So if you live in Atlanta or perhaps watched a lot of the Weather Channel, you may have experienced or heard about the incredibly wet spring and summer we had this year. All the years I have lived in Atlanta, I constantly heard about the ongoing drought; I think with all the rain we experienced this year is enough to make sure we don’t have another drought for years.

So back in July, I looked in the mirror at my rather “pastey” complexion and felt a little depressed that half the summer was gone and I hadn’t spent more a single minute by the pool. I had been working a lot and needed some R&R, preferably spent poolside and reading a good romance novel. I asked Cole if we could take a trip to somewhere warm and he delivered on his promise. We flew out to Phoenix where the weather was a lovely 105 degrees and sunny. We got a great deal on the hotel and stayed at the Arizona Biltmore. As we arrived to the pool, we were quickly welcomed by 3000 people who were there for an Alcoholics Anonymous getaway. Now while I commend them for being able to have fun without drugs or alcohol – the DJs’ blaring music, cigarette smoke, and lukewarm water caused by an overflow of people wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for a relaxing day. After wandering the enormous hotel property, we found a quiet pool with just a handful of people and settled in. Cole’s cousin, Jordan, lives out in Phoenix so her and her boyfriend came to spend the day with us at the pool. After hours of catching up with the two of them while soaking up the sun, we headed over to their apartment for a few drinks. Afterwards, we headed out to Scottsdale Quarter, a cool neighborhood that boasts an outdoor mall and has plenty of delicious restaurants. We decided on a Mexican restaurant, SOL Mexican Cantina, which had authentic food and margaritas and it did not disappoint. All in all, it was a great to get away from the rain and spend time with family and friends.