My stay in New Mexico was only a short time in my life, but it was a time that offered some of the best lessons. I’ve had this era on my brain quite often lately because I’m realizing Ohio is becoming a transformative place for me. The road to 40 has been interesting, and New Mexico was one stop I’ll never forget.
I moved to Artesia, New Mexico after a long term relationship ended, my job changed a bit, and I badly wanted out of Texas. I was excited because work paid for the move, which saved me hundreds of dollars, and ensured I got the place I wanted. I got settled into one of my favorite apartments I’ve ever had - the layout was perfect - and hunkered down for a year in New Mexico. I moved to town during a blizzard, and that was a trip I’ll never forget because it went painfully slow to get there and my mattress froze inside the U-Haul. My brave coworker came over and helped me unload things I couldn’t manage alone and I began to set everything up and get cozy. I was stranded for a whole week, without my car or dog, because flights out of Roswell were grounded due to the storm. I borrowed a work truck to get around and finally got back to Texas to get my dog and my car. Life in New Mexico was off to an exciting start.
The life in New Mexico was instantly enhanced by coworkers that became friends. We had dinners several times per month, took off on weekends to the mountains to go camping, and hunted for rocks and caves quite often. I was so lucky to have made these life-changing friendships, as it hasn’t really happened with coworkers at this level before. I treasure these people, still, and look forward to the times when we can reunite and resume our adventurous ways.
New Mexico is way more beautiful than I had ever thought - not that I thought it was ugly, I just didn’t know much about it. I lived in the southeast corner between Carlsbad and Roswell. Carlsbad Caverns became a staple in my life, as did finding caves all over the area with my new friends. I visited White Sands a few times and finally got to see Guadalupe Mountains. I explored the forests and the mountains from Cloudcroft up to Santa Fe. I saw brilliant fall colors, camped in the snow in May, and had a soak in a hot spring off the Rio Grande. The state is epic and beautiful and I long to go back and see more.
Before I ever lived there, I would go camping up near Albuquerque and Santa Fe in the mountains. It always rained, but the trees were big and the weather a bit cooler so it felt worth it. I revisited these areas a few times after moving there and really took them in. I camped at 10,000 feet and would wake up to expansive views. I hiked ridges, learned how to camp in my Outback (with my dog), and really embraced camping without the amenities or people. There was often no cell service, certainly no electricity, and most definitely no running water and I loved it. Camping was always a favorite thing, but New Mexico helped develop that into a true passion.
Over the course of my year in New Mexico, I truly started to find the things that made me tick. Camping, road tripping, craft beer, wide open night skies, endless views, simple trips with friends, and so on. I also learned that I loved solitude and quiet time. I learned that I love being unreachable and detached. I learned what I needed from others, refined what I could offer others, and truly found joy in every single day. I learned that I liked slow running and could c ook. I found out that people enjoy me and I am ridiculously goofy. I rediscovered old parts of me that either went dormant or unappreciated. New Mexico started to heal me, and put me on this journey of self-rediscovery.
My favorite memories are with my friends or my aunt. We would go camping and this one trip we rented cabins at this old scout camp. It was a rainy day, and there was a pavillion so we took over. We were the only people at this place, so we were painting and eating and dancing and having the best time. I just remember taking shots of Minnesota whiskey I recently brought back and drinking pickle beers. I don’t remember everything, but it was a hoot. My aunt and I would get a cabin and have bonfires. Other friends would come and we’d get a good campsite in the woods and stare up at the sky through the trees. There was no shortage of love, fun, and overall good times when hanging in New Mexico.
I’ll never forget the times in the Land of Enchantment, and I’m so glad I have people there I can visit. Ohio, surprisingly, is picking up where New Mexico and the PNW left off. I’m learning more about me, what I want in life, and how to appreciate the beautiful places to camp and hike. New Mexico made me fall in love with new landscapes, new ways of life, and myself and I’ve landed in Ohio to continue the journey.
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