I didn't vanish!

 

Three months of absence is a long time, but I have some excuses. More personal ones than business related, however important for me. Add to this the winter sleepy mode one gets into for the snowy days, paired with some incredibly cold days that saw me deal with firewood and keep the fire  alive, the overall frenzy of the Holidays, and, yes, sheer laziness.

Some important facts also occurred in my life:
1. On November 7 I celebrated my 10 years in New Mexico. A big deal for me.
2. Around the same date I received my Green Card. A huge accomplishment for sure.
3. My computer crashed. An ordeal. Sorry, no pictures!



To my next 10 years in New Mexico!

In between the usual life issues, there were friends going through difficult times or sick. Although I tried to sit down and write, I didn't. Period.

On the business side I have been really busy with some great tours that are still not finalized and drive me crazy. But they are coming together really well. This is the beauty of custom designing tours: you work hard for eons but the final result makes you feel happy! In January the phone started ringing again which made me feel that my life was slowly getting back on track.

And...I fell in love with a giant Cottonwood tree I pass by every time I drive home. I like thinking it is looking over me! He really is, you know?! And I had Italian friends over for tea. I had a great panettone coming straight from the source, and they know when it's a good one!

What I remember of these past months? The day when, thanks to a friend, I finally made it out and in nature. One short day, sunny and clear, but what a difference a day makes! I got in touch again with the beauty of this land, my eyes were again filled with the desert scenes I love. I was happy to have a new victim for my long talks. My friend is fairly new to the area; this gave me the opportunity to introduce her to the history along the High Road to Taos, the small villages dotting the road, the Mission Churches along the way. Every time I drive up that way I'm amazed by how much every square yard holds in terms of history, people, art, anecdotes, trivia, and of course beauty.

We happily ended up where we wanted to have lunch, a delightfully funky and excellent restaurant near the Truchas Mountains well worth the hour or so drive. Everything is made daily from scratch, their breads and focaccia are unique, and everything feels like a good old meal made by your grandma. It's always full of locals, which is a good sign. This little paradise is called Sugar Nymphs.

 

What am I worried about? One simple answer: our planet!