I’ve learned much in the past years about mental health, mainly towards other’s needs but also my own. Winter is REALLY hard for me, especially since becoming self-employed. I’m an extrovert who thrives on sunshine and human interaction. Now I work from home, alone, during a pandemic… and almost all my good friends live in other cities or states. Many are married, some have kids.

It’s really really easy to feel isolated and lonely these days.

So when the opportunity arose to visit a warmer location for a couple days for some work and some play, with my best friend Erin, I jumped! Getting away from literal negative degree temperatures can make SUCH a difference.

I know that some people aren’t even going into the grocery store these days, so I want to be sensitive tot that! I believe that we still need to be careful, wear masks when necessary, and be mindful of our actions on others. This trip was planned as mindfully as possible, and honestly, felt safe for the times. I’m not asking you to agree with me, but know that I’m doing everything I can to stay safe + keep others healthy, while still working and living life in a “moderate” way.

DAY ONE

We “slept in” until 8am or so, then got up and ready for our day! Stop one was Wendy’s across the street for breakfast sandwiches… then we drove to Scottsdale for GOOD coffee at Cartel Coffee. It was incredible to sit in the sunshine, drinking our lattes, wearing chacos. AND NOT BEING COLD. Life giving.

We then walked around the shopping area. Felt like a ghost town… but it was a Thursday morning at 9am in the middle of winter so, that makes sense? haha.

Next up, we decided to drive towards downtown Phoenix to the Arts District. Erin heard there were some cool murals in the area (AKA TONS OF MURALS!) and we decided that a long strong in the sunshine would do us some good. We didn’t come in with much of a plan and walked (in hindsight) more than we should… since we ended up walking 15k steps or so that day in total!! haha. oops.

we lunched outside near a green space on ASU’s campus. maybe got sunburnt… but TOTALLY worth it!

(also we wore masks when we were indoors, in close proximity to others, etc! but we saw so few people because it was a weekday in February, so a lot of the photos with our faces are mask-less. :) Just to clarify!)

next up, hiking!!! let’s be reason, that and sunshine were two of the biggest factors for this trip. (besides photography of course!) serendipitously, there was an incredible hiking park near our hotel. so we took in the views of the city and far off mountains in the midday heat, and decided that would be our Photo Location #1. (South Mountain Park + Preserve for anyone interested.)

a quick dip in the outdoor pool… because if you have that option in winter, you take it!

Dinner was at the fabulous Perfect Pear Bistro. HIGHLY recommend them! It was our only indoor dining experience, but everything was very spread out + social distancing enforced. The food was great, the drinks superb, and the atmosphere was cute, trendy, and aesthetic goals.

DAY TWO!

Erin and I woke up and left an hour before sunrise to drive 45 minutes across town for our morning session. Tina met us just as the sunlight was turning the sky lovely shades of blue and pink, and we got to work! It was incredible to have everything come together so smoothly. Tina told us that she was nervous, but the girl BROUGHT THE FIRE! Seriously, it was a dream come true. The light, gosh, I can’t get over it still. I think the desert is just magical!!!! Can’t explain that…. but I’m a midwestern gal, so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Breakfast was a glamorous drive-through from McDonalds. Sense a theme!? (Fast food/cheap bfast means more $ for dinner tho!!!) Then we headed into the city of Phoenix to Papago Park for a morning hike at Hole in the Rock, combined with scouting for that evening’s session.

Both Erin and I were a bit worn down from our 5 miles of walking the previous day and an early start on Friday, so we headed to the hotel for a nap, some sunbathing at the pool, and downtime. Oh… and WandaVision’s latest episode! Anyone else got that new catchy song stuck in their head!?

Getting behind the scenes never happens… but when your bff/best second shooter is along, that’s EASY!

Multiple people. (at least 3!!) recommended Barrio Queen for cuisine options, so we decided that our last evening there would be on their patio!! I ordered the tacos (mmmm) and Erin got quesadillas. We both ordered the same drink. 😂It was fun sitting out under the stars + twinkle lights. Felt like summer! Just a little cooler once the sun goes down, with no humidity in Arizona. Ha!

That’s pretty much it! The next morning we got up at 3:45am to pack the rental car + head to the airport. It was the “fullest, short trip” of my life. But made such a difference in my mental state. I came back feeling like a human again, excited for work and ready to face the last few months of winter.

More posts to come with photos (“real photos”) of our sessions! Looking forward to sharing those!