Travel Diary #1: Sedona

I feel like I have been singing the same tune lately and that tune is in the key of burn out.  I enjoy traveling to explore something new and unknown but lately, I’ve been craving escapes more than ever.  Escapes that include both indulgence and nothingness.

Arizona has been on my list of places to visit.  Only visiting once as a kid to the Grand Canyon, that memory was null and void.  This time around, I wanted to make new memories while allowing myself to be at ease.  I embarked on the two hour drive from Phoenix to Sedona.  Watching the smog covered city of Phoenix shift to the beautiful scenery of saguaros lining the freeway.  Once I arrived to Sedona, I was at a total loss of words as I marveled at the red rocky mountains.  I grabbed my phone to quickly take photos and videos, being cautious as not to swerve off the one lane road.  Sedona is known for its vortexes, and some will say to experience the vortex “you may feel a range of sensations from a slight tingling on exposed skin…”   The weight from the stress in my shoulders I had been feeling for a few weeks suddenly seemed to melt away.  I felt lighter and my body begin to relax.

Hunger struck so, I took a quick glance at my not so itinerary to see what restaurants I had listed.  A quick stop at Local Juicery for a satisfying and fulfilling smoothie until dinner held me over.  I headed back to my accommodations at Sky Ranch Lodge.  The once scary drive up to the hotel feeling not so scary as I ventured in and out of the property.  With the hotel offering stunning views of Sedona, I indulged in the landscapes of the mountain, making sure to breathe throughout the process.

I became unsettled to know that I can hear my neighbors above me as they thudded back and forth across the room.  The trauma from past living experiences creeping in and I was beginning to regret not keeping my original booking which included a top floor room.

But, not wanting to dwell or better yet, stress myself over a one night stay, I headed back out to explore Tlaquepaque Village, a small shopping destination filled with unique shops to cater to ones souvenir desires.  I came, I saw and I conquered and made my way for an early dinner at Mole.

Morning came and that’s when the real Sedona adventure begun.  A sunrise hike on Summit trail followed but a moderate to rock to wall scaling climb to Devil’s Bridge; which I wasn’t originally planning on hiking based off the name but, glad I did.  The views were breathtaking and I wish I would’ve allowed more time at the top but, my fear of getting down had me rushing.  Also, believe what the reviews say and plan a trip earlier as the crowds will begin to form.  I arrived around 6ish in the morning and there were only a few people.  I felt proud of myself as I hiked back to the car, greeting each person I passed by with a warm good morning.

I grabbed a latte at Freeform Coffee Roasters and shortly after, breakfast at Wildcraft Kitchen before making one final stop at Chapel of The Holy Cross .  I would have regret not stopping to view this amazing architecture before leaving Sedona.

When all is said and done, there is something about extremely peaceful about being at peace.  Peace with oneself.  Peace in nature.  Peace that everything can and will be ok.  Sedona was the peace that I knew I needed. It allowed me to conquer my limits but most importantly, allowed my mind to escape and be at ease and for that, I am grateful.