Audrey Treon’s journey began not with a departure, but with a realization about her roots. This Valley native found a new appreciation for her home during a family road trip to New Mexico.
Audrey Treon’s Road Trip Reflection
AUDREY TREON: The dogs are boarded, my father’s run back to the house for “one last thing” for the final time, and the five of us have packed ourselves and our belongings into the family SUV.
The Treon family, with one too many Vera Bradley duffel bags packed, embarked on an eight-hour drive from Phoenix to Albuquerque. Although not entirely thrilled about the trip, Audrey and her sisters were looking forward to a mini family reunion. For Audrey, the journey offered a chance to reflect during the limbo between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a time she often finds introspective.
While her sisters, Ellie and Sophie, traveled from the UK, Audrey made a short Uber ride from Tempe, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of life after graduation. As the middle child, she found herself in the middle seat, fittingly, on the road to self-discovery.
Facing Comparisons and Discovering Complexity
As the journey unfolded, Audrey couldn’t help but compare herself to her sisters. While Ellie dozed and Sophie read “Jane Eyre,” Audrey watched “Breaking Bad” on her phone, pondering life’s complexities. “Comparison is uncomplicated. These eight hours are proving a fact I know to be true: The rest of life is quite complicated,” she noted.
Audrey’s thoughts drifted to her love for Georgia O’Keeffe and the Southwestern silver jewelry she cherished. As they drove through Apache County, her father, a seasoned orator, shared his appreciation for the Southwest, pointing out a three-armed saguaro cactus. Although skeptical in her younger years, Audrey began to understand what he meant.
The Southwestern Identity
The sun’s descent marked six hours into their journey, but the beauty of Southwestern sunsets remained constant. Audrey reflected on the things she once scoffed at — the scorching summers, the stucco houses, and scorpion stings — now viewed with a sense of nostalgia and appreciation. The night sky enveloped their speeding car, and Audrey found herself grateful for the crisp winter air.
Upon reaching Albuquerque, the family was greeted warmly by relatives. Audrey took a moment to herself on the porch, embraced by the vast desert night, contemplating her Southwestern identity.
Returning to Phoenix by plane a few days later, Audrey gazed at the terracotta mountains below, now with a newfound pride in being a Southwesterner.
