Hello World... It's Me

Hello World...
Yes, it's been a while. Do you mind if we don't talk about that? I'd rather focus on here and now. I wouldn't mind telling you about the awesome trip we took to celebrate our 20th Anniversary however.

Bucket List Item

It's been a long time desire of mine to visit New Mexico. I love the southwestern architecture, those tan adobe structures with their colorful turquoise window trim and doors. I love the rich culture and history the state represents. And who doesn't appreciate a warm dry climate when you hail from the Pacific North WET.

So when our 20th anniversary was approaching and we started talking about what to do to celebrate-- and we agreed it should be something special-- something bigger than a weekend away-- New Mexico topped the list.

We flew into Albuquerque on a Saturday evening, rented a car and spent the next 7 days touring the state. We crammed as much as we could into each day without exhausting ourselves. It was WONDERFUL.

We toured the heart of the major cities (Albuquerque, Santa Fe) taking in guided tours, museums, national parks and mysterious wonders.

We drove along the historic Route 66, poked around in cute little touristy shops, climbed into Cave Dwellings from ancient times at Bandelier National Monument, and learned more about the National Lab of Los Alamos. We tried Pinon Coffee, and juiced our taste buds with Hatch chilies!

We stood in awe in the Loretto Chapel and gazed at the miraculous spiral stairway. We saw one of the oldest standing missions and oldest adobe home.

We admired amazing rock formations and breathed in deep the smell of pinons and roasted peppers. We toured the UFO Museum in Roswell and had a close encounter.

We celebrated our actual anniversary day with a scrumptious dinner and a relaxing stay in a very lovely suite in Carlsbad.

 We toured Whites City and Carlsbad Caverns. We made a pit stop in a itty bitty city in Texas and learned about bottomless lemonade. We toured the 'other' town of Deming and made comparisons.

There was some adjustments needed for the much much higher altitude and the drier climate. We learned that at every place we ate we'd be asked if we wanted 'Red' or 'Green' or 'Christmas', meaning what color chili sauce did we want. We learned there is a distinct difference between Mexican food and NEW Mexican food but it's all delicious!

We visited dear friends, shopped, watched a parade, and saw balloons filling the skies from the balloon festival. In the hours of longer drives we listened to books on tape and every once in while we'd just enjoy the companionable silence that being married 20 years can bring.

We rested, we recreated, we romanced. We laughed, we played, we wined and dined. We truly celebrated the gift of marriage and the gift of each other. It was a great vacation.

Upon returning home, the sogginess of Fall in the PNW has fully descended. The nights come quicker now and it's dark when we wake up. This is the time of year I dread, much as I love Autumn. When we change our clocks back an hour it really kicks in for me and I am glad that I gave in and added to my anti-depressant regime. That seems to be slowly getting better... still fighting some lethargy and anxiety but I know this just takes time.