Next Stop : Shangri-La

So the hiatus, upon returning home from our vacation in New Mexico, appeared to be unavoidable. First, I was totally bummed that our fabulous vacation was over. As ridiculous as it sounds, its hard to go from a vast unknown back to the comfortable unknown. Right now I'm unemployed, and searching for a lot of different things : answers, a new path, who I'm supposed to be? And all of that is worrisome but pretty easy to control from home. But out there on the road with my family, (wow that's the first time I've called them that : the boy and the pooch) we didn't know what to expect. And it didn't matter, we were together and having an adventure. For the first time in months I wasn't worried about a single damn thing. Which seems completely ironic and maybe a little out of my character : that the open road didn't frighten me, it was invigorating. So invigorating that I hardly photographed New Mexico at all--- I was to busy having fun and soaking it up.

When we came home I felt a bit detached from everything. I hadn't really checked my email in days or  hardly been on facebook. And I didn't really want too. I looked at my laptop sitting on the table from across the room and just felt, " eh. " Instead I started reading an amazing book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. I went to Lowes and bought a lawn chair, sat outside and fell asleep in the shade with my dog. And I slept....a lot. All things I must have needed to do, for they seemed to happen to me rather than myself conducting the action.

So that was the first thing.

The second was well...PMS. I started to feel like I hated everyone and everything. Then I realized the PMS monster was taking over my body. And I didn't want to write through that. So there ya go. lol.

But our trip was fabulous! to say the least. We got to spend some much needed time with good friends, eat VERY VERY well EVERYDAY, visit magical places like old town Albuquerque and tourist-y ones like Santa Fe, we even managed to relax! And both the boy and I had our own separate experiences of nirvana in the southwest. His being movie related and mine, literary. I have to say, I didn't expect to fall in love with New Mexico as much as I did. Everything is so slow and easy and mellow. There's no traffic, no crowds or judging eyes and everyone is so nice.  It's a vast difference from Los Angeles. Everything is square and pueblo looking with chili's hanging from porches and sand devils kissing the ground. Maybe its the vortexes or the red and green chili but it really is a very enchanting little place.  And I'm happy to report that we'll actually be returning in July! This time we'll travel through Tuscon, Arizona, hit Tombstone and then its up to Albuquerque for one last visit with Aileen before we all caravan back to Los Angeles. I can hardly wait.

 I always feel like the universe speaks to me in signs. Like actual, literal signs, sometimes with figurative meanings. They always seem to pop up right when I need them, and say exactly what needs to be heard. I saw a bumper sticker during our travels that well...stuck with me. It said, "Do something that scares you everyday. " And I feel like we were, like we did and it made all the difference in us. Traveling changes you. It wakes you up, makes you less fearful, more of the world and a citizen of your heart. I highly recommend it.