A happy birthday, for the bucket list babe.

So, I spent my birthday in Phoenix, Arizona. I flew out on a Wednesday after being off of work since that Monday. I wanted all that time to prep for the trip and then just decompress from work and tap into true mindless vacation vibes. I ended up staying at the Camby hotel for the entire trip which was Wednesday to the following Tuesday. The stay came with vouchers that included $25 a day in “resort credits” which could be used at the restaurant downstairs, room service or at the bar. I opted for free drinks & lunch!

The time spent included:

A hike at Piestewa peak trail

I spent Thanksgiving day hiking through this trail. I felt so at peace, listening to all the downloads about life and the future God had to share with me. I gave myself so many positive affirmations to keep myself into it and to finish the trail. It worked.

dinner at Ocean 44 in Scottsdale on Thanksgiving

I enjoyed a delicious petite filet mignon with mashed potatoes & some super bomb, buttered biscuits & a cocktail.

Pre-Birthday dinner at Maple & Ash

I had parmesean truffle ravioli, a filet mignon with au gratin potatoes for dinner. That incredible meal also came with complimentary caviar courtesy of the chef, multiple cocktails courtesy of the bartender, and a delicious sundae dessert courtesy of my server for the night. It was such a vibe and I loved the custom birthday menu shoutout.

Sunrise hot air balloon ride

I kicked off my birthday in the air watching the sunrise in a hot air balloon over Desert Ridge, Arizona. I met such a fun group of people and they were the perfect vibe going up and coming down. While everyone was a bit nervous, we all understood the assignment when it came to containing ourselves and it was just pure, solid fun. The views were INCREDIBLE and the landing? Let’s just say, I have no damn idea what exactly I was expecting… but it wasn’t that.

road trip to Sedona

pit stop in Wickenburg & JErome

A small town with a lot of culture! I stopped and grabbed some souvenirs and crystals in Jerome, then made my way on the final stretch to Sedona.

Drive through Prescott National Forest

The views were absolutely stunning and the winding roads reminded me of the luxury car track commercials! Definitely gave me a bit of anxiety driving through the two laned, windy road.

A hike in Sedona

I still can’t believe people HIKE for fun! I guess that now includes me too, because I had a blast.

Explore the Phoenix desert Botanical Garden

I think it’s now a new check on my bucketlist to visit the botanical gardens in every new place I visit. I never truly took understanding to the fact that vegetation and plants will be different from place to place because of the environment it has to grow in. This was my first time seeing so many cactus up close and I was stunned. A really, really nice experience.

Talk about a birthday trip well spent.