"either way it's okay to wake up with yourself"- billy joel

my time spent in new mexico has been amazing. i am not sure i have the words for all that i have seen or felt since arriving. i have learned so much already. i will always cherish this time spent here and some great new friends.

our friends duane and flo took us to the jemez hot springs! i could move out here for hot springs alone--my new favorite thing!

the van is awesome, but i wouldn't mind living in this here cave either

we were at the spence hot springs, which had a nice hike to. it soon became over run by a multitude of chocolate labs, like my nephew dublin! their were five total, including two puppies. awwww!! note to self: self, baby chocolate labs look like otters when in the water, but they are in fact dogs, not otters. 

i could have stayed at the hot springs all day. it was so relaxing and just what we needed!

it is truly amazing, not only have we not killed each other but we are still in love!

on a lovely sunday afternoon, new friend to me (authors note: eric knows everyone.) nick organized a house concert. we visited nick and selena's place a few nights earlier and i left completely inspired. dedication to art, ones own art is certainly a strength in character. a challenging battle i can relate to. nick and armando (check out his band!) opened things up, their was delicious food and a very pleasant listening crowd. 

we went to corvalis, nm to visit the lovely anna and her precious dog baby, knuckle. anna took us on a lovely walk through the bosque. 

knuckle!!!

it feels so good to be out in nature as much as we are. i realize now what a priority that needs to be. we get to watch a beautiful sunset as the mountains become pink, but only for a brief time.

the hiking crew: knuckle, anna, court, duane, eric and flo

we woke up one morning to find snow outside the trailer. good thing i packed those long johns…it was actually really beautiful. we were headed to cerillos, nm with duane and flo. solid peeps, the weather didn't slow them down for even a second, we were going! i dig their spirit. how rare to find a couple whom you enjoy both members equally and with such great amount? 

i fucking love this girl

cerillos is flo's home town, which i feel so lucky to receive such insider perspective.

and flo's family is a huge part of cerillos. they own and run the case grande trading post and petting zoo, which is fantastic in so many ways. lucky for us, her dad, todd agreed to take us turquoise mining. i can now add this experience to the list of many 'firsts' that i will experience in new mexico.

the mining crew!

it is so remote and looking for turquoise is strangely relaxing. 

we return to todd and pat's house. we visit the petting zoo and of course, more making out with animals!

todd then took some of the turquoise we found and cut it down for us. this may have been the most frightening thing i have seen.

please don't cut your hand off todd!

i couldn't help but feel extremely nervous with expectations of amputated digits, except that todd is a professional and clearly has lots of experience with these tools. just goes to show you what goes into the precious gems you wear on your body….someone out there takes on huge risks so you can wear that!

the petting zoo

we then go into the cerillos museum, which had some really cool artifacts and such rich history.

i love this pic

old shit

we found turquoise!

it was such a lovely day…we also visited a nearby town, madrid. madrid is a quirky little artsy mountain town. i think it may be my favorite. 

we had lunch at a cute place, the mine shaft tavern. i got my first taste of calabacitas! 

the cooks: baffled by my vegan order

we walked around the town for a while and visit some shops. we then went to coolest cemetery i have ever seen (sorry bona venture, you have now been trumped.)

i really enjoyed visiting madrid. but then it was back to the ABQ for some r &r.

i have truly love our little home in albuqurque. i am amazed by how this little trailer is so comfortable. it really feels like home. i have also enjoyed interacting with the chickens, i can't get over what egg-laying machines they are! funny little creatures…

i have been doing lots of crocheting and cooking, some of my favs! although i am seriously lacking in skills, i attempt foosball for the sake of eric as he loves it so much!

we got up early one day to hike the foothills of the sadias mountains. it was so beautiful. i could really get used to hikes like this…

as with most hikes i go on with eric, it wouldn't be right if i didn't almost die trying to keep up with some sort of climbing eric's 6'2" legs can manage. 

thanks for this hat, flo!

we spend some great evenings with duane and flo, playing games, imbibing, discussing and listening to music. 

we then head to santa fe!

we partake in some edibles on the drive and seem to find our own playground within santa fe. the plaza, great people watching. we came across this gallery with kinetic sculptures. they also featured an amazing artist that made chairs out of rocks and iron. they were surprisingly comfortable! 

we then started a game where we would take turns mimicking the next statue within site: hilarity ensued.

we stayed with the gracious alex and giancarlo, who were both so welcoming and interesting. after a long day of walking the town, i take a cat nap, literally, with mr. furley.

