New Mexico: Land of Enchantment

I've driven through New Mexico countless times, but only spent one night (in Albuquerque) ever. So when I heard my cousin was getting Married in Santa Fe, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to explore the so called "Land of Enchantment". Turns out New Mexico is a lot more than just a space between Arizona and Texas, and worth the stop!

We were lucky enough to have a half day Friday since we had conferences earlier in the week and were at school until 8pm. So we hit the road about 3, which slated us to get into Truth or Consequences about 7pm. Except I forgot we changed times... But luckily I called the hotel we were staying at and they told us it was no problem and they'd make sure our room light was on.

But first, we had to make a stop. To see "The Thing!"- the classic roadside attraction. I've been once, but Mitch had not yet had the pleasure. The Thing is great- it costs $1 per person and you wander through several buildings full of weird, old, crap. Calling them "oddities" seems really generous. It's dusty old crap. They have old cars and wagons, and one of the cars is "believed to have been part of Hitler's motorcade". I'd like to see some evidence for that one... There are also drift wood sculptures, old guns, an unmade bed, and terrible reproductions of antique torture devices. Like I said, it's great. After you wander through the "galleries" that haven't been dusted, possibly ever, you get to THE THING! You will be shocked. You will be amazed. And you won't get any spoilers here- gotta make the trek and pony up the dollar for yourself. And after you see The Thing, you can head over to the attached Dairy Queen for a treat or do some shopping in the massive gas station gift shop. There is no losing at The Thing.

But back to New Mexico... We figured we couldn't make the 7-8 hour drive to Santa Fe after work, so decided to stop about half way: in Truth or Consequences (renamed in 1950 to win a radio contest hosted by the radio show of the same name). It used to be called Hot Springs, which is more accurate but less memorable. I found what looked like a cute place that advertised a private bath that is fed by the local geothermal mineral water hot springs. I didn't know what that meant exactly, but it sounded nice. It was so much better than I expected!

The place has about 10 rooms in casitas. The building was probably built in the 1940s and has been somewhat updated. It was cute, quaint, they left our light on and left they key in the door. No one is on site for check in, and when you check out you just leave the key in the door to signal you're gone. The private tub was the best part- it was massive. It had tiled walls that went up at least 3 feet and required a step to get in. It was larger than a twin sized bed and could host a small party if you se desired. And sticking out of the wall was a knob and instructions to "turn slowly". And turn we did- and out of a PVC pipe in the corner came shooting hot natural spring water. Pumped in directly from the local hot springs. It took some easing to get all the way in it, it was so hot. But it felt amazing and water was almost soft to the touch and slightly salty to taste. And, I assume due to the salt content, made me very buoyant. And there was no odor- at all. We both enjoyed a couple of soaks in our 15 hours in TorC. Our room also had a wall hung fire place, which was hilarious and obviously turned on so we could lounge by firelight. The next morning we grabbed coffee and breakfast at a nearby cafe and then headed north.

Santa Fe is beautiful. I know everyone says that. They are not lying. The mountains drape the background of the high desert landscape. Our accommodations were what I was most excited for- we stayed in a 70's travel trailer on a llama ranch! Llamas!! The owners were incredibly sweet and call their place "The Enchanted Yurt Llama Ranch". They have 11 llamas, 2 dogs, a yurt, trailer, and their house. They greeted us when we arrived and introduced us to the llamas and had us feed them grass and some homegrown grapes. I was pretty much in heaven. And their view of the mountains was stunning- we weren't around for any sunsets, but I'm sure they're breathtaking.

The main event of course was the wedding, which included rehearsal dinner Saturday night. Mitch got to meet even more relatives on the Conway side. He met 3 more aunts and 4 uncles and an additional few cousins. He does not remember their names, but is forgiven because there really are a lot of them. We did invent a fantastic drink- grave Jarritos (soda) with tequila. Dangerously good. By the end of the night we had 7 or 8 shot glasses accumulated.

