Exploring NM

We've been in New Mexico and have finally had a little while to get in a bit of a rhythm which has been nice. I am familiar with the local grocery shopping haunts and have been to more than one farmer's market multiple times. One local man has taken to teasing us about our consumption of squash, but what can I say, it's really good squash. :) We have also had a little bit of time to explore the area and take some hikes. Rodney has ventured up near Wheeler Peak (the highest peak in NM), and together we have spent some time on the West Rim trail, a trail that runs along the Rio Gorge that contains the Rio Grande River and is also adjacent to the Rio Gorge Bridge, which you might recognize from such movies as Terminator 4 and Wild Hogs.
I think the most exciting thing I have done, besides fully embracing cooking whole chickens on a weekly basis and discovering the wonders of rutabagas, turnips, and fresh beets, has been to get a visitor's library card. It has been so long since I have had a local library card, and I am still just tickled pink every time I go to the counter and they let me take books. I did this for most of my childhood, but it all seems new again. Especially since the books are not journals and don't require that I write a paper for them. ;)
I'm staying busy studying for my GRE. Tragically my old scores are more than five years old, and apparently an actual graduate degree is not a sufficient predictor for success in graduate school, so I'm hitting the books again and learning to embrace quadratic equations and word problems that include things like "n number of pears." Rodney is busy working on job stuff and research and is a pretty full-time math tutor as well. :)
We are loving the laid back culture here, and we are really enjoying getting to learn a lot more about the history in the Southwest. Adobe houses dot the landscape everywhere and their muted browns and reds and straight lines blend almost seamlessly into the land around them. Being from the East Coast originally and having an almost obsessive love of all things green, I even surprise myself when I realize how much I like it here. The valleys stretch on for miles covered in little brushy trees and brown dirt, but there is a simplicity to the landscape, and I think I love the calm nature of the land. The mountains are also beautiful, and I think pretty soon here we're going to be seeing snow, at least up there, if not in our own yard.
Well, off to more math problems and maybe a book...

"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads...

Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it." --Rosalia de Castro

Our adventure is far from over. Yes, we have left Alaska behind us, and we have struck out for the lower 48, but we are not finished traveling. In fact, in one sense, after this trip, we may never be finished traveling.

Fall has certainly arrived, and we have had the amazing pleasure of watching it for the last month. Around September 20th, the weather started to change in Alaska, and it was apparent that winter was not far away. With the ultimate reluctance, we decided that camping in truly cold weather was soon going to become a reality and campsites were beginning to close, so we had no choice but to buy a house in Alaska or head south. There was still so much left to explore and so much ground we had not covered, but we had hit all the highlights that we had planned on and were woefully without Alaskan employment, so we made the decision to head back to the lower 48. I don't think the distance that we had covered to get to Alaska had really registered with either of us, so when planning our return we figured we could push through and be back quickly. Five days, a few chilly nights, one closed campground, a dead battery, and a terrible border crossing later, we were back in the US.
We got to spend a week exploring Washington and Oregon. What amazing places! Washington, home to Mount Rainier, is full of awesome forests and great views. We spent two days in the park and got to hike and relax after our long drive. I have to admit, however, that Oregon stole my heart, and I was about ready to just set up our tent on the sand next to the fantastic rocky beaches and never leave. It was beautiful and definitely one of the places that I plan to return to.
This part of our trip also included some great visits with great friends. I was able to introduce Rodney to friends of mine from college that I had not seen in 9 years. They have 3 adorable children, and we had a wonderful time telling stories and catching up. I also got to meet a good friend of Rodney's from Boulder. He is married with an also adorable 14 month old. He showed us all around the Young Life camp where they live and work, and we even got to have dinner with them at a local establishment in the closest little town, Antelope. It was really wonderful to get to see old friends and make new ones. :)
I'm sure you all are wondering what we have planned now that we are no longer heading north and are not in the great state of Alaska. Well, when we were in Alaska, we learned a little secret. Many Alaskans spend their winters in New Mexico. So, in order to get the full Alaskan experience, we headed south, and we are spending some time in New Mexico where there promises to be great hiking, wonderful farmer's markets, and really interesting people. We are hoping to spend these next couple of months working on projects and preparing for the next stage of our life. We have turned in our trusty tent for now, and I am loving having a kitchen but already missing being outside. We plan to update this blog with our adventures here, so feel free to check back.
Here's to unknown paths, new vistas, unanticipated adventures, and the possibilities in all of our lives. If I am learning anything, it is that so much in life is possible...that too inspires me to head down the road.