The internet informs me it has been 82 days since my last post, and I hate to think anyone believes I’ve given up, so…
I am living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a city I only knew from its airport before December. I had planned to return to Santa Fe from Argentina because it would be too troublesome (and expensive) to move to a new city. But while I was in Buenos Aires a visiting friend of mine brought up Albuquerque, because it received an unexpected influx of College of Santa Fe music students as pseudo-transfers (it’s a long story). So with a contingent of friends here, a cheap 90 minute train ride between the cities, and the cost of living much lower, I chose Albuquerque.
In retrospect, the impression I had gotten of Albuquerque while living in Santa Fe was cartoonish and ridiculous. All I knew was that it housed the massive, frat-ridden University of New Mexico, and that it was “sketchy.” The word “sketchy” is uselessly vague, a catch-all condemnation that implies crime, poverty and danger while not holding the speaker to anything specific.
I have not heard gunshots on a regular basis. I have not been offered heroin by strangers. I have not been stopped by a police car to warn me to stay east of a particular street. I have not been panhandled by 5-year-olds. So, after living in Buenos Aires, it would be pretty disingenuous of me to call Albuquerque sketchy.
On another note, I need to get this off my chest: to any Santa Feans reading this, did you know that Albuquerque is by far the better city to bicycle in? More bike lanes, more bike trails… there’s even a centrally located street with purple signs labeling it a “Bicycle Boulevard,” and a speed limit of 18 MPH! No joke: 18 MPH. All this while having five times the population, and leaning much farther to the right… Santa Fe, you have work to do.
And to tie up another loose end, I left you hanging with regard to that classic rock band a few posts ago. I did get into Stratus Phear and I played a few shows with them, but I quit a while ago. It was okay, but $50 just didn’t justify hanging out at those particular bars for an entire weekend night. Not to mention the prep time.
Okay, there’s the status report on my new home. I will try to come up with something more focused for next time.
