Westin Kierland Villas Offer 5 Star Experience
Flying is one activity that I do not think I will ever become accustomed to. I have no fears of flying, but rather, every time I get in the air I am awed by the beauty that is the sky and everything below it. From the grandiose mountain tops covered with snow, to the flat plains that seem to stretch on for miles that last an eternity. Even the soft downy clouds that encapsulate the airplane itself, it all mesmerizes me every single time I fly.
The last time I got off of an airplane, the beauty around me exceeded that of which I saw in the sky. Arizona was unchartered territory for me, and in the beginning of January I was not sure what to expect from this new state. Breathing in the air it felt clean and crisp through my nose, a very different atmosphere than that of the New Jersey smog I have been familiarized with my entire life. The sun was radiant and exposed every beautiful hill and mountain top in the distance. My whole life I thought Arizona would be flat, but I was amazed when everywhere I went I was surrounded by the vast mountain ranges that seemed to hover over the valley of Phoenix.
The Westin Kierland Hotel and Resort
Home for the next two weeks was a personalized luxury villa from the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale. Not only was the villa immaculate, but the services that they offered did not disappoint either. All of the amenities made me feel like I was living in paradise:
• A five star spa
• Round the clock room service
• A professional level golf course

Personal Experiences
Every morning I would walk out onto my balcony with a steaming cup of coffee and watch the sun rise over the mountain tops. The deep midnight blue sky would quickly give way to a more pale sky blue, before the sky itself exploded into peachy pinks, yellows that looked like little canaries flitting across the atmosphere and eventually bursts of fiery red mixed into the other colors in the most exquisite way. The sun made its way down the mountain side and began illuminating the grassy fields below me. These mornings spent on my balcony were some of the most peaceful of my life; the silence was not eerie, there was a sweet comfort in the calm hush of the world, with only the rustling of the animals in the trees, and birds calling out to one another could be heard.
Other Aspects of Arizona
As the days wore on my excitement for Arizona only grew. The early January weather was warm enough to go hiking along the trails of South Mountain Park without a jacket. Never in my life have I encountered so many cacti and dry bushes, they seemed to pop up every two feet. My favorite to admire were the cacti that were several feet tall, with their arms stretching high as if they were trying to reach the heavens themselves. Every now and then a small critter would rustle the bushes around me and peak its head out to see who was trespassing among their own little territory. To my surprise Arizona is home to wild rabbits! These rabbits greatly differ from the rabbits I have seen running across New Jersey; the rabbits were significantly smaller than any I have ever seen in the wild, but their ears were enormous compared to their tiny little bodies. As disproportional as they were, they were still endearing to watch roam around in their natural habitats.