Growing up in New Mexico is a unique experience that you never really appreciate until you leave. Going away to college was a culture shock in and of itself, but having to explain to people the mystery that is New Mexico was another unexpected challenge.
Here are a few things that I always have to explain to people about the Land of Enchantment.
1. Chile
GiphyGreen, red, christmas, you name it. People just don't understand the beautiful creation that is chile. It's not meat with beans and it's not hot sauce.
2. It's not a flat desert.
Can you believe?
There are some of the most amazing mountains and trails that put the rest of the country to shame. It's not just sand and tumbleweeds here people, although we definitely have that too.
3. Fires. Everywhere.
Summer is a scary time when the air is so dry it feels like walking to fast cold start a flame.
4. You have to drive pretty far to get anywhere.
I grew up in a small town in northern New Mexico where the closest mall was an hour away and the closest Walmart was a good 25 minutes.
There's a huge area of New Mexico right in the middle where there's really nothing going on. Driving an hour (or 3) to do basic stuff or see family is a totally normal thing.
5. It's not always hot.
Just like it's not all desert, it's not all hot weather and sunshine all the time. The more north you go, the colder climate it gets. It even snows. Amazing, I know.
6. We set a man on fire every year while thousands of people watch for fun.
7. Not all of us sell meth.
I'm not saying it's not an accurate representation, I'm just saying that there's more to our little state, okay?
8. Not all of us speak Spanish.
Sure, there are a lot of people in the state that speak Spanish and English, some that only speak English, and some that only speak Spanish. Deal with it.
9. We're still apart of the United States.
Contrary to popular belief, we are apart of the beautiful 50 states of America.
10. There's really no where like NM.
It's unique to say the least.
I can truly say there are some things that you can only get in New Mexico. It's a one-of-a-kind state with some one-of-a-kind people. You can love it, you can hate it, but you got to admit that nothing will come close to a smothered red chile breakfast burrito.
