SENT FROM MY IPHONE
TEN DAYS OF 'NO SERVICE'by Sonja Stone
Two days ago I woke up in Crested Butte, Colorado. It was 43 degrees. This morning, back in Phoenix, I woke at 0400--it was already 90 degrees.
I've just returned from a semi off-grid road trip to Alpine country. I panicked for the first 36 hours or so, unable to link my laptop to the internet, getting spotty cell service at best. But around the third morning, I lost track of the days of the week and my corresponding to-do lists. The few times my mind drifted to my manuscript I stopped, took a deep breath, inhaled the scent of the fir trees and the fields strewn with wildflowers.
I've always loved the beauty of the desert; the stark rocky outcroppings juxtaposed against the tenacious, evolutionary marvels that dwell here: tall saguaro cacti and thick stands of fine-leafed chaparral. The desert mouse, able to go a month without water. Pads of prickly pear, carefully barbed against predators looking for a meal. I've never found a place that rivaled the beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
Until now.
My boyfriend and I stayed at a lodge on Mt. Crested Butte. We enjoyed daily adventures--hiking, visiting a fish hatchery, more hiking, sightseeing, window shopping, hiking again. I can't recall ever taking a vacation where I didn't check my email, read a manuscript, hash out a plot line. It was terrible timing--I'm again facing a revision deadline with my current work-in-progress, and I can't tell you the level of anxiety that grew in my chest as we reached the Arizona border on our drive home. But can you blame me?
Case in point: the next two pictures are views from the side of the road. In case you didn't hear me, I said the side of the road . Like, pulled over, rolled down the window, and snapped a picture on my otherwise useless phone.
Gunnison State Park, Colorado
Can I really be expected to work under such conditions?
I have to say, though, a few of my blog sisters live in Colorado, and I salute their fortitude. Going from my usual 1,000 feet above sea level to between 8,000-12,000 feet nearly did me in. I managed to drag myself up long enough to enjoy a favorite pastime.
My target block is just past the fir tree.The good news is I'm back home, refreshed and ready to buckle down. This works out well, because it's too hot to go out and play here in the Valley of the Sun.
What about you? Do you return refreshed from vacation, or do you need a few days to recuperate? Leave your comments below!
Two days ago I woke up in Crested Butte, Colorado. It was 43 degrees. This morning, back in Phoenix, I woke at 0400--it was already 90 degrees.I've just returned from a semi off-grid road trip to Alpine country. I panicked for the first 36 hours or so, unable to link my laptop to the internet, getting spotty cell service at best. But around the third morning, I lost track of the days of the week and my corresponding to-do lists. The few times my mind drifted to my manuscript I stopped, took a deep breath, inhaled the scent of the fir trees and the fields strewn with wildflowers.
I've always loved the beauty of the desert; the stark rocky outcroppings juxtaposed against the tenacious, evolutionary marvels that dwell here: tall saguaro cacti and thick stands of fine-leafed chaparral. The desert mouse, able to go a month without water. Pads of prickly pear, carefully barbed against predators looking for a meal. I've never found a place that rivaled the beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
Until now.
My boyfriend and I stayed at a lodge on Mt. Crested Butte. We enjoyed daily adventures--hiking, visiting a fish hatchery, more hiking, sightseeing, window shopping, hiking again. I can't recall ever taking a vacation where I didn't check my email, read a manuscript, hash out a plot line. It was terrible timing--I'm again facing a revision deadline with my current work-in-progress, and I can't tell you the level of anxiety that grew in my chest as we reached the Arizona border on our drive home. But can you blame me?
Case in point: the next two pictures are views from the side of the road. In case you didn't hear me, I said the side of the road . Like, pulled over, rolled down the window, and snapped a picture on my otherwise useless phone.
Gunnison State Park, ColoradoCan I really be expected to work under such conditions?
I have to say, though, a few of my blog sisters live in Colorado, and I salute their fortitude. Going from my usual 1,000 feet above sea level to between 8,000-12,000 feet nearly did me in. I managed to drag myself up long enough to enjoy a favorite pastime.
My target block is just past the fir tree.The good news is I'm back home, refreshed and ready to buckle down. This works out well, because it's too hot to go out and play here in the Valley of the Sun.What about you? Do you return refreshed from vacation, or do you need a few days to recuperate? Leave your comments below!
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