This past spring break, I had the opportunity to travel to Arizona for the first time. I had never been out west before, so I was really excited (and slightly terrified) to see this part of the country. Was I really ready for that “dry heat” everyone talks about? What will I do without constant humidity ruining my hair? What about the trees?? How many cacti will I see???
For the most part, I put some of my worries aside. My roommate (who is from AZ) and I flew out from Atlanta to Phoenix, and then at the end of the week, we would be road tripping back to Tuscaloosa. With this knowledge, I knew I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, especially since I would be venturing so far out of my comfort zone.
The plane ride to Phoenix was a rough one, as we were enduring a lot of turbulence. Additionally, it was the longest flight I had ever been on. My body was not having it, but we eventually landed in Phoenix without me causing a scene. My first impression of Arizona was the lack of grass, of all things. There was no grass, but there was A LOT of cacti.
On our first day there, we went to a spring training game, which was really exciting. I’m not a huge baseball person, but it was gorgeous out and I was able to take in the Arizona sun without getting too burned (plus grass!!)
On our next day there, we rode horses (up an actual mountain) and had the most amazing view of the landscape of the desert. My horse’s name was Flicka and she looooved to run through the bushes and let me get cut up by the thorns. It was my first time riding a horse, but the two hours really showed me how easy it can be (if they’re trained). It was one of my favorite parts of the trip for sure!
A couple days later, we went to see the Grand Canyon. I was in complete shock at the beauty of it, and I honestly couldn’t even fathom that it was real. It seemed too good to be true. We were at the South Rim, so we got a lot of amazing views (I don’t think there’s even a bad view of the Grand Canyon, though).
After our time in Phoenix was up, me, my roommate, and her dad embarked on the 24 hour road journey to Tuscaloosa over the course of three days. I got to see New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana for the first time. While the trip was rough at times (I’m not a good traveler), it was so fascinating to see the different places and what was central to those locations. Texas was truly interesting – lots of oil wells and wind turbines.
The overall trip was such an amazing experience, and I was so proud of myself for branching out of what I found comfortable. The southwest provided me with so many fun experiences, but I think the southeast definitely continues to hold my heart.