300 Days of Sunshine

Before I moved to Santa Fe, if you had told me I would be skiing moguls this year, or that I would be warm while downhill skiing, I never would have believed it.   Yet I have both of these to be true this winter.   Today was my fourth time skiing at the Santa Fe Ski Basin and I absolutely love it.   Never before have I experienced such long ski runs, such breathtaking views from the summit, or such warm and sunny weather while on the slopes.   In fact, before moving to Santa Fe, I had never skied in “real” mountains, as my prior ski endeavors are limited to seven or eight hills in Minnesota and Illinois.    Skiing is an entirely new experience for me this year in the mountains of Santa Fe.   I no longer struggle to stay warm or have to stop every few runs before my toes become nearly frostbitten, but now can enjoy sunny afternoons on the outdoor patio on the basin and find myself having to actually cool off after a couple hours on the slopes....

Happy New Year!   The last few weeks have been wonderful.   I was able to fly home for 5 days at Christmas, and Kua flew home too!   That was definitely an adventure for her, and besides a little (well, actually not-so-little) #2-related incident in the Minneapolis airport, she did great.   I absolutely loved spending time with friends and especially family back in Minnesota.   The times when my entire family is under one roof are now few and far between, but I treasure these moments; nothing compares to spending an evening with family laughing, sharing stories, working on jigsaw puzzles or playing games, and listening to Christmas music.             A pueblo-style Nativity scene I gave my parents for Christmas.   They loved it! Back in Santa Fe, I had a fabulous New Year’s Eve at Second Street Brewery with some of our new friends.   It was one of the best New Year’s Eves I’ve had in a long time – friends, li...

We got a few inches of snow in Santa Fe this weekend.   The world is so beautiful when everything is dusted in white, sparkling snow.   The air feels so fresh, and I’ve never heard such quiet at the Plaza before.   I spent some time this morning picking out a few Christmas gifts, finding my chili pepper wreath, and introducing Kua to new sights, sounds, and smells, then spent the rest of the day relaxing. I find it difficult to maintain balance around the holidays.   My list of things to do continues to grow.   Amidst the decorating, shopping, wrapping, and baking, it is easy to forget to relax and enjoy the peacefulness that Christmastime is (or should be) all about.   My yoga instructor last weekend talked about finding balance in the breath; sometimes we focus so much on inhaling deep, rich oxygen during our practice that we can forget to exhale it all out and let go to allow our bodies to achieve relaxation in a pose.   This same idea applie...

This was my first Thanksgiving in Santa Fe!   As I sit here listening to Christmas music and drinking Caribou blend coffee, I reflect on how truly thankful I am for my life.   I’m so blessed to have such an amazing family.   Even though we are all spread out between the Midwest, Southwest, and Gulf coast, the times we are all together are my favorite days of the year.   I’m grateful for all my loyal friends – those whom I’ve known for years, and those I just met recently; those whom I talk to on a regular basis, and the ones who I just don’t call enough but am reminded of constantly; those who know all of my secrets, and the ones who are just a blast and never fail to make me laugh; the friends I’ve made here in Santa Fe, and those far away, who I don’t see nearly as much as I’d like to, but when we do get together it feels that hardly any time has passed. I’m thankful for my incredible job, which provides me with everything I could have asked for at this poi...

I attended a yoga class this week on 11.11.11.   Besides the amusement of writing out the date, and the dance of the tongue saying “eleven eleven eleven,” what’s the importance of 11.11.11 anyway?   The instructor explained that the significance lies in the fact that the day is made up entirely of ones.   Oneness.   One is all and all is one.   The idea that every being on the planet is connected.   Oneness is a difficult concept for me to grasp because I can’t seem to get past the notion that we are all separate beings, moving and working independently, often unaware of our connections to the world, focused to a greater extent on the future and the past rather than the present.   Yet I feel an overwhelming sense of purposefulness, energy, and joy in the moments in which “oneness” with the world is apparent, in those experiences when people of different backgrounds and personalities are united toward the same common purpose, even if for a short ...

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” ~Robert Frost At 12,622 feet, Santa Fe Baldy is the highest point in Santa Fe, and one of the most challenging day hikes in the area.   We had some inclement weather in Santa Fe this week, including a few inches of snow yesterday, but I had been looking forward to this hike for weeks and was determined to embrace whatever conditions we discovered and give it my all (even if shoe chains were necessary). The dusting of snow on the trail and trees created a peaceful, serene, meditative atmosphere for the first few miles of our hike.   My spirits were high and I was amazed at the stillness and beauty of the winter-like environment.   At times the only audible sounds were the crunching of snow under our feet, the swishing of our layers of warm clothes, and the deep inhale and exhale of our lungs.   I was surprised to see another ...

Meaning “the light,” the La Luz trail ascends 4200 feet to the peak of the Sandia Mountains.   These precipitous mountains, which are the result of Rio Grande rifting, exhibit steep drop-offs, marked transformations in vegetation, and spectacular birds-eye views of Albuquerque.   Sandia, meaning “watermelon,” could possibly represent the craving for juicy, delectable fruit one may have during the strenuous, exhausting climb, but is actually named for the pink glow of the granite cliffs at sunset.   My favorite aspects of this hike were: 1) the fascinating change in vegetation as we climbed upwards, transitioning from dry cacti, to rich coniferous trees, to snow as we neared the peak; 2) the views of Albuquerque and layers of Sandia mountains hidden from the interstate; and 3) the consistent, gradual uphill climb, void of any excessively steep areas. However, I would be lying if I said this hike wasn’t challenging or that I was able to maintain peace of mind for ...