New Mexico road trip

Christmas Eve, 2010

Photo: downtown Minneapolis from the 35^th floor of my apartment building, looking north.

Tonight I am packing for my road trip – from Minneapolis to Albuquerque. Tomorrow’s journey on Christmas Day will be south on I-35 hopefully to Wichita, KS (aprx 600 miles and 10 hours). Sunday night will be Albuquerque (another 600 miles). I was going to go through Nebraska and Colorado but because it’s January and with the snow, I’ll play it safe and go more south. Those of you that know me well know that I’ve always been enchanted with ‘the Land of Enchantment.’ The landscape pulls me there, along with the energy. I feel I need to be there to discover something.

The first time I set foot on New Mexican soil was in November 1992. I’ve been there many times since, and in 1996 I wanted to move there, but got married instead. This time, I’m not going to let anyone hold me back. I’ve been thinking about this for several months; my apartment lease in Minneapolis ends March 31^st – where I will move come April 1^st is uncertain at this point. Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque or somewhere in between are all possibilities. When I follow my intuition and announce a change, I feel resistance. The fact that I’ve acknowledged it and announced it helps me commit to it. The end of the year is a time for evaluating the past and planning for the future, but mostly it’s a bit like jumping off a cliff – there is fear involved – but also a sense of power and purpose. “Leap, and the net will appear” is a saying I remember frequently. I think of what would happen if I DON’T do this and am filled with regret, so I know I have to make this trip and see how New Mexico fits into my life.

Whatever happens in high desert country, I want it to be an extension of my life in Minneapolis. I have strong roots here as a native Minnesotan, and moving to Minneapolis from the St. Paul ‘burbs was a big step for me at the time. I want to continue to challenge myself and have new experiences. I still love Minneapolis and Minnesota and realize how much of a Midwesterner I really am. If I would write a mission statement for what I want to accomplish these next two weeks it will be to keep an open mind, stay flexible, follow my heart and intuition and see what will work for me. It will also challenge my current relationships, which is good too, we all need growth and change, that is the only thing that is constant. I hope I am not running away from anything (sometimes it feels like that) but that I am going to another place for my second home. Something that complements what I have here. I love travel, and want to keep the flow moving for new places, people and experiences.

Now that I am working 'remotely' at my day job, Capella University, I can take my work laptop with me! I intend to take advantage of my flexibility.

I also love being out on the open road, with open space around me. The motion usually gets my creativity going and I will be blogging as I go, taking notes, writing poems and hopefully will have a whole new set of experiences and writings to do something with later. I invite you to join me and check back daily on this link. Me and “Bagheera” (my black 2004 Chevy Malibu car) will keep you posted!