Trip to Arcosanti

My fourth time visiting Arcosanti, and Maya’s first time. For my birthday June, 2021.

We met this man who has lived at Arcosanti for 15 (or was it 20?) years. He told us about how fast the temperatures in Arizona are rising. When Arcosanti was being built in the 70s, the average summer highs were in the 90°s. Now it averages like 15° hotter. Paolo Soleri had predicted climate change, but he underestimated how fast.

Some things had changed since my last visit. Like there were all these new experimental single-person sized structures out on the cliffs behind the compound. They were built by Taliesin architecture students during the pandemic.

Bag Maya made for my birthday

We drove to Sedona one day during our trip, and stopped at the Coffee Pot restaurant, where I had eaten before. There was another out-of-place looking couple there and I recognized the girl from the internet. She was a photographer whose work I always loved, Caroline Tompkins. We stopped them as they were leaving and I told her that I recognized her. They were also planning on going swimming that day and I knew a spot, so they met us there.

Kevin and Caroline

Caroline brought her camera, and I was really fascinated watching her take photographs. She got Kevin to hold a towel as a reflector. I noticed how she always asked if she could take a portrait, and then she would give directions for posing. I’ve never been very good about that. I’m always afraid to disturb the intimacy of a natural moment by transforming it into a photoshoot. But I felt good to be asked “can I take your picture?” It created more intimacy, actually, feeling like I was the focus of her attention while I sat for her. I liked being told what to do.

After the swim and hike, they followed us back to Arcosanti. They had never been there before, so we showed them around. Then we made dinner and hung out and they left late.

There’s something elusive about people in their 30s to me in my early 20s… Maya and I found it very interesting to spend quality time with a couple their age.

On the drive back to LA we were beside this truck transporting smaller trucks for a few miles. I couldn’t stop wishing I could be inside that cabin. Sitting at an angle like that, my gaze pointed towards the sky. Blurry plastic floor to ceiling window at my back.