Phoenix Fun

I was SO excited to visit my little sister Libby in Phoenix over the 3 day weekend! We had a great time. Warning: This post is a major photo dump. Last week was a BLUR with parent-teacher conferences. They all went well, but I started to feel like a robot by the end. You know that tired where you take a few seconds to think of your next word? Yeah, that. I tried a new format this year and really enjoyed it and all the kids and parents were great but by the 26th fifteen minute meeting I was so over it. I woke up Friday bright and early and AJ took me to the airport. I am a notoriously nervous traveler who needs to get to the airport hours and hours before my flight. But thanks to post-conference exhaustion, I got there right on time, with a quick visit for a vanilla latte before I boarded. There was NO ONE on the seat next to me going there. Everytime someone walked down the aisle I would think no, no, no, don't stop here! Keeeeeep moving. It worked! Libby met me at her campus and I was there by 9:30! We walked all around downtown (first I changed out of my scarf/yoga pants look and into shorts because hello 95 degrees). It was so fun to see her stomping grounds and cool that she gets the urban experience of being at the downtown Phoenix ASU campus but also has classes and activities at the Tempe campus too for a more traditional college vibe. We ate lunch in her dining hall and damn, I forgot how much I missed the little thing you put your dirty dishes on and they are just whisked away. Adulthood isn't like that, you fresh-faced youth! Enjoy the grocery-free experience of unlimited salad bar toppings and the gourmet omelet bar. Then we decided to take the shuttle into Tempe. We explored and walked and walked and walked until we felt like we earned a feast. We went out for Mexican food and called it an early night.

Libby's sweet view from her dorm room

we doctored up this pic and sent it to our family with the quote "We got too much sun!!" haha. 

Palm trees will always be cool to me 

pretty downtown park area 

Saturday was our hot air ballooning adventure! My parents have friends in Phoenix who they used to balloon with and they had a 2 person pass and offered it to Libby and I. Of course we said yes and were so excited to experience this neat thing together and with the expertise of friends who knew all about it. They picked us up at 5 am (which was actually super nice because it was cool out!) and we headed to the meeting place. We signed our lives away and got in the balloon company's van to head out to the launch site in the desert. Not gonna lie, we were both kinda scared. I grabbed Libby's hand as we lifted off the ground and whispered a "Jesus take the.....uhhh, basket I guess?" It was such a neat experience and felt like a ride, only it was real and nature and beautiful. What a great way to see the desert. Once we landed (ok, that part was kinda scary), they told us the story of the first hot air balloon, we said the Balloonist's prayer, and had a champagne toast and lovely breakfast right there in the middle of the desert!

 When we got back to campus I immediately took a nap while Libby worked on homework. That evening we explored some more and went to see a movie (The Martian with Matt Damon, pretty good). Of course we snuck in some movie treats from her campus convenience store because she has "M &G" bucks that she can spend on campus which are like flex dollars that go with her meal plan (College life, care to take me back? Please?). Sunday we walked to a cute coffee place in the hipster part of town and she showed me her main journalism building and where her classes are. Overall, it was so fun being a pretend college student for the weekend. It was wonderful seeing Libby in her element and I know as happy as she is to be at ASU, they are just as happy to have her. I can't wait to visit again and this time am thinking side trip to Sedona....anyone been there? Libby comes home for fall break this weekend and I am excited to see her and as she keeps teasing AJ, "unleashing all the inside jokes from the weekend!"

PS) We had donuts from this shop called The Fractured Prune. I had never heard of it before but it's this place where you can choose your own glaze and toppings. OMG, heaven. Apparently there's one in St. George, Utah too. Worth it!