Mesquite, Nevada: December 17 - January 17th, 2026
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to stay with my parents in my adult life for an entire month. Growing up in California, I was used to a certain rhythm of life, but with my parents now retired in Nevada, family has a funny way of making you notice all the things that have been brushed over and buried from the past. Going into this trip, I prepared as best I could, reflecting on my past, journaling, and filing my life into neatly labeled compartments to ensure the least amount of discomfort.
This visit blew me away in an entirely different way than I could have expected. It created hurt, disagreements, and tears, but it was the most beautiful disaster, absolutely necessary to heal wounds from my past.
My parents went to the Caribbean for a cruise, and I had a very mellow Christmas composed of walks with Faith (my parents’ little dog), yoga, trips to Zion (see Zion post), and reorganizing my parents’ kitchen.
Upon their return, we filled our days with innocent activities like going to the driving range, relaxing in the jacuzzi, movie nights, girls’ trips to St. George, and playing games together. My personal healing journey continued progressing much like my Netflix rolodex. I finished more shows than I’m willing to admit, but this time at home was deeply nourishing.
I’m not sure if the opportunity to spend this amount of quality time with my parents under the same roof will ever present itself again, but it was exactly what I needed to rekindle my family’s burning flame and recharge before taking off into the world in the coming months.
