Have you ever been so in love with someone that you fail to notice their waning youth? They age and change, a little extra weight around their middle or a bald spot that continues to grow, and yet, in your eyes, they’re the same as when you met. That’s how I saw Sedona. On this trip, I finally grasped that Sedona today is not the Sedona I fell for over 20 years ago. Although I’ve visited over the years, I ignored its subtle transformation. To me, it was still the quirky little town nestled in majestic orange spires of incomparable beauty. Until this visit, I refused to notice the town changing, growing. Roads that were once dirt are now paved, the funky downtown has become a row of mini malls and chic shops, There are roundabouts everywhere to alleviate the traffic (there’s traffic!), and houses have sprouted on cliff-sides where before there were none. Too many cars, too many tourists. I’ve overlooked these changes, not wanting to admit my former Sedona is altered, polished, accessible. It’s still breathtaking, I confess, and anyone who didn’t know the Sedona of before would surely delight in its charms. I’m reminded that we can never really go back, though, can we?

Cabin Improvisations – water bottle as rolling pin.

Boynton Canyon, Sedona, AZ