Sophie Iffrig’s adventure across the west was much more than just a Christmas vacation; it was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and relatives 1,491 miles away.

Iffrig’s road trip began on December 19th with her mom, dad, and sister in their packed van. The first of their many stops was Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she visited her Aunt Betsy, Uncle Kurt, and two-year-old cousin Curtis. Together they visited the pool, zoo, and aquarium.

“The aquarium was fun, I saw lots of creatures that I don’t get to see in everyday life. I saw a ‘Nemo fish’ too!” explained Iffrig.

After visiting New Mexico, Iffrig spent time in Tucson, Arizona. There she stayed with an old family friend, Renee Waters. Renee was a past neighbor of the Iffrigs. She lived on the same street as them for about six or seven years. When asked about her, Iffrig stated that she was a very intelligent woman and a joy to be around.

“That’s where I stayed when I went to Arizona over the summer, it was fun!” explained Iffrig.

Later after spending time in Tucson, Iffrig, her family, and Waters traveled to Oro Valley, Arizona to visit Water’s boyfriend, Richard Wintory. There, Iffrig stayed for three days, from December 24th to the 26th.

“We went to a woodsy area where they [Iffrig’s mother, sister, and others] hiked. I stayed back in a cabin because we [Sophie] were desperate to communicate.”

Iffrig’s final stop was in Carlsbad, California. While in Carlsbad, Iffrig was unable to visit the beach due to the cold weather. However, one night she crossed the street to reach the beach and watched that night’s sunset.

“It was gorgeous, magnificent, amazing, so riveting. I could stare at it at all day, the colors were so vibrant. I felt a rush of joy through me as I watched the sunset.” said Iffrig.

Iffrig believes everyone should go on a road trip because, “You get to spend time with fun people and experience new places. For example, I experienced warmth prior to it being mid winter.”