This year for spring break, instead of lying around the house watching TV, my mom and I flew to Arizona, where it was sunny and about 80 degrees, to visit my siblings and nephew.

In Tucson, our first destination, we stayed with my brother, Billy; sister-in-law, Jessica; and 5-year-old nephew, Elias. The three of them moved to Tucson so Jessica could attend the University of Arizona. But they plan to move back to Lawrence this summer. While there, I played miniature golf, the Cootie bug game and with “Star Wars” toys. We also went to Bladeworld to watch a game of roller derby: a sport of women, dressed in fishnet tights and short skirts, kicking and pushing each other to avoid being passed by the opposite team’s “jammer.” Jessica, Billy and Elias had gone to the derby before, but I never had even heard of the sport. We watched not only the game, but the “fights” at halftime. In these “fights,” players with the most fouls competed in events such as pillow fights and chariot races. This was definitely the most interesting event on the trip.

Four days after our arrival in Tucson, we drove back to Phoenix to stay with my sister, Carol, and her husband, Jack, who have lived there for more than 10 years. In Phoenix, I spent a lot of time lying around the house, sleeping and watching TV as I tried to shake some sort of illness. Once I was feeling better, my mom and I pampered ourselves by getting pedicures. I got my favorite color, light blue, with a flower. My mom and Carol got the usual: pink and red.

Since Carol hates to cook, we went out to eat nearly every night, indulging in authentic Mexican food. The four of us also attended a salsa competition, where we could taste as many salsas as we wanted for free. To vote for the salsa we liked best, we put a dollar in the jar. There was live music, and all the proceeds went to research to find a cure for hemophilia. In my opinion, Schouten’s Shoutin’ Salsa was the best by far. It wasn’t too chunky, and there was some spice in the aftertaste. My mom and Carol, on the other hand, loved El Penasco’s salsa verde. Sadly, the day after that was our trip back to Kansas.

After sleeping in all week, I had to be dragged out of bed to catch our plane. I always look forward to the trips I take every few months to Arizona, and this one was especially fun.