The first word that comes to mind this morning, tucked away in a dark room in a soft bed with the expansive desert awaiting right outside my window, is blessed. The second word, awe. For how much we have seen, for how much we have lived and received in such a short period of time.
Day 2 began early with a 4am wake-up call, a hurried brushing of the teeth and a woozy drive to a Park-N-Ride lot where we stood in line with sweatpant and parka bundled New Mexicans for a ride to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta . Our citified version of dressed down warmth - leather jackets, boots and big scarves - got a few stares and an inquiring comment from one woman, who told us we looked so pretty "dressed up". Niki and I smiled in acceptance, communicating silently with a sideways glance. We are different here, but that's the point really. We came here for just that, for a different flavor. To slow to and be enlightened by a different frequency. To experience and eventually blend into something bigger than ourselves.
The bus dropped us at the base of a dewy field not yet kissed by the sun, which was busy rising behind the mountain that stood at our backs. Trucks were lining up in ordered formations across the green, unloading braided baskets, extending colorful tarps, testing brilliant flames of orange and yellow.
By 7am, most of the balloons had taken off. We unzipped our jackets and lay on our backs on the grass, now warmed by daylight, looking up into the sky. When our stomachs rumbled louder than the pyres of fire that gave the balloons flight, we muscled our way through crowds towards a sign advertising : BREAKFAST BURRITOS. 2 burritos with egg, bacon, hash browns, green chile, cheese and 2 fresh squeezed orange juices later, we were sated.
Back at Hacienda Antigua, we took one last hammock nap before embarking on the second adventure of the day, a scenic drive through the Jemez Mountain Trail en route to Santa Fe. For me, the scenic drive was the first draw, the visual that first came to mind when this Southwest adventure was marinating and forming. Yesterday, driving through roving roads, boulders 300 times my height giving way graciously to our path, sunroof open and serendipitous song after serendipitous song bounding through the stereo, that daydream became a reality. I had that moment, my moment. An awakening. An opening of heart. A boundless feeling of gratefulness. And, again, I felt blessed.
We stopped in Jemez Springs at a kitschy little store, a log-cabin on stilts built into the side of the road. Amidst a jumble of second hand clothes, dreamcatchers and other mountain garb, I found a ring. A garnet stone, my birthstone, set in silver with tiny etchings symbolizing the rays of a sun around the jeweled center. Like the ring on my right hand, a trinket I found in Rome some 10 years ago which has been like a boomerang, returning to me every time it's misplaced, this new ring felt like it belonged on my finger. And so it stayed.
After a fresh meal down the road at Highway 4 Coffee, Giggling Springs, one of many natural hot springs the region is known for, was next. After cleansing our bodies of suntan lotion and the dust from our journey, we dipped into a pool of calcium, potassium, magnesium and oxygen. Whatever the concoction, its healing qualities were immediately evident. Like dipping into a bath drawn by an oracle. We emerged feeling refreshed and ready for the last leg of our journey to Santa Fe.
Preferring the winding mountain trails over the concrete, commercial blur of highway 25, we remained on the high road. It was the right decision, but one I temporarily doubted when snow began to drag beneath the tires. Yes, I said snow. A surprise to us both ...
I shifted the car to the lowest gear possible, preparing myself to cruise down some of the most severe curves I've ever driven, the Amalfi coast included. A reverent silence came over us, a moment of prayer, as we slow-coasted down a deserted road flanked by bare trees on either side. For about 10 minutes we were completely alone. Lightening lit up the sky in the distance, and we both sensed the oncoming dusk. For the first time on this journey, fear crept in. And also disbelief. Not 1 hour before we'd been baking in the waters of a hot spring underneath an intense, benevolent sun.
But, like any other rough patch, it passed. The croons of the Neville Brothers, and the Billy Joel and Van Morrison that played thereafter, soothed the nerves. We eventually found a State Trooper and a caravan of 4 to 5 other cars, who accompanied us on the remainder of our descent. Back on dry asphalt, the breeze a bit warmer, we released the shallow breathes we'd held, relaxing tensed muscles. Niki high fived me and we were off again, feeling stronger.
Just as the sun fell, we rolled into the outskirts of Santa Fe. Yellow desert flowers and dirt the color of dried roses shown through our headlights as we pulled into the desert oasis where we'll be staying for the next 4 nights. I can't wait to open my windows and see what vista awaits beyond.
To be continued...
*photos by Zana-DO and Niki Hall, video by Niki Hall
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