the next morning, we went to the farmers market where i enjoyed a delicious vegan breakfast burrito. i was tempted by some home made beauty products, but i remained strong as we are on a tight budget after all. i got a great book at a thrift store in abq on how to make all types of cosmetic things so we will see how this works.

we then decide to head up to taos on the recommendation of well, everyone. our friend nick's (that hosted the house concert) one band of many was playing in the nearby arroyo hondo that night. we walked around taos all day and i scored some found sunglasses! they are pretty sweet too! on our way out of taos, we decided to go to the mamby hot springs, on eric's memory.

it is going to be hard to top this moment: hiked a bit in a canyon, to a beautiful and remote hotsprings, in which we would enjoy butt naked with other people. it was so rustic, so calming, so wonderful. one college kid had his iPod and some little speakers…we enjoyed sam beam and subtle sounds of wind. it was heavenly!

nekkid!

we hiked out just as it got dark, which man, everything sure changes once it gets dark. we dried off and put on warm clothes, heading to the bar to see nick's band. they were awesome! starting with a drum circle, which got everyone fired up. eric worked the door and i just observed the awesome dancing of the majority of the patrons. it was my kind of place! an introspective evening for me though, i enjoyed just watching. 

it was tough to do all that we wanted, the georgia o'keefe museum closing early because of easter and we never made it out to ghost ranch either. i have to keep telling myself that i can't do it all and that i will be back to the land of enchantment as it has truly enchanted me.

our awesome hosts, alex and giancarlo!

then we got to meet up with one of my friends from high school, john. we enjoyed some delicious beer at the second street brewery where john brews the beer! it was fantastic! it was really nice visiting, nice to know john is indeed, still a very cool guy.

we then got to see alex's show at the new mexico university of art and design, where she is a photography professor. it was great!

then back to albuqurque!

it is bittersweet to leave. i am so excited at seeing more friends out in california, but i have so enjoyed the exploration and relaxation new mexico has provided. i feel so full of ideas and the wheels in my brain constantly spinning. we have a delicious farewell dinner at sadies with duane and flo, i sure am going to miss them!

we hit the road in the morning, i have replenished some of our food supply. we have been doing quite well with our budget, prioritizing beer and wine of course! i feel we have been sensible, but never deprived. it is amazing how little you actually need. 

i am easing into this life quite nicely. stay tuned for the california adventures!! 

since i am in fact out west, i shall close with the ever cheesy: be well.

"strangers on this road we are on, we are not two we are one"-the kinks

on our way to albuqurque, eric wants to show me cadillac ranch in amarillo, tx. 

Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas, U.S. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm, and it consists of what were (when originally installed during 1974) either older running used or junkCadillac automobiles, representing a number of evolutions of the car line (most notably the birth and death of the defining feature of early Cadillacs; the tail fin) from 1949 to 1963, half-buried nose-first in the ground, at an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

we hop the fence and head out to these cars in the middle of a farm field.

i think those pants are still muddy 

it was pretty cool to see. so off we are, set out for albuqurque.

i have never seen landscape like this.

so then, on my leg of the drive, of course, we are just cruising along and all of a sudden, POP! the tire blows out. we are in the middle of nowhere. within minutes, super hot cop, katie earle shows up. she was just the sweetest thing. she says we are in a bad spot to be pulled over, that the local AAA lady is a jerk, jacks up the prices. she recommends a tire place, makes some calls. she waits with us, averting traffic from our path. she also gives food recommendations. we are in the town of tucumcari, nm. 

it is like straight out of the movie 'cars', complete with our own tow mater, bobby. 

he loads up our van and we pile in his pink cab that has 'all-rite towing' spray painted on the side. tow mater bobby drives us through town, pointing out 'murials' painted on the sides of gas stations. he drops us off at the tire place and in no time, we have a $20 used tire on the van and we are back on the road. yeee haw, muthafuckers.

we get into abq and get settled in at karl's house, as he is the main reason for our trip, his marriage to the charming megan. there is a lively party at kingsley's house, where i get to meet all types of eric's friends from college. you know you are out west when you can get acupuncture at party!

the following day is in fact the big day. the calm coolness of karl makes me reconsider marriage, only briefly though. he is quite handy; cutting the door for the newly finished bathroom mere hours before his nuptials. i get dropped off at a hotel to catch a bus to the volcano where the wedding is held. as i walk up the volcano, which is really just a small mountain for all of us yankees, i see my beautiful baby and his guitar. 

