i am new mexico.

this seems presumptuous, but i am going to say these words very clearly: i am new mexico--estoy nuevo mexico. 

not n'alins (aka new orleanian), not texan (nor do i remember this part of my life), not catalaky (aka north carolinian), nor even virginian (aka east coast snob).

no, i have shed those skins, and am completely reborn here in new mexico: i am new mexican. this transformation has come thoroughly, and essentially, not without its challenges and troubles. i still have a virginia license, and plates to match, for one... (i do try to convince others that i am changing this all real soon.)

when did this happen? how did this happen? these are very good questions, to which, i can answer, it was from the inside out. you see, since i moved here in march 2012, i have slowly been growing into my new life here, and from the first day, my heart has rung truest to the song that is new mexico... at first, i was living for the good vibes of silver city; but lately, its been unnerving how even in new mexico's largest city, albuquerque (aka ABQ, the 505, duke city, that place where 'breaking bad' is filmed) has struck a chord with me.

new mexico at its finest: ghost town in valles caldera

what about silver city, or even ABQ makes this place, this land of enchantment, my new-found home? from the outside looking in, we can start with my tan: it never fades (i don't even get sunburned any more). or, how about my living room: it bleeds turquoise and gold. the only thing missing is if my delicate white embroidered curtains were simply replaced by a state flag, so that every morning the first light i would see would be a emblazoned zia. or, we could appreciate that i no longer flush the toilet every time, scour my brow when i see sprinklers, and always have something to say about the rio. you might also notice that in my home, there is always green chile, and tortillas of some type. typically, i like to smother my food in pepitas, if not chile, and have found it very energizing to eat corn raw. to boot, i have been known to have tortilla chips for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

my sunshiny very southwest living room

mostly, i do not appreciate cell phone reception. its a good thing that ABQ banned talking on cellphones while driving, because i'd rather not talk on mine at all. sometimes i just say i've been in the wilderness, or on a reservation, when really, i just didn't bother to charge my phone. and, while speaking of driving, i am a terrible driver... but not by new mexian terms: really, i am quite a grandma behind the wheel compared to the methed-out pyschos that race around I-25 and I-40.

you don't get cell-service here: nor do you need to. the landscape itself is enough of a distraction!

now for the part that counts: the inside. what makes a new mexican tick, you might ask... why in god's name would we choose to live in a desert, or arid mountain region (depending on your definition of "high desert"), to endure the wrath of an ever-hotter sun, with ever-less rain, on an-ever politically criminal and perpetually poor state of the union? its because we are not really part of this 'union' thing anyway. that's right america, you may have bought us 'mexicans', but you have not won us. our hearts are free, and so are our minds and bodies. simply put, in new mexico, you can most always do whatever the hell you want. and if you try to do it otherwise, we will shoot you (lessons learned from working within federal agencies and doing community organizing). so, to adopt another state motto, the land of enchantment is also the land of "live free or die," and i mean that in the most loving sense (shout out new hampshire!).

i bet you didn't know it snowed here, nor that its not a barren wasteland... this is the gila wilderness, winter 2013

but really, there is something inconceivably joyful about living in a place where the world is your backyard, and within 10 miles you can seriously fall off the map, radar, etc. 'living off the grid' can be as easy as clicking your heels, if you so choose. each little town, village, and unincorporated entity (read: madrid, nm) is a world-within-a-world, where every person is especially unique, and each home, neighborhood, and town has its own specialty history, and culture.  yes, here in new mexico, the world is our oyster, should we choose to eat oysters (or afford them!).

desert dawn

another huge bonus about living in new mexico is that from the outside, folks here are extremely diverse, and some of them pretty handsome and wise, too. i have met some beautiful souls down here, and i don't know if its the heat or the lack of humidity that makes folks so sage, so soon in life. probably my absolute favorite thing about living in new mexico is that here, people are real. no matter the age, the generation, the upbringing, folks here are really fucking excited to live here.

mariachi children, santa fe plaza

and, unlike anywhere i've ever lived, folks here are ready to defend their homeland, their families, and even the good earth that has kept generations of hispanics, natives, and now modern latinos and anglos alive and well... there is a joke that i particularly love, that says, "why does new mexico exist? to keep texas and arizona from touching." there is a truth to that: we here in new mexico do not want to be tucson or austin. we despise el paso and pheonix. we hate the fact that america keeps trying to build a wall between us and our brother mexicans, and we find that wilderness does a better job of keeping our border safe than vigilantes.

looking down from sandia wilderness at albuquerque... what other city can boast 10 miles to access nountain wilderness?

i am new to these things, and am learning everyday the greater and deeper nuances that come from living in a border state, but more than that, new mexico is not merely a state shares an international boundary line, but that shares an international culture, and shares many sentiments that in the last 100 years of statehood, things may have not been for the better. the culture here is deeper than what any anglo can write on a page in a history book, the culture lives in the pueblos, the cliff dwellings, the soil of old hispanic farms along the rio. the culture is buried in mountains of turquoise and gold, moving across time and space in hot desert winds, and living within each of us who chooses to drink the water from the precious desert rivers here that keep us alive.

the gila river: new mexico's last free flowing river

new mexico is a real place, with real people. not just anyone chooses to live here: it is the poorest state in the us, with the highest drug and alcohol abuse rates. it is also the fifth largest state, and ranks at the very top for oldest history of civilization. new mexico has been home to humans for over 12000 years... and before that, this was god's playground. 'the land of enchantment' captures hearts with her magestic and infinite landscapes, sky island mountain ranges, hidden hot springs valleys, desert wildflowers, heavenly sunsets, and clear starry nights (i have never seen as many stars as i have here in the wilderness).

surprise cloudburst, gila, nm

new mexico is a place that means you will have to defend your right to live here: there is the fight to defend its resources (the 'resource curse' is happening in your own backyard, america), fight to defend its cultures (all 29087682 of them), and fight to defend its place in national politics (too easily we are forgotten about, and left in the wake of more powerful, richer states that are our neighbors). new mexicans are committed, and they mean to stay. this place is special, it is a beautiful and passionate place, that is exactly where i need to be in my life now... and maybe forever.

another beautiful view, brought to you by yours truely, new mexico

as i plan to move to silver city this week, i cannot help but thank all of those new mexicans who have made this place so special for me: thank you for letting me join you communities, families, and be part of this very sacred land. blessings to you and yours for many years to come, and i pray that we will live our days in harmony here in this enchanting place we call home.