LA to Tucson

After an exhausting couple of days packing, cleaning, and otherwise preparing to leave Los Angeles on The Great Roadtrip to Bethlehem, we had just one more thing to pack – our belongings that were coming with us in the Mini. It was a bit like a 3-dimensional version of Tetris involving some pretty unique shapes, including a guitar and several plants. We filled everything behind the front seats neatly and tightly and left for Tucson, where we would be staying with some close friends.

A packed Mini Cooper.

The drive out of LA was typically slowed by freeway traffic, but this time with a tinge of sentimentality. Once we hit the open road, Nature’s beauty was given its chance to begin dazzling us. From the surrounding hills to the increasingly open terrain, the sights were just the beginning of what was coming our way to stimulate and thrill our visual cortices. As our altitude fluctuated, the temperature gauge steadily rose. Upon entering Arizona, we were greeted by a nice, cool evening temperature of 108 degrees. From the distant hills to the increasing amount and variation of cacti and other desert plant-life, it was evident that we weren’t in LA anymore, Dorothy. The West Coast bid us a fond farewell of its own with a beautiful, glowing sunset behind us.

Arriving in Tucson was a relief - physically in the sense that we got to stand, and mentally in the sense that the first destination on our journey had been reached. It was a true joy to be greeted by Dave and Uppie, the kind of friends who you can share the feeling with that no matter how long it has been since you’ve last talked or seen each other, you’re able to pick right back up, accompanied by a familiar comfort. It’s as though the welcoming embrace is somehow connected to that last goodbye hug, and the time between has, at that moment, melted away. Introductions were made and we were given a tour of their awesome desert home, once owned by one of the Earps. We spent the rest of the night chatting and munching on some delicious LA treats before retiring to bed in the Cowboy Room.