go tell it on the mountain, nassau

the few songs that eric was requested to play, neil young's 'albuqurque' and the kinks 'strangers' would remain in my head for the rest of the weekend.

the view from the top

mini: this little girl was our love child!

all the peeps climb up the volcano for the weddin'

the bride and groom make the trek up the center of the volcano together as their friends and family await them.

they recite poems and love and before you know, they kiss and we are all walking back down the volcano. it was really beautiful.

we then go over to hotel albuqurque for the reception. 

the amazing: Lee

we would be scolded for attempting to 'swim' in above pool later in the evening.

it was beautiful and charming, much like karl and megan. all in a attendance were kind and friendly. i collapse into our trailer home at the end of the night. worn out from entirely too much fun.

the following day, was like an after-wedding brunch that went well into the evening. i was impressed with the burquenos commitment. they know how to brunch!

complete with burritos and a mariachi band! they rocked!

much to the disappointment of the children, this indestructible piñata was for adults: stuffed with mini liquor bottles!


we played music and foosball in the afternoon sun. i love it here!

the next day, we took a trip up to a native american reservation, the acoma pueblo.

A federally recognized Indian Tribe, Acoma Pueblo has a land base covering 431,664 acres and is home to 4,800 tribal members with more than 250 dwellings, none of which have electricity, sewer, or water. In 1629, construction began on the massive San Esteban del Rey Mission, a Catholic mission.  Both the Mission and the Pueblo are Registered National Historical Landmarks.

Acoma Pueblo is built atop a sheer-walled, 367-foot sandstone bluff in a valley studded with sacred, towering monoliths. Since 1150 A.D., Acoma Pueblo has earned the reputation as the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America.  The mesa-top settlement is known worldwide for its unique art and rich culture.

it was so peaceful up on top of the mesa. this town is even older than lamu! so primitive, but the people, who have to deal with tours going through their little town were surprisingly super nice. i suppose they have had great lessons in tolerance over the years...

it was a really cool thing to experience. it felt like we boarded a time machine!

we decided to climb down, which was a great idea as we got to see a different perspective of the pueblo. climbing the mesa was always the traditional way of entering acoma, but they now have a road. occasionally, weather prohibits travel on the road, so the 'stairway' is still used today.

the next day we took to regroup from all the activity of late. there is a wonderful co-op down the street and it was so nice to do some cooking again! i am getting to be pretty damn good at the art of the laundry in the sink method. we cleaned out the trailer, organized our gear and just sort of relaxed. we then decided to go for a bike ride to a nearby nature center to see about volunteer opportunities. barely on the path for a half mile, eric veers off for only a few minutes to get his tires covered in goat heads! also known as the puncture vine...and for very good reason: when we pulled the thorn-looking things out of eric's tires, you could hear the air escape immediately. sucks! we then take the following day going to the bike shop. they have special goat head resistant tires. no way! i am sure we will be back again when they strike my purple beauty. along with the bike shop, we proceed to go to the plentiful thrift stores in town. i scored an awesome book on all natural cosmetics and some sweet communal sunglasses. (i claimed to have bought all 99 cents of them for eric, shhhhhhhh). as we admire our purchases and relax in the trailer, plans are in the works with my new friend, flo to accompany her to a knitting group she attends. and it's wednesday: girls night! (i will always love you, mini! our GNOs will always be in a separate chamber of my heart!) she also teaches belly dancing class afterwards. despite it being an advanced class, my new motto is 'always say yes' so i do. the knitting group is great, we stop at a cute yarn store and then head over to a coffee shop in knob hill to work on our wares. LOVE! despite never attempting belly dancing, i go to a dance studio with some lovely, although very dedicated dancers. i look like a total moron, but who cares! it was fun! i think i may have to add: learn belly dancing to my list of things i want to do this year. it is really adding up so fast...sometimes, i catch myself wanting to shove my whole life into this 'free' time i currently have. ahh, the ever elusive balance! how i strive for thee! i must remember that i have a lifetime to master the autoharp (and at this rate, i'll need it!) and that by design, i will prioritize the things that are important.

right now those things are:

-make thank you notes for africa donors

-learn how to play the autoharp

-maintain this blog (kind of, ugh!)

-learn to crochet some badass socks

-practice sign language

-ride my bike as much as possible

-love my partner fully

and of course, more is added every day. but it is all so exciting. we are sort of plotting our next bold moves: hot springs, hiking and the long awaited visit to santa fe are on the horizon. i feel so inspired, healthy and most importantly, very happy! i wish the same for all of you!