I feel like traveling gives new meaning/ understanding to what “the flow” is. I have heard the phrase “go with the flow” for as long as I can remember. Only in adulthood though have I actually thought about what that actually means. What is the flow and how do I go with it?
There are many ways to define what going with the flow, or being in it, really means. And of course it means different things to different people. I think that the past couple months especially have taught me what it means to me. I have for a while now been using phrases like “don’t worry about things you can’t control” and “don’t give power or energy to things that don’t serve you.” I feel like both of those have everything to do with being in the flow. I think this realization will really help me, moving forward, to enjoy the ride, and like I’ve been saying all along, to stay present and intentional.
This was good realization as our Air Bnb that we had reserved a while ago for the next two weeks in Phoenix canceled on Sunday, because of a leak, and we spent the next four hours trying to devise a new plan. We are mixing things up a little bit and are now we are going to be able to spend some time in Palm Springs, which is perfect for its proximity to Joshua Tree, which we were hoping to be able to visit on our way to LA. So, even though that wasn’t our initial plan, we weren’t meant to be in Phoenix for two weeks, and it is all going to work out!
The rest of our time spent in Santa Fe was truly magical and I was very sad to leave. Before picking up my friend from the airport in Albuquerque on the 26th I did some exploring of my own. I went to The Range Cafe in Bernalillo where Obama ate and enjoyed the huevos rancheros with green chili sauce. Then I visited Petroglyph National Monument which was super cool. “Petroglyph National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago.” (https://www.nps.gov/petr/index.htm) Finally I visited the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. I feel like it was important for me to take time to learn more about the history of the Indigenous Peoples of New Mexico and I am so happy I did.
My friend and I had an amazing time in Taos together and it was good for my soul to see her. We visited the Chimayo, “Considered to be an important Catholic pilgrimage center, El Santuario de Chimayó, is known for its side chapel where the dirt floor is reputed to have healing powers”, Taos Pueblo and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, which we found out after the fact was featured in the movie Natural Born Killers. We did a little shopping and ate at Love Apple. It was truly a wonderful time.
After our trip to Taos we had one week left in Santa Fe and I definitely took advantage of it! On Monday I went and saw the new Mean Girls movie and then visited this amazing sanctuary/ spa/ restaurant that was recommended to me by a friend called Ten Thousand Waves. I ate at Izanami the izakaya style restaurant at the spa and it was absolutely delicious. I had the bibimbap which was served in a “500 degree stone bowl with vegetables, romero farm’s RAW organic “red chile” egg, angus beef over rice. mix it all up to cook the egg” and it was delicious. The bartender mentioned that he had actually studied to become a saki sommelier alongside the owner of Moto I in Minneapolis! Small world.
On Tuesday I went to Bandelier National Monument and it was truly spectacular. I know that I have said this before but New Mexico made me feel like my soul was expanding. And just when I thought that it couldn’t get more beautiful I visited a place like Bandelier. “Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of ruggedly beautiful canyon and mesa country. Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities. The Ancestral Pueblo people lived here from approximately 1150 CE to 1550 CE. They built homes carved from the volcanic tuff and planted crops in mesa top fields.” (https://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm)
I arrived at Bandelier right after it opened and it was a perfect day to explore. I basically had the place to myself and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I took the Main Pueblo Loop trail from the visitors center that brought me past Big Kiva which is an underground room, Tyuonyi which had at one time over 400 rooms, The Talus house, the Long House which had petroglyphs and was like an apartment building built into the cliff, and I was even able to climb a ladder and go inside some of the dwellings. It was awe-inspiring!
On Wednesday I met my friend who lives in ABQ in the funky town on the Turquoise Trail called Madrid (pronounced mad-rid). It was so nice to be able to spend some more quality time with her before we left and Madrid was a fun place to do it. I got a delicious dirty chai at Java Junction, we had lunch at the Mine Shaft Tavern and then we walked around the town and visited a few of the shops that were open. On our way home we went to Beer Creek Brewery together and that was a fun place with delicious beer and incredible people.
I am so thankful for the time that we had in New Mexico. There is something truly special about that state and it is unlike any other I have visited. I am still trying to figure out what the secret is to how every single person we interacted with there was so incredibly genuine, easy-going and friendly. After exploring Albuquerque and Taos I feel even more grateful for our choice to stay in Santa Fe. I feel like the cities were like a Three Little Bears situation for me. ABQ was too big, Taos-albeit beautiful-was too small and Santa Fe was just right. Lets just say I now understand why New Mexico is called the land of enchantment and I cannot wait to go back!
We are now in Tucson, we arrived on Saturday in time for dinner, and it has been wonderful to have this time with my mom and step-dad. who are here for the month. The weather the first couple days was gorgeous, sunny and warm. We were able to hike and visit Sabino Canyon where I just can’t get enough of the Saguaro cacti. I feel like they look like people dancing and I even found one that looked like it was hugging the one next to it that I discovered last year.
We were able to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her on Monday and I hope the rain stops at some point before we leave on Saturday so that I can visit Saguaro National Park as well.
Our friends from Minnesota are coming to meet us in Phoenix on Saturday and we’re going to go to Sedona, which has also been on my list for a long time, for the night. We’ll be able to see another set of Aunts and Uncles and cousins while we’re there along with close friends. It should be a wonderful time! I am truly thankful for being able to be in the flow with whatever happens. Sending you love wherever you are!
