A New Year in Arizona: Exploring Mesa, Phoenix, and Tucson

There is something magical to the end of a year. It’s as if we’re given the opportunity for a do-over, to do away with another twelve months that may or may not have served its purpose. January arrives, and we are ignited with hope and faith, a chance to start again. Years seem to run either good or bad, and 2014 had unfortunately, save for the last few weeks, been one of the more stagnant of celestial rotations in my path.

I was ready when 2015 began. There were, finally, new opportunities abound. A ‘detox in the desert’ media trip to Arizona fit perfectly into my new year plan; a gift of time, connection, and introspection. An opportunity to explore an area of the country I had yet to see. An opportunity to explore areas of my mind and heart during the time of year when reflection and renewal is at the forefront of most people’s minds. The destination just as important as the journey.

Arizona greeted me with open arms with its red brown sandy skin, the prickles of cacti in every shape and size, the shimmer of sunrises and sunsets reflecting from the surrounding mountains. We explored Mesa first, rising early for guided yoga at the Visitor Center of the Usery Mountain Regional Park (an opportunity available for any visitor – not just us media folk). We joined with Mandy Snell, a life coach/mentor with Meaning in Motion, who worked with us each of us as we hiked up the western edge of the Goldfield Mountains.

“What makes you unique?” she asked me as I huffed my way through the winding trail.

“My stories,” I laughed. “All of my crazy experiences, and the stories.”

Reaching the Wind Cave, our destination after two hours up, we were instructed to write our intentions for the year on small chalkboards. Tell my tales, I scrawled on the tablet, looking out across the terrain. Yes, this was the year.

Ms. Seomin beamed as she told the story of the President’s 2009 visit with the First Family. Instructed by the Press Office to not discuss the stay until after departure, Seomin kicked local media off the hotel’s property and ultimately had to stop answering her phone while she managed the onsite logistics. I was honored to roam the same halls.

Our professional stories evolved into stories of our favorite sports teams, diehard rivals no doubt, and as dinner moved to digestifs and desserts, I was thankful to have such tales to tell.

Into the city limits, I arrived at the Hotel Congress to the hustle and bustle of people congregating in the outside courtyard for an afternoon concert. The downtown hotel, famous in its own right for being the place where historic outlaw John Dillinger had been captured, was host to mid-day performances of the Concert for Civility, an annual music gathering to raise funds for local mental health initiatives, assembled in 2011 following the shooting in Tucson targeting Representative Gabrielle Giffords. After dinner at the hotel’s Cup Cafe, I attended the headliner concert, where latin rock’s Ozomatli took the stage at the nearby Rialto Theatre to bring the day long event to a close.

One more tale down…

~Jennifer Heigl
*Photo credit: Jennifer Heigl / Daily Blender

**Many thanks to Visit Mesa, Visit Phoenix, and Visit Tucson for the invite and hosting on this media visit.