The drive to Prescott

David and I arrived in Prescott, AZ on Thursday afternoon. Wednesday was a whirlwind: I finished packing, saw 2 clients in the afternoon, packed up all my instruments, drove home, unpacked all my instruments into the house to make room for our luggage, loaded said luggage, and headed to the airport.

We got into our hotel in Phoenix at about 1am. Here's something surprising- are David and I the only ones who thought AZ was just a 2 hour time change? We were completely surprised to find it was in fact a 4 hour flight, not a 3 hour flight from Atlanta, and that it was 4am eastern-standard time when we got to our hotel, not 3am. Very strange. Oh well.

Sparing you the details of a crazy rental car facility at the Phoenix airport, we made it to Prescott the next afternoon.

Quick story with a question before I go on: As we were driving north through Phoenix we were in dire need of lunch. The only place we found other than fast food was this out of the way Mexican place. We were wanting Mexican, so it was a go! Once inside we both felt pretty Gringo there- even my asian-american husband. I think we've only been in americanized places before. Funny- they seemed to think David was Mexican. He got the usual menu, and I got the english one. People were watching us a bit, but it was ok. My food was terrible, but that was ok. We needed food, and we got it.

When we got our check there were the usual charges listed, and then with no explanation, they just added an extra dollar at the bottom. We assumed that they made a mistake and so we paid the original amount. However, we were told that the extra dollar was something we had to pay because there were 2 of us. David, being very nice and interested, said he was surprised and was curious about why we owed the extra dollar. They showed us the english menu which said on the back that for any party of more than 1 person, they charge an extra dollar. So, for example: if a party of 2 came in, they would charge $1 extra. If a party of 3 came in, they would charge $2 extra, etc.

After my not-so-good food, this left a sour taste in my mouth, and I'm just wondering if anyone out there has ever had this experience? Is this a practice that I've just never heard of? If so, I want to know about it, so it doesn't catch me off-guard again. I've heard of charging extra for a party of more than 8 or something like that, but I would think that places would want to encourage small groups- wouldn't they make more money that way?

Well...getting off my pony of griping...

Prescott is truly beautiful. The air is dry (I totally didn't believe it was 96 degrees in Phoenix- the low humidity totally makes a difference). There are lovely trees and mountains and rolling hills. There is a sweet downtown area where people hang out- with a yarn store within walking distance to boot! There is a really good Indian restaurant (our favorite). Healthfood stores, a couple of colleges to bring culture to the area, some (but not too many) acupuncturists (one of whom we met with and feels there is a need for more practitioners), and there is one MT here (whom I will meet this morning for coffee).

But, besides the details, David and I are just trying to sink into the spirit, and feeling, and experience of this place. To open our senses and experience what our bodies feel here. I have to tell you- it feels good. Over the last year we've tried visiting places now and then to get a sense of where we eventually want to settle down. Last year we went to Asheville, North Carolina. It was nice, but didn't quite fit what we were looking for. We've lived in New Mexico, Wisconsin, western New York, Long Island, Connecticut, and now Florida. And, we are still looking for the right place. We know that no place will have all the details down pat. You make trade-offs. But, we have wanted a place where we can settle ourselves a bit and feel more of our true nature. A place that fits our personality and our spirit. A place where we can give to the people, the land, the space- and that space will give back to us as well. Surprisingly, I felt that to some degree in Indiana where I lived for 5 years growing up. But, we aren't moving to Indiana!

No definite decisions here yet, but Prescott is feeling good. We'll be here until Thursday. I already feel my senses opening, my body relaxing some, my sense of community and interest in interacting with people increasing. I'm excited to see how this continues.

Wish us luck!