Sunday morning, prior to the wedding, we hung out and got to walk llamas! Llamas! They have been halter trained and have long rope leashes. We were leant gloves to avoid rope burn and our hosts, Bill and Robbyn, led us, and three llamas, down the road, to the park and eventually to the river bank. Their rivers are much like ours- dry. At one point my Llama, Legs, was getting a bit rowdy so Robbyn took him. She only had him a few minutes when he pulled away and took off, galloping and jumping in the grass as he raced across the park. Bill took off after him and apparently he got about half way down the road before he realized he had no plan, so he turned around and came back to Bill. Meanwhile the other two llamas, MItch, Robyyn, and I waited at the other end of the park and the other boys were very distressed and unhappy that Legs had taken off and whimpered in the most adorable llama way. Once Legs rejoined his pack, we continued on our walk. We ended up walking for about an hour and a half. I had put sunscreen on my face and was wearing a cardigan that hit mid forearm and gloves. But hadn't anticipated we'd be out so long. Neither had Mitch. He returned with a nice raccoon eyed look, meanwhile I had a burnt neck and about 3 inch stripe on my arm where the cardigan ended and before the gloves started. We were obviously going to bring the class to the evening affair.

The wedding was in downtown Santa Fe at the La Fonda on the Plaza hotel. It was amazingly gorgeous. The entire hotel was classic Santa Fe style with southwestern flair, stained glass, and beautiful details everywhere. The ceremony was on the Terrace with the cathedral behind it. Nicely done Nick and Anna! There was a short ceremony, food, drinks, cake, dancing, and at least 60% of the guests were related to me. All in all, an excellent time.

The next day we packed up and headed home, sad as we were to leave our new llama friends. The trailer was an excellent taste of "living tiny" which is our new favorite thing to talk about (Thank you Tiny House Hunters!) so it was a fun topic of conversation as we drove through the New Mexico desert back to our familiar Arizona desert. I tried to sneak a llama in, but they're not particularly small or sneaky creatures and Mitch said no. So, no llama friends in Tucson. For now.

 

What is it?!?

 

 

Our giant hot springs tub. 

Setting the mood with some firelight. 

 

 Truth or Consequences. Fire water indeed 

 

Tiny but adorable. 

 

 

 

Sometimes a llama just want to eat all the weeds. And tree. And grass. And more weeds. 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, is this a movie? Gorgeous setting, gorgeous couple. 

 

Our matching cufflinks and necklace. Rhodaquarsite we got at the gen show and Mitch surprised me with by getting set into a necklace (and making his into cufflinks). A perfect match! 

 

The parking lot of Meow Wolf. 

 

Mitch playing a tune. 

 We're in the fish tank! Weird lighting makes pictures hard at Meow Wolf. Just go for yourself. 

The Work Drudgery

We're just over a month into the school year, and I'll be honest: it hasn't been great. It started off with so much promise and then quickly crumbled. The counseling department is funded for 3 people- two "alpha" counselors, who handle academics, credit checks, and personal and social issues, and one "College and Career" person who handles all the college and scholarship applications, college rep visits, and career prep. This is a severely underfunded department state-wide, and national recommedations for a school with 1300 students is 5-6 counselors. So 3 is already stretched way too thin. And then one counselor got a promotion and the other one resigned, so my trio is down to 1. Me. And my mantra has become "I am only one person, I can only do so much". Coupled with several new people in other major roles that ensure the school runs, it's a setup for disaster. 

And while I've spent some time feeling sorry for myself, and venting to many, many friends, I really feel sorry for my kids. I love my kids. That's why I work in public education. We all know it's not for the money, which is dismal especially considering I have a master's degree. I do it for the kids, even the ones who drive me nuts sometimes. I'm so glad I'm a person the kids can trust, confide in, seek assistance from, and go to. I overheard a kid, who is a bit of a handful and frequent visitor to my office, tell her friend that "Miss Conway is chill- just ask her to help you" and it defiantly made me smile a little bit. Just this week I helped a kid apply for free lunch because he lives with his uncle who doesn't provide him any monetary support other than a place to stay, and the cafeteria was telling him he'd have to pay for food. I helped another kid write a letter to social security stating he is a high school student so when he turns 18 next month his grandparents won't lose the small stipend they get for adopting him which goes towards their rent and utilities. He had come to me earlier in the year worried his family would have no place to live, so helping him contact social security to ensure they get a little bit of money for a few more months was a huge relief to him.

