Arizona Moments via Instagram

First of all, it's hard to sleep knowing you're about to ride in a car for 14+ hours to your hometown. Yet somehow, 4 hours of sleep, several monsters and coffees and 15 hours later I wanted to go out when we got home. I could finally go to the bars! So I went to Moctezuma's, where I met my best friend and some old faces for drinks and dancing before I just couldn't stay awake anymore. I think 23 straight hours was enough. 

 We almost always end up at Bri's, since there's almost always something going on there. I met some new people, saw others I hadn't seen in a long time, and realized my brother hangs out with people I know now. He got there before I did! I've had some pretty interesting times at that apartment, and I always enjoy just hanging out there. 

A silly mirror picture of us/Our dogs enjoying my in laws' big leather couch/an inherited hookah from Singapore in the 1980's/duets with Dylan, a guy I hadn't seen in literally years!

More on the dogs though, we attempted to take them to the dog park out there one day, and it didn't go too well. They really haven't met too many dogs in their life that they haven't been separated by a fence from, so the dog park was this whole new world they didn't understand. Toki had a complete fit when some big dogs decided to make a game of chasing her. She yelped like they were tearing her apart, when they weren't even touching her! It was sad and frustrating. So we really need to socialize them more. 

Laps around the square downtown/walking to breakfast with Deroy/family time with cousins/pretty trees/Gameworks adventure/the boys reunited

Arizona seemed magical this time around. Being so depressed and lost in a beige town with nothing to do really put it in perspective. I desperately want to just move back and forget about Oklahoma forever but after the initial disappointment and extreme let down of being stuck in the very place making me miserable I realized I have to try, I can't just ditch my husband here. 

Still, I can't even describe how it feels on that drive back. Not only does it seem to take even longer, it's just really sad to walk back in to a mess of a house and realize just how much you need to get your shit together, but feeling alone and hopeless all over again. Anyone I got to know has moved, and it feels like starting right back at square one. We're house hunting for a new place, and hoping to go back to AZ for the holidays. 

So I've been on hiatus from blogging while I thought about things and regrouped. It's not often I get all dramatic, post something emotional, delete posts and completely disappear like that. It's probably a good idea that I don't sit and blog about virtually nothing all the time for the next two months while Michael and I try to make a new start here. Maybe one or two posts here and there, but taking a break from blogging was kind of nice. I can see why some people just stop doing it. 

Some bonus pictures: 

Mikey on his cousins tiny pink bicycle/Big gathering at the Cooks with a fire included/Distant view of Thumb Butte while walking with Serra/Don't text and game