I have never been to New Mexico. It is state number 49 of 50 for me so we were intentional about making sure we spent some time here during this adventure. I’m so thankful that we decided to spend three weeks in Santa Fe. The landscape, people and easy-going vibe are good for the soul. I have had a lot of waves of gratitude since we arrived on the 14th after a two day drive from Houston.
The first gratitude, was how absolutely lovely our place is. The closest co-location space for Dave to go to is 50 miles away, so it is nice to have a good sized table with a view of the mountains for him to work. He does miss a comfy computer chair though, very much.
Second, and I know this is going to come as a surprise to you, is the walkability. Having never been to New Mexico, we were trying to decide between Albuquerque and Santa Fe and after driving in the traffic of Albuquerque last week I’m so happy we chose Santa Fe. Even though it is a smaller town there are several restaurants, bars, shops and trails to explore.
Next, is the mountains. Being able to see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which I learned are part of the foothills to the Rockies, from pretty much anywhere in town, is something we haven’t experienced yet on this adventure, and it is wonderful. Being from Minnesota, seeing mountains is something that is definitely not lost on me.
Finally, I am grateful for the sunshine. Even though it is the coldest weather we’ve experienced thus far, mid 30s/ lower 40s, the sun that always seems to shine, is glorious. Again, being from Minnesota this is also something that is not lost on me. There, in the winter, we’ve been known to go over a month without seeing the sun. Then again, maybe the sun isn’t always shining here, it is my soul shining I’m feeling.
I’m additionally happy to have three weeks in Santa Fe because, even though I’ve technically been here 10 days, I’ve only spent five of them actually IN Santa Fe. That is because last Friday morning I had the privilege of flying to Cabo to see my dad and sisters! I hadn’t seen my sisters since our mother daughter trip to Cancun in November and I haven’t seen my dad since his visit to Charleston the beginning of December.
We took advantage of our time together by going whale watching with Salty Cabo Excursions and taking a water taxi from The Office to see The Arch, Neptune’s Finger, sea lions and several birds. We also enjoyed the amazing view and sunshine from our lovely VRBO that my sister researched tirelessly to find for us. Experiences are where it is at when it comes to my family and I didn’t take a minute of it for granted.
It was so wonderful to be together again. I am truly grateful that they were able to take the time out of their busy schedules to make it happen. I will say, that the goodbyes don’t get any easier though, especially since I won’t see my sisters again until we’re back in the Midwest in May. 😭
Luckily, I get to see my dad again in a couple weeks in Tuscon, AZ, where he’ll join us along with my mom and step-dad. This will be my first time seeing my step-dad since we left the end of August so I am very much looking forward to that reunion.
Dave finally gets to have an adventure of his own on Thursday, where he’ll meet five of his closest friends for a guy’s weekend in Vegas.
Don’t worry about me though because I have a friend coming to visit from CA and we get to have our own weekend adventure together in Taos! I haven’t see her since we left either and I cannot wait to experience Taos together! It has been on my list of places I have wanted to visit for years and I cannot wait to see the Pueblos and visit the artist communities that are sure to bring more positive energy.
I am very aware of how fortunate I am. For everything that I am see and do. Experience and feel. Good and bad. I am grateful for all the people that have been with me along the way, either in person or virtually. I just finished reading the book “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig which had a lot of incredible words of wisdom in it. The were several quotes that stood out to me;
“You don’t have to understand life, you just have to live it”
“The only way to learn is to live”
“Never underestimate the big importance of small things”
“It’s not what you look at that matters it is what you see”
and my own variation of one of the quotes is about the importance of love! You can do anything you want in life, “but it is all meaningless without love.”
A life without love, I can’t imagine it. I’d say, a life without love is not worth living. And, I hope with all my heart, every life is worth living. So I’ll just say, I am going to try and do everything with love, and gratitude.
Sending you love wherever you are!❤️❤️❤️
Ps I don’t know if it is just me coming off reading that book, and I have a new sense of how “weird/interesting” airports are. Where you choose to sit, who you choose to talk to. Lots of variables and outcomes. It’s fascinating.
