Joshua Tree & our Frances Pop Up in Phoenix, AZ
On our way out of our Palm Springs and Joshua Tree California pop ups, we stopped at Joshua Tree National Park to take photos of Bird Trouble products and explore the beauty. What a magical place! To imagine it was once under the ocean for 250 million years just absolutely blows my mind. I stood on the rocks and admired the plants and tried to understand how resilient these living plants. Being connected to nature often gives me a good reminder that we humans are also very resilient… but are we as resilient as these natural worlds? I laid the Bird Trouble bags on the rocks, admired the natural leather hide complimenting the natural texture of the rocks, and I imagined them under water.
Finally we survived the terrible roads outside of the desert, drove east past Ehrenberg, and eventually made it to Anna’s house in Phoenix, Arizona. I built a routine the week I was there, parked at the bottom of hers and Mike’s driveway. I packaged online orders in the bus, I hiked, I ate delicious Peruvian food, we saw a friend we hadn’t seen in 15 years. Saturday was my pop up at Frances. Jade and her mom welcomed me and Charlie after we set up, and Anna came out to help be Bird Trouble assistant. Jaclyn, Shaina, Gabi, and Brittany showed up to support which made me so happy because I sent all of them hand-written post cards. It was my first time meeting Shaina and Brittany, but it felt like we already knew each other. I’m truly grateful for my Phoenix community and cannot wait to come back!
We’re in Santa Fe now. We arrived yesterday. Today is Thursday and I have a pop up on Saturday and another one on Sunday, so we’re just exploring the fantastic galleries and stores before we clock into work for the weekend. I already feel like I’ve been here before. Maybe because I’ve seen photos but maybe because some unknown ancestors have lived here. I’m sure of it since my blood is half indigenous Americas and I have a strong calm feeling being here, but also because the arts and native culture is strong here. I cannot believe it’s my first adult time here. xo, Alexz
