lessons in flexibility

February 3, 2011

lesson #1: some things are beyond my control
i guess we’re starting to get used to southwest time, because today neither of us woke up before the sun. i am really REALLY excited for today’s activities, which include a couples massage (!!!) and dinner at FnB. but first, i have to address my compulsive need desire to report back on yesterday’s adventures.

i loved how a lot of you wrote about flexibility when i asked for vacation tips yesterday. and yesterday was a true reflection of this. our day was wonderful, but it wasn’t exactly what i had envisioned.

the biggest surprise of this trip has been . . .


ummm, yeah. i wasn’t expecting a tropical paradise, but from what i had read, i’d been expecting highs in the upper 60s-70s (i did not take into account the obvious fact that mountains are up high and tend to be cold.) as we headed out on our planned day trip, i was ready for a pleasant little jaunt among the beautiful red rock formations of sedona, maybe a bit of a cleansing breeze to cool us off if the hiking got strenuous.

instead, we got this:

today’s lovely conditions as i type this
it might have been slightly warmer than this yesterday while we were hiking, but it was still well below freezing. there was actually a waterful that had partially frozen! pretty, but a little sad for two sun-seekers.

however, we made the best of it! we enjoyed our XM in the car, playing our favorite game of “who can identify the song/artist first?”. in case you’re wondering, i always lose this game — badly. however, i did have a few triumphs:

i don’t know whether to be proud or ashamed
the drive to sedona took about 2 hours, but it was lovely.


once we arrived, we decided to brave the icy winds and head out on a hike. i mean, we weren’t going to freeze to death in arizona, right? we surveyed the map:


and then we chose a trail based on some recommendations at the visitor’s center, heading out on little horse towards broken arrow (through chicken point). the vistas were breathtaking!


i didn’t expect to be hiking in my wool coat (i had an insulated jacket on underneath, too!), but obviously it was a necessity given the conditions. we managed to stop and take a few pictures . . .

less-than-flattering upwards view — what do you think, do we look cold?
this is probably my favorite picture:


and of course i took some of the mountain man josh as well:


we probably would have hiked for longer had it been a little less cold, but we still managed to cover 4-5 miles, i think. it wasn’t exactly what i imagined, but i’m really happy we did it!

lesson #2: it’s your vacation! don’t forget it.
we had dinner reservations at the mission, a restaurant featuring an enticing menu of “modern latin cuisine”. i had made them on the later side (8:30), thinking we’d come back tired from a day of hiking and need some relaxation time before heading back out.

however, when the time came, i don’t think either of us wanted to head out into the cold once again. and josh had casually mentioned watching the duke game, which started at 7. we don’t have a TV at home, so this was actually a rare opportunity for him. meanwhile, i was getting really immersed in my murakami. all the sudden i realized: we didn’t have to go out! we could order room service and stay warm and cozy, and it would be an awesome treat — maybe even more special than eating out.

and so that’s what we did!

wine + fiction:


pizza + basketball:


salad + snacks for nibbling:


and a tiramisu to share.


all in all, such a lovely night — i’m glad we didn’t feel the need to ‘stick to the plan’.

ever have a time that veering from your plan ended up being the right choice? i think it’s so interesting how sometimes i’ll just be following a path simply because it’s what i had figured out beforehand without stopping to reconsider, even if the conditions change.

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