Day 5: New Mexico

Coming into New Mexico was very distinct from all the other drives so far. I felt quietly hugged up by the earth as I drove through endless valleys of faded green hills that were polka dotted with bright green shrubbery and embraced with rusty canyon back drops. My awareness of time faded as I delighted in this drive. I’ve often heard people say that certain things make them feel close to God and this was it for me.

I entered Santé Fe early in the day and went straight to tour around the plaza. Clay colored pueblos of various sizes made up anything from houses to Native American markets to gas stations. The street names were Spanish and, therefore, wouldn’t stick in my head. This dry heat felt like it was singeing my, even most tucked away, nose hair. And I was lost. Not the scary kind of lost; more like the deliriously tired don’t have the energy to navigate, king of lost. I had no pride in letting others do the work for me. Once I made it back to my car, I headed way out into the country to my final couch surfing experience.

What a way to go out! This house was GPS inaccessible, resting on top of the beautiful desert mountains. It appeared to be built of nothing but clay and glass and was geographically designed to keep the sun out in the summers and let the sun in during the winters and therefore, needed minimal assistance from man in regulated its temperatures. It maintained the earthiness of the land so nicely that there was only a slight difference in the feeling of being out and inside. My host also perfectly preserved this earthy image with her strong yet delicate “one with nature” appeal. We sat like sisters sharing in many of the same perspectives and experiences of life.

She regretfully had to go out that evening, leaving me to the run of the house and a spectacular backyard sunset. I spent the evening in an ideally "Jill" way …cooking, resting and writing. I couldn’t wait to rise for mediation. It provided the same feelings that the drive over did. It was very difficult to peal myself away from this place and, even though my host offered me an extra day’s stay, I had to go anyways to make my way to my previous arranged commitment in Arizona.