Warning: Really mundane and pointless.
It’s almost always sunny here. The most ‘blah’ New Mexico sunsets would be spectacular elsewhere. You can see for miles on a clear day. The night skies are jaw-dropping clear and crisp. During sunsets, the land seems to literally glow red.
The people are nice. They’re mellow, laid back, and willing to talk to other people. I grew up in New Jersey, where people rush because if they don’t, apparently, they’ll drop dead or something. You can relax here.
There’s a trail up a mountain no more than two minutes from my dorm. Need I say more?
Art. Art is everywhere here. You can go into the plaza, walk around, look at the expensive but gorgeous paintings and jewelry and wish you could afford it. There really is a mixing of cultures here, and you can see it all around. Everything’s bilingual.
Going to work or town, it takes half the time to get there as it does to get back. On the way down, I don’t actually need to use the pedals on my bike if I don’t want.
The food. You can duck into a tiny, family-owned mexican restaurant and get a sinful amount of insanely good food for absurdly little money. ‘Green or red’ is a profound question, but either answer is tasty.
There are drawbacks here. The distinct lack of oxygen, for one. The buses are always late and no one really cares. Drunk drivers. Insane weather. An absurd number of non-New Mexicans think we are not, in fact, part of the US. The tourists.
I never actually liked where I grew up. By the time I graduated high school, I was more than ready to get the hell away and never go back. Living someplace nice is, well, nice.
