Do y'all ever forget New Mexico exists? It's not as forgettable as Oklahoma or Delaware, but oddly enough it's not as memorable as its neighbor Arizona. 
I certainly gave minimal thought to the state before my wonderful, beautiful, hip, adventurous, kindhearted, spiritual Aunt moved out there and a piece of my heart went, too. 
"Come visit" and "I should make a trip out" are such common filler phrases to throw into your bi-yearly text check-ins, but dog-gammit I made sure I'd follow through this time. 

I've traveled out of state, but rarely. And I had never designed a vacation for my own enjoyment. A family trip here, or a destination wedding there (see: MONTANA). Takeaway: learn to be selfish. It pays off. 
New Mexico became my first ever "just because I want to and because I deserve it and because I can" trip.
With the help and accompaniment of my cherished, loving, graceful, strong, goofy, capable friend Tasha, we orchestrated what would be one of the most enriching and meaningful nine days of my life.  

​

New Mexican beauty is vastly underrated. Used to the lush, green, flat horizons of Michigan, New Mexico threw my beauty standards for landscapes out the window (beauty standards of any kind = good riddance). Fields of cholla cactus and the occasional antelope. Mountains of red stone with (yes!) mountain goats. And tumble weeds. So many tumble weeds. I learned they're an entire species of their own; not just an accumulation of other dead plants?!

In May of 2022, much of northwest New Mexico was being ravaged by wildfires. This left a heavy smog in the air all across the state, and most of our destinations were closed due to fire risk. Learning to pivot, Tasha and I found plenty to do. From the little oasis that is my Aunt's home, to the mountainous lands of Taos, to the ruins of Chaco - a cultural mecca. My favorite spot, although not pictured below, was a tiny town called Madrid. To the locals, that is "Mad-drid" not "Muh-drid". It was only the size of a small bend in the road, but tucked in tightly with colorful shops and business. A surprising burst of liberalism and art amidst the vastness of open rural country. For such a small place, it was bursting with life. 

Overall, we found that to be the way of New Mexico everywhere; bursting with life and culture. And entirely unforgettable. 

​