Scottsdale, Arizona

Back in February, Katie pointed out it was the 10 year anniversary of our little 2 month trip backpacking across Europe.  She casually suggested that we should go on a reunion trip.  Oddly enough it all came into fruition and Janice, Katie and I headed down to the desert for a 5 day vacation on June 21! We picked Scottsdale Arizona quite randomly, as it was south and just seemed to make sense.  Florida was too pricey for the girls from the West, and California was very pricey for me.  We originally thought Phoenix sounded good, but decided to go for the more resorty area--Scottsdale, which was in the outskirts. And then we decided on The Westin Kierland, as I'm always a fan of Westin's and suggested that location. I enjoyed much needed girl time--shopping, relaxing, lots of laughs, great food, no cooking, dressing up, blowdrying hair, going to the gym daily to start the day, and basically just having a very loose schedule. Yes it was heaven and very very awesome.  I miss the girls and wish we could see each other much more often.  We decided to make it a priority to go away together every couple of years.

Here are a few photos.  I didn't bring a camera, so I only have a few that I was able to get from facebook from the other girls, and a few from my phone.  More will follow later...

In the one side of our suite.  Katie and I slept in this half, and Janice in the other...

Paige told me not to touch a cactus in the dessert so we took this photo for her.  There were cactuses everywhere.

This is what happens when you rest a magazine on your newly sunscreened and hot leg and there is an ad for some sort of bra on the back.  Sketchy leg tattoo ensues...

Katie and "the misters"--not tanned and toned men who fan you off and spritz you with water (as we liked to joke)...just random water sprayers that were everywhere.

 Relaxing at the pool incognito...

 One last cheers at the pool...

On our trip to Sedona.  Red rock cliffs.  The shadow kinda gives me that pregnant sort of look, but rest assured, the beer in the photo above is mine.

In the lazy river pretending it was a fast ride.  We kinda wished it was at times, but also nice to just be lazy.  One time, despite my insistence that it wouldn't work, Katie asked the Lifeguard to flag down the pool waiter to grab us Mojitos.  He actually said no problem and proceeded to make it happen.  As we rounded the loop of the lazy river there was the waiter walking up with drinks in hand.  We called out our room number to charge it to the room, and he actually handed them to us without us even stopping! "Now that's lazy!" said a passerby.  Indeed.

Going out for dinner. 

My bachelorette moment.  If you watch the show there is no explanation required.  Beautiful view from our executive suite.

Every day in Arizona was around 44 degrees and a dry heat. Actually more bearable than the humidity in Burlington. But still the sun was hot and we decided to do shopping by day and pool by late afternoon.  Our trip to Sedona took place in the day but was a long drive away. 

I can't begin to explain how awesome the trip was.  And the best part was to see friends I haven't had a chance to see regularly for so long.  After our European adventure (of which we read excerpts from in my journal and laughed our heads off in the hotel), we all felt so sad to say goodbye.  Since then I have only seen the girls here and there for an hour or so at a time.  We have begun to plan the next adventure.  A cruise has been suggested, and we also would be up to heading down to Arizona again in the future.  Decisions decisions...