Gimme that sunshine! Vanessa and I were lucky enough to spend a full month in Arizona from early Dec ’23 to early Jan ’24. We were grateful to connect with friends and family in Phoenix and Flagstaff and soak up some winter sun. We started our trip in Phoenix/Scottsdale for about a week before going to Flag for Christmas, Sedona for New Years, and then Phoenix again before heading back to NL.
Phoenix/Scottsdale
Vanessa’s family picked us up at the airport and we spent some nice time with them in the Glendale area, including two family Christmas celebrations. Big thanks to Deidre, Yeurg, Chris, Karen, and all of the fam for the wonderful time. After a weekend in Glendale, we spent a week in Scottsdale at our friend Jess Bui’s Orange Home. We caught up with friends, enjoyed a few holiday parties, and even caught a hot yoga at the Foundry with Todd and the old crew. I forgot how much we really drive in Phoenix as a function of daily life.
Did I mention the temperature was a perfect 70f/20c and sunny? It was revitalizing to be walking the green belt in Dec in shorts and a t shirt. The Mexican food was also on point, as tradition (more on that later). One major highlight of this period was getting to finally meet Jake and Priscilla’s baby Owen. Super happy kiddo and a beautiful young family.
Flagstaff Christmas
After improving my tan considerably and catching up with valley friends and fam, it was time to head north. My mom was flying back from visiting family in Iowa and we were able to carpool up the hill, 2-hrs to Flagstaff. The climate was much colder but the sun was still shining. It was really refreshing to be back in my family home, spending quality time with my mom, brother, and Vanessa’s dog Gracie. We were able to mountain bike and hike and I even got a ski day in at Snowbowl with my friend Sam from PayPal. My brother and his girlfriend Lorena came up from Phoenix a few days before the holiday and we had a good time hanging with them and playing sequence.
On Christmas eve, we enjoyed our own take on table grill, with some nice meats, veggies, and of course delicious raclette cheese (mandatory). My mom and Vanessa cooked up a storm all day, including some good gluten-free options (never thought I’d say that). We wrote poems for our presents and my highlight was some new Norda hiking shoes I got for my mom. Christmas day we took the dogs for a walk in the forest and I watched some NBA for the first time in a long time. NBA on Christmas used to be an institution for my younger self (RIP Kobe). After Christmas, we did a walk out to Fisher Point with the Deveres and baby Owen. I also took Fredrik from Norway out to the point via mountain bike on local trails (he nicknamed it the Sun Shelf – love that!). It was fun to show him my neck of the woods after he graciously hosted us in Bergen and showed us his local spots.
Sedona New Years
After 10 wholesome days of recharging with our people in Flag, we headed to Sedona for two nights to celebrate the New Year. The rendezvous point was a beautiful BnB behind Tlaquepaque (new code word alert!), where we settled in for games, food, and lots o’ laughs. For New Years Eve, we had a lekker meal at Mariposa, surrounded by a stunning backdrop of red rocks. We dabbled in some Mexican Train dominoes that night and ended up playing for hours, only pausing to pop some champagne when the clock struck midnight. New Years Day we took a walk along the creek in the neighborhood (vortex hunting) and played more games. Sedona is a special place and I’m grateful we were able to spend some good time there with good friends.
Phoenix Rd II
Back to the valley for one more week before the trip home to NL. We stayed in both Glendale and Scottsdale again and I was able to visit the PayPal office for the second time this trip. Was nice seeing colleagues and meeting some new folks face to face. Did I mention all the delicious Mexican food?? I sampled Carumbas in Glendale for the first time and weeyoo it hit the spot. (I have not found any good tortillas in Amsterdam) We played some pickleball, enjoyed more sun, and I even played some music with friends one night. Grateful to be able to visit Arizona and it was a good break from the dreary Netherlands winter.
Goodbye all and goodbye sun! See ya next time.
Thank you for everyone who hosted us, lent us cars and bikes, and celebrated with us with good food and drink! We return to Amsterdam hearts full and ready for a new year. Love ya’ll and see you soon!