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Notes about Arizona and New Mexico, days 1 and 2
Arizona and New Mexico are beautiful and rugged wilderness
states. If you like big city life, chances are you won't like it
here. If you like lush green mountains and running brooks, you
won't like it here. But if you like open ranges, huge valleys,
and room to move without bumping to anyone, you'll love the
wilderness of these states.
In my mind's eye, I think about the early immigrants to these
areas and the American natives who lived here for centuries, and
I try to imagine how it was for them. I can see where a modern
person might find joy in the absence of the stresses that
accompany city living, yet that's only a thought from a modern
perspective. I'm sure the earlier people here didn't have that
sort of "escape" feeling that someone, who is like me, might
have. I can imagine the stress of trying to make a living here,
with no water, high winds, no plentiful agricultural lands. No
Furr's or Von's grocery store down the street. Yet for some there
must have been a joy of the openness -- the feeling of freedom
for some must have been amazing.
We are traveling on US Route 60 across New Mexico between
Socorro, where we stayed last night, and Santa Rosa where we will
meet up with I-40 and travel as far as Amarillo, Texas, for
tonight. As we travel along, we pass isolated little farms (a
horse, a cow, a house, fence). We went through Mountainair,
Willard, Vaughn, and a few other little towns on US 60. We
noticed on the school yard sign in Mountainair that school is
closed for a few days -- we suspect spring break, falling during
Holy Week.
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