The Great Escape

One of the best parts of being a Teach For America corps member (besides the students, the teaching, the life changing experiences, Rio Grande City...) was the friendships I made with my fellow corps members.  


My second year of teaching, several of us realized that the whole working 24/7 thing was a bit exhausting, and we needed a break to feel human at least once a week. Hence, our Thursday Night Dinner Club was born.  Once a week for about two hours, we would meet up at someone's house for dinner, conversation, wine, and relaxation.  I'm pretty sure these dinners helped me keep my sanity during the chaotic days of teaching in Rio Grande City, Texas.  Since leaving Rio Grande City and spreading out across the United States, many of us have started our own respective weekly dinner clubs with new friends in new cities.  But, we missed each other and our weekly dinners.  

Thursday Night Dinner Club

Luisa, an inherent planner and extremely organized individual, decided the time had come to plan a girls' weekend, and months ago she sent an email around asking who would be interested in such a trip.  Of course we all replied affirmatively!  


And so, this Labor Day weekend, we held our first annual Great Escape.  Six friends, one location, three days, and many adventures!  We traveled from Delaware, south Texas, southern Arizona, and California to Phoenix, Arizona to meet up for a reunion weekend.  Luisa, despite changing jobs and moving from  Costa Rica somehow planned all of our weekend activities, from meals and airport pickups to shopping outings and pool time.  


Being a planning type personality myself, I thoroughly enjoyed having absolutely no idea what we were doing the whole weekend.  In fact, in order to keep myself totally in the dark, I would plug my ears and hum every time a discussion of what our next activity would be came up.  


Our first activity on Saturday morning was (unbeknownst to me)...

Pedicures (and, in Stephanie's case, a manicure)!  After starting off on the right foot (get it?), we then headed to our second destination...the Desert Botanical Gardens. 

While I appreciate plants and understand their importance, they don't hold my interest nearly as much as animals.  Therefore, I was most excited that I saw a marmoset for the first time scampering about through the cacti! Unfortunately, it refused to pose for a photograph.  I do really like the saguro cacti, of which there were MANY in the gardens!  I learned (from Luisa) that they don't grow limbs (or arms) until they are at least 50 years old, meaning all of my favorite ones are really, really old!  

A grandpa saguaro cactus

After spending as much time in the Arizona heat as we could (which wasn't very long), we went to lunch and had a wonderful taco meal.  Several times during the trip, the original places we had planned to eat at were unexpectedly closed; luckily, every time we ended up someplace else equally or even more awesome.  Our lunch was the first taste of that! :) 

Our third (and final) destination of the day was The Mall.  Some of us (cough*Amy*cough) are tireless shoppers, while others of us (cough*me*cough) are instantly overwhelmed and tired at the very thought of mall shopping.  However, we all found stores and things to buy (I know, shocking, right?), and when we finally met up again, we each had more bags and less money than we originally started with.  By this point, it was time to eat again (and more importantly, get ice water), and we found a fabulous restaurant within walking distance from the mall (more specifically, from outside of Urban Outfitters where we were not-so-patiently waiting for Amy to finish up shopping). 


When heading back to the hotel, we had grand plans of going out after taking time to shower and refresh ourselves.  However, we all ended up in one of our hotel rooms lying on the beds just talking...and it was perfect.  It ended up being one of all of our favorite moments from the trip!


On Sunday morning, we had plans to pow-wow at 9:15 am before heading out at 9:45am.  So, when there was a knock on our door around 9:15am, I went to answer it still in my pj's with my hair a complete morning mess, while Luisa and Amy hadn't even moved from under the covers of their bed.  In walks Stephanie, Julia, and Jenny not only dressed but looked adorable!  Apparently there was a miscommunication about what time we were leaving.  I was just thankful I was in the room that got to sleep in!  After ALL of us were ready, we found a brunch place (and by brunch I mean we were eating about 11:30am).  

A good looking group of girls

After brunch, we drove part of the Apache Trail, which took us up through the mountains and Sonoran Desert.  Our first stop was at a restaurant that looked like the set of an old Western, which of course meant we needed to take pictures.  (I feel like I need to point out that we weren't eating lunch already; we only stopped to catch up with each other since we were in two cars and the place happened to be photogenic).  

About a mile later, we stopped at a Ghost Town.  Now, I've been to a real ghost town before (Terlingua, TX), and this town was much more of a tourist trap than an actual ghost town.  It had shops, a train, a soda fountain, ice cream, and old timey photos (which are apparently ridiculously expensive!)--no real ghost towns I know of have old timey photo booths.  


However, by far the best part of this town, and well worth our stopping, was the Mystery Shack.  

How could we NOT see it?

Intrigued?  We were!  As a scientist, I obviously needed to know what could possibly defy all laws of science!  Since Amy was already feeling dizzy that day, she opted out (a WISE choice as we found out) and Stephanie stayed with her.  However, the rest of us NEEDED to go to the Mystery Shack, and go we did.  

Pre-entering the Mystery Shack.  

Although we didn't realize it, we had to pay to enter the Mystery Shack--it cost four whole dollars!  After a quick check to make sure everyone was willing to pay four whole dollars, we paid and headed inside with our tour guide.  Simply put, the Mystery Shack was more than worth my four dollars.  


I've been in fun houses/ tilted rooms before...but this shack was the most extreme version of one I've ever been in.  Jenny, Luisa, Julia, and I spent the whole time cracking up as we watched each other stand at the most incredible angles and indeed, as the sign predicted, defy the rules of gravity.  

Luisa, defying science, by standing on
strangely slanted stairs.

I know that I did this, but it is hard to
believe looking at the picture!

Jenny, not falling, after standing up

Julia, the zombie.

"Do I need to tip the can?"

When we finished with the Mystery Shack, we decided to continue on the Apache Trail for a little longer before heading back to the hotel.  We ended our journey at a lake in the midst of the mountains.  There was a nice overlook that afforded us nice views of the Tonto National "Forest" (I use quotes since, being in the desert, there was a distinct lack of trees) and lake.  

Looking at the water and standing in the extreme heat, we unanimously decided it was time to head to the pool back at the hotel.  

The loungers

The non-loungers

Like shopping, we have distinctly different ideas of what pool time should include.  Julia, Luisa, and I took full advantage of the floaties provided to make up absurd games (such as the one above where we saw who could balance on top of a giant beach ball the longest).  Stephanie, Jenny, and Amy were more of the lounge-and-read type of pool people.  


After fully enjoying our pool time, we got dolled up and walked to dinner--an Asian tapas bar.  Now, for those of you who know that I'm a picky eater, this was a giant step in the non-picky direction for me!  I'm not a big fan of Asian food (although the stuff I ate last night was delicious), and I'd never had tapas.  It was a long meal complete with dessert and drinks.  

Then, as it was the last evening of our Great Escape, it came time to discuss next year's trip.  As a group, we came up with different potential destinations (Hawaii, St. Louis, Miami, etc.), then went through and vetoed some for different reasons, and came up with our top choices.  At that point, we then went through and ranked our top three.  Overwhelming the top choice for next year is...drum roll, please...Amy's beach house outside of Portland, Oregon!


I'm already looking forward to next year!