Well, it's my last week in New Mexico for awhile. I have LOVED being here more than I could have fathomed. I thought I was just coming here to be a labor and delivery nurse and to hopefully meet some midwives, but of course that was just the lure I needed to get me here, since I never would have personally conjured up the real reasons I needed to come here. I needed to fall in love with mountains and the sunshine and the New Mexican culture that I didn't know existed. I needed to meet and interact with certain people. I needed to learn to drive a stick shift and to do a lot of hot spring soaking. Etc etc. Yes, I have been enchanted...and nearly entrapped by the "Land of Enchantment." (locals joke that it's the land of entrapment)
Now I am off for another grand adventure. No, not the bike trip...we decided Mexico was too dangerous right now, but the equipment is in storage for another time... Instead my sweetie Justin and I are 1st off to visit family/friends in Denver, Kansas City, Iowa, Chicago, and San Antonio, with a 10 day vipassana meditation sit in the middle of our month-long road trip. Then we are off to the Dominican Republic for a week, and then to Jacmel, Haiti, where we will volunteer until mid May. For Mother Health International, I will be a nurse and will finish up my midwifery training so that I can take my CPM boards when I return. Justin will be handy-man and gardener. And since we are quitting our jobs we are open to whatever the universe delivers us after that :)
As a matter of catch up, I should write that October was full of travel: a trip to Oakland for the acro-yoga festival and a trip to Kansas City for my grandparents' 90th bday party. And then to Iowa for Iowa City's first annual yoga festival, for which I had the honor of being the first aid person.
The only thing I can remember of November is crazy nights at work: one involving having 3 babies in 45 minutes and spending a couple weeks caring for a drug-addicted baby who was abandoned at the hospital, and whom we all fell in love with and wanted to take home (including Justin).
December flew by....and here we are!
My parents came last week to celebrate a little Christmas and to take a car load of stuff back to their house for us. For Christmas Eve I was on call, so we walked down Canyon Rd (where many of the famous galleries are) with roommate Amanda and friend/co-worker Katie Lynn. We drank wine and foamy real eggnog and ate veggie tamales and posole. There were carolers surrounding bonfires and farolitos (paper bags with candles) lining the streets. For Christmas Justin cooked me the meal he made me on our first date (BBQ black eyed peas) and I packed while I was on call again, and then went to work at 1am. Yay!!
Happy New Year all! May you manifest all your hearts desires :)
siblings in Kansas City
halloween acroyoga (i'm dorothy from the wizard of oz)
