and I read somewhere that the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall was the largest mall in Arizona. I certainly got lost while trying to exit. It would have been nice to go with a friend (I was a bit overwhelmed). They had high-end designer stores as well as your shops for everyday clothing… aha. I suppose that can be the same thing depending on your lifestyle. I was famished when I left so I didn’t put thought into dinner. I went back to In-N-Out and ordered a double-double with my fries then called it a night. A part of me feels a little bad that I went to the same place twice to eat. But it was still kind of new to me, so I didn’t mind.
That about wraps up my experience in Arizona. I imagine I’d like the weather during Spring and Autumn; the temperature may be ideal for me. I liked going during the winter because it was definitely warmer compared to North Carolina but only if you’re standing in the sun. I did not like standing in the shade even if it was 60° because it felt so cold.
Anyway, the state was beautiful and I’d love the opportunity to come back.
Zaira Viteria 