Wide-open Spaces

I love New Mexico, but I could never live there. As someone who has spent her entire life on (or near) the East Coast, I'm accustomed to being around people and places. In the East, it's hard to find a place where you can drive more than a half hour without seeing signs of civilization. While I find the landscape of the Southwest beautiful, the truth is that it also scares me a little. My lost-in-the-forest adventure aside, I find comfort in knowing that I can get to something fast if I need to, or get help if I need it. On my last day in New Mexico, I drove the Turquoise Trail (a winding road through sparsely populated towns -- and no towns at all -- that goes from Santa Fe to Albuquerque) and by the time I got to the end, I was over it. It's pretty, but after a while it all looks the same. And even though I felt good about having cellphone service along the Trail, which I learned the hard way is something you can't take for granted out there, I still was a bit intimidated by so much nature. It's hard to explain.

None of that is to say that I won't go back. I love the views, the food, and the people. Of those three things, the one I can at least attempt to replicate at home is the food. We don't have any New Mexican restaurants around here and, when I think about it, I'm not sure I've seen any outside of New Mexico. We have Mexican restaurants, but it's not exactly the same. Tomorrow I'm making posole (and maybe sopapillas too); if it works out well, I share the recipe.