A New Bloom

Howdy!Yes, I am still here. It’s been a while since last I wrote but there has been a lot going on (How often have you heard that from me?! I know, but it’s true). As I mentioned those few months back, I am now full-time at my university. I’ve had to take a hard look at all the things I’d been doing over the past five years to decide what I should hold on to and what I should either let go of completely or pull back on significantly.I needed to honestly determine what ‘quality of life’ and ‘work-life balance’ look like.In the midst of my pondering, I had to travel to the university campus to teach for a week; one of my colleagues lives in New Mexico and we talked a bit about Albuquerque. I drove through it on Rt. 40 as I made my way to Southern California and wished I’d had time to stop.If I had, I might be writing this to you from there.Albuquerque has some similarities to where I am now. Part of the Mother Road (Rt. 66) runs through it. There are parts of the original 66 that can be seen from Rt. 40, just like you can see parts of the original stretch here along Rt. 15. I live a stone’s throw from Rt. 66 and had I stayed in Albuquerque, I imagine I would have tried to find a home close to it there. Something about the history of that path across the nation speaks to me.Beyond that, it is an old city. It’s founding dates it to the early 1700s, but its indigenous history pre-dates that by quite a bit (the Pueblo peoples have lived in the Rio Grande basin since many years BC). Having moved west from a town that pre-dated Philadelphia, you know I love that.Not that anyone asked, but I think I’d like Rio Rancho or the East Mountains area for the cultural connection and desert atmosphere. Both are higher in elevation than where I live now but keep a warm climate all year at their lower elevations.I’m not considering a move (at least not today … tomorrow, who knows?) but would love to visit at some point. Those areas, Rio Rancho and East Mountains, offer incredible views, outdoor activities, musical entertainment (from what I hear, there’s a jazz festival that comes to East Mountains), and even a tram ride (the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram). Maybe when I get an urge to take a long drive, I’ll hop on Rt. 66 and take it all the way. I might just check the homes for sale in Albuquerque on my way.If I make the trip, I’ll be sure to take photos and tell you all about it.

So where do you want to go, if even just for a little while?