What My Past Year Has Been Like

Shifting from

* doubt into certainty;

* a hot humid Texas environment into a cool dry New Mexican one;

* a demanding business schedule into a more fluid one; and, last but certainly not least;

* nearly balanced health into totally unbalanced health, and then back again into more-than-ever-balanced health – a real lesson in, ahem, balance . . .

Let me explain. Today, April 3^rd, 2009, is the one-year anniversary of the most major move of my life. After being a life-long Texan, born in San Antonio, I catapulted myself, and all that goes with me (furry, fluffy, and otherwise), into a totally new and foreign environment. Of necessity. I couldn’t take the Texas humidity and heat any more, and I was way isolated physically from friends and friendly environs, even though living on the ranch of my dreams in the Hill Country of Central Texas. Not to mention that I really needed to move somewhere where people had a lot of open-mindedness about politics, religion, art, sexuality, and all that stuff.

So, where did I end up? Santa Fe, New Mexico, of course. The quintessential artistic yet ethnic locale in our nation, probably – small yet complete with lots of percs I’ve been missing, like organic produce, art galleries galore, and real Indians on every corner.

I actually live about 25 miles south of the city, a mile out of town from the almost-capitol of New Mexico, a ghost town by the name of Cerrillos, located on Hwy. 14 (aka “The Turquoise Trail”). Since I have horses I needed land, so I’m on 40 acres in the foothills of the Ortiz Mountains, in the Galisteo Basin, known for its ancient pueblo ruins and for all the past mining activity of the many ores that abound in these parts. In fact Madrid, an old mining burg and now famous tourist town (helped along by the recent movie, “Wild Hawgs,” with John Travolta, is only 5 minutes and 3 miles from my door).

So what’s it like living in the high desert of Northern New Mexico? Amazing, inspiring, and not for the faint of heart. The energy here is intense and carries with it its own emphatic demands and subtle nuances. It took some time for us all to adjust, and many things happened which I’m sure I will share off and on in this blog, but we are all the better for it now, in every way, and thrilled to be living on this sacred land. It was the right move, and we really belong and fit in here.

Here’s our front door. Happy Anniversary to me and my entire New Mexico family!