a welcome break

we just got back from four days with my extended family in arizona. the time was unplugged, pure, and simple in its intention and execution. we were there to enjoy the company of family, and to offer support and gratitude to the ones who have spent months taking care of my grandparents. we spent most of our time bouncing from one relative’s house to another, sharing meals and looking at old photos. however, we did take one day to go exploring with my parents. we ventured to jerome, a town built into the side of a mountain outside of sedona. to get there, you wind through these wild s-curves up this mountain. it is an unreal drive. our plan was to explore both jerome and sedona, but we ended up spending almost four hours in jerome. it is a charming little town of less than 500 people. it is now mainly an artist community filled with crafty shops such as a kaleidoscope shop and museum, and several wineries. we met a potter who helped transform the culture of the town, and chatted with him about jerome’s history as he finished throwing a mug in his studio.

on our way from jerome to sedona, we stopped at crescent moon - a picnic site and swimming hole i found online. right as we paid and pulled into the parking lot, we heard thunder. it is monsoon season in the desert. we all made our way to the river, my poor parents in tow behind alex and i. alex and i ventured into the river while my parents watched, laughing and taking photos. the riverbed is the red rock so common in the southwest, and it was slippery! we quickly hopped in the water and hopped out because the rain started, and it was coming down in buckets. we made a mad dash to the car, where we laughed about how drenched we were. after a nice dinner in sedona we tried to fit in one last hike at bell rock, but we had to turn back after about 10 minutes down the trail because it was just getting too dark. the day ended with a stop for pie in a highway-side town called rock springs. i am grateful that we had a little time to make new memories together while reliving many other old memories. it was alex’s first time visiting my extended family. my grandparents showed him their wedding album, and regaled us with many stories about their lives and the lives of their families. we were content to just listen as they talked over one another, too eager to wait their turn. they celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary on the 16th, which was our main reason for our visit (my parents also celebrated their 40th on the 12th). i was also grateful for the time this trip gave to alex and i. while this trip certainly wasn’t a vacation, it was so nice to just be present with each other and with family without the distractions of the real world, to be honest. we put our phones down and took time to just talk and connect. i so appreciated spending this time with alex, and cherished it more knowing that the past couple of weeks have been nonstop work and adjustment for him. we are still trying to figure out our new normal, so it was a welcome break to get to a space where our sole goal was to be with each other.