These kids stories go so much deeper. So many live with relatives, have parents in prison or who were deported, parents who died when they were just children or who left and have no contact now. I also have over 100 refugee kids, whose stories are for another day, because they are filled with heartbreak but also hope. They've seen and dealt with so much more than most adults I know. And yet, they come to school, in whatever state they can, and do what they can. They want to graduate. They want to get good jobs. They want to have families and cars and houses and nice things some day. And they're being shortchanged by a system that doesn't support them. And because I am only one person and can only do so much.

I work in a school full of people who care. Teachers who will bend over backwards to find ways to help kids understand the material and pass. Late work? No problem. Tutoring needed? You got it. Extenuating circumstances that kept work from getting done? We'll figure it out together, don't worry. I am so grateful for each of the adults who chose every day to come to a school that is underfunded, understaffed, populated by kids from low income areas with parents who may or may not support them and give it their all. They certainly inspire me on days that I want to throw my hands in the air and say "I quit! I'm done! You dont' appreciate me anyway!" So instead of shouting my resignation, I go home, try to let it go (I'm not terribly good at this, but I am trying), and know I'll be back the next day because it's about the kids and they deserve people who care. People who will go above and beyond for no extra pay, no extra thanks, and often no acknowledgement at all. And when a former student stops by to tell me how much they're enjoying college and they have a job and they're so glad I helped them graduate, then I know it's worth it. 

And I'll keep voting and hoping others do to and maybe someday I'll be in a position that is better funded and I'll get a raise too. A girl can dream, right? 

Best Friends Are Made at Birch Trail

12 years ago I needed a summer job. I was NOT going back to Yuma for the summer, so I decided to look for jobs at summer camps. I ended up getting a job at a camp in Northern Wisconsin (yes, Northern Wisconsin sounded better than Yuma). I packed my bags and flew to Minneapolis, got picked up in a big white van, and rode into the bustling metropolis of Minong, WI, population 521. And I began my first summer at Camp Birch Trail- an all girls camp that ended up being amazing.

When I first got there I told myself it was only 2 months and I can survive 2 months, and even if I didn't like anyone, it would be ok. I was 20- I was afraid the other kids wouldn't like me. I also figured it was a good trial run for studying abroad, which I wanted to do at some point. But I lucked out and Birch Trail was fantastic, plus I made some great friends. I worked there for a total of 3 summers, until I moved to Tucson and got a "real" job and no longer had summers off (man I miss college life!). One of the friends I met my last summer was Stacy. And we've been friends ever since.

We make it a point to visit each other as often as we can, at least a couple times per year. I have spent many a St Patrick's day in St Louis and she's made a few trips to the desert. We've also met up in Denver a couple of times- a convenient non-stop flight for both of us. And we did it again this year- to celebrate her September Birthday, being friends for 10 years, not being at work, and whatever else sounded good.

I really love Denver- it's pretty, the weather is nice, and there are lots of cute places there. The alcohol is way too expensive and difficult to get, but other than that I'm a fan. This weekend was no exception. The best part of seeing an old friend is just doing nothing. And nothing we did- there was cider and coloring and cable, which luckily was playing a Harry Potter marathon, ate cheese, and got a Bobble head at a baseball game.

I'm really bad at doing nothing- I always feel like there is something that should be done. Places to see, things to do. Especially on vacation. But the best part of Denver is for the most part, I've seen it. Which makes nothing a lot easier. And there was one notable event- we saw Boys II Men. They were playing at the taste of Colorado for free. We were nearly trampled in a crowd while we walked through the crowd, but eventually we found some incredibly over priced food and then some open grass that was practically behind the stage. We listened to about 4 songs, heard "On Bended Knee" and then called it a night. Boys II Men is not great live, but we can blame the speakers and outdoor stage set-up.

Other highlights included grilling and using an old atlas for fire starting, baseball game with Madeline, cider tasting at two different Cider breweries, an Uber ride with a gross bro-y dude who felt it necessary to comment on a woman's breasts as she was running, and the most amazing cookbook ever. I haven't tried the recipes yet, but I'm sure they're great.

 Ten years apart!