Joshua Tree & Palm Springs

March 11, 2015

The thing about Liza Brown is we don't make any goddamn sense together.  She was born a Southerner while I'm a Yankee; she was a sorority girl while I was hiding in the library; she prefers the beach while I roam the forest; she has a sweet tooth while I inhale black coffee... the list goes on and on and on.

But when it comes down to the things that matter - we are both old souls who found their way West. I spend more time with Liza than anyone else since I’m in the trenches with her everyday. Getting to know Liza over the past three years has been an incredible blessing. I've realized she possesses a rare and beautiful quality in her. I often describe it as being a "hype girl" but this is grounded in a generous ability to truly care and support the people around her. No matter what your passion, she will have your back and go to battle with you. I've experienced it with my own writing, but have witnessed her championing many others through careers, pregnancies, illnesses, relationships, etc. Liza is the type of rare breed who will always put others first, give you an honest answer and a warm smile. She makes us all better and stronger. 

And for some reason, we decided that we don't spend enough time together and planned a weekend adventure. As a woman of the wilderness, I was going to ease Liza into my rough and rowdy traveling ways by spending two nights in Joshua Tree camping in an RV, building fires, showering outside, hiking and living life off the grid. Then things went sideways when at approximately ten-thirty at night in the middle of the dessert we rolled up and couldn't get into mentioned RV due to an AirBnB host hiccup. Having been to battle together many times before, we quickly rectified the situation and forty minutes later found ourselves at The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs on someone else's dime. 

The weekend turned into a hybrid of the neighboring escape towns. Two days spent lounging poolside, treasure hunting for antiques and drinking in the live music at Pappy and Harriet's. Best of both worlds that couldn't be more reflective of our own relationship and proof that usually things work out better than you expect.