Albuquerque - What it's ALL about... Part 1

Many events “conspired” to bring on vast changes in my life. On December 31, 2016 I had made some New Years Resolutions about things that I needed to do to bring joy back into my life. Mostly they centered around family, personal relationships, work and home. At that time, I identified things that were not bringing me joy and I was determined to make positive changes in my life to get back to being joyous. One resolution was that eventually I would be on the road full-time but, like all my plans, it was a long-range plan. Little did I know at that time, that in a few months I would not be in a relationship, not be working, and not be expecting to be in my house for much longer and that the smaller RV that I bought with my partner would be up for sale and I would be in the 40 foot Beast! Mygoals were simple and were ranked in order of importance - 1) See more of my kids (one in Northern California, one in Southern California and one in Albuquerque, New Mexico); 2) See the country; and 3) Meet new people and accumulate experiences rather than “stuff.” This trip was about all of the above as my middle son, Justin, and his wife, Meredith were expecting their first baby on August 16th. SO, point the compass that direction and away I go.

I was aiming to get to Albuquerque a week early to help with getting the house ready, the fridge stocked and to spend some time before the craziness hit. Meredith’s parents were there at the same time - something I was looking forward to as I enjoy spending time with them. As I got closer to Albuquerque, the baby (with a consult from the doctors) decided that she was quite big enough and, rather than cause her mom more and more distress, with some assistance from the doctors, Caroline Gabrielle was born on August 11th. Meredith was in the hospital from the 9th, so I was happy I was there!

Driving to Albuquerque from White Sands National Monument was relatively uneventful. While driving though, with the pure white sands of WSNM on my mind, I came upon vast fields of black rock. It was obviously not like anything else I had encountered, though after White Sands and some of the other sights I have seen, I have come to expect that “other worldly feel.” Finally, I pulled over and took a picture. Justin later told me that they are lava fields and that they are fairly common. Who knew?

Anyway, the plan for Albuquerque was that I would ultimately be staying on an RV pad at one of Justin’s neighbors. They are an RV family - they have a HUGE RV garage for their own RV, and because family comes to visit in RV’s, they also have a pad site next to their house with full hook-ups - water, sewer and electric. Best of all worlds for me since I get to live in my RV, be close to the kids but not living with the kids AND I have full hookups so living is easy. Alas, the neighbor had family coming for the first few days, so I went to an RV park near by. Enchanted Trails RV Park looked great in the pictures and proved to be equally as great in person. It was just a 25 minute drive from the kids’ house, and had the added benefit of being closer to the hospital. SO, it was perfect timing. I would be closer to the hospital when Meredith was there, then closer to home when she came home.

I pulled into the RV park and it was a strange feeling… like stepping back in time. The building was a typical midwest adobe structure, but the colors were very 50’s. As you pulled in, you could see that they not only had vintage trailers available for rent, but they also had vintage cars poised next to the trailers looking like the Cleavers had come on vacation and parked next to their RV. Both the trailers and the RVs were beautifully restored. I was in heaven and kept thinking about how much my dad would have flipped over the old cars.. the trailers not so much. The other interesting thing about the park is that it is located on an access road to I-40 that is actually considered to be part of historic Route 66. How fitting!!

The park is in the middle of an area that is way less developed that other parts of Albuquerque so it feels like you are really in the middle of the desert. When some storms came through, you REALLY felt like you were just plopped in the middle of nowhere with the wind howling and whipping across the flat lands. I took a video just so you could see how severe it was. I haven’t talked much about weather, but the weather in the south- and mid- west is very different from the northeast. In the NE you get bad weather and 99% of the time it’s a bad weather day. You go driving IN a storm. Emphasis on IN because it’s in distinct contrast to these desert-y climates where the storms are fast and they are pretty isolated. Combine that with the flat lands and you can see the storms around you, sometimes even when it’s clear where you are currently. You see clouds that seem to touch the ground and realize that’s the rain pouring down in that area. When I was driving, I got used to sudden deluges of rain but I also got used to driving into the deluge and just as quickly driving out of it. So it seems that you get to drive THROUGH a storm. And on the other side, it’s dry and sunny. Very different. I remember it from when Peter and I were in Albuquerque, but I did not think of it as a vast regional difference. I realized it even more when I first drove North again and saw the contrast. Amazing the things you learn while driving the country.

After a few days I moved from the park to the neighbors. Getting into their spot was harrowing. Luckily Clint, the neighbor, drives a big RV (and a firetruck during his non-fun times… aka work). He got me into the spot, but it was scary how close we were to the VERY solid cinder-block wall on one side. You can’t see it in the pics, but trust me, it’s there and it will not move if you accidentally bump into it. Later when I had to move the RV to take it in for some service, Clint was not around. Justin and I managed to get it out of that spot, but it was with a ton of backs and forths and with a lot of, shall we say, loud discussions about what to do next. It was so harrowing that for the last few days, after the service was done, I went back to Enchanted Trails and was quite happy in my roomy spot there.

So… what’s it all about? It’s all about family and being there was wonderful. I loved being about to see Justin and Meredith plunge into their new roles as parents. Babies are not easy and newborns even less so. I was happy to be there and equally as happy to have Meredith’s parents there so we could all share the load. I remember when Adam was born thinking how amazing it was that a newborn can be such a full time experience. Of course, it gets better, and we told the kids that… but no sleep is not easy no matter how much help you have, especially when another feeding is just around the corner when you try to catch a nap. We can change diapers. We can cook. We can clean. We can keep you company. But we can’t feed that baby. All that falls on Meredith… but she handled it with a smile (mostly) and always seemed happy we were all there to help. When Harriet (my ex) came and Meredith’s mother left (her dad left a bit earlier), the family fun continued.

I have to admit that grandchildren are pretty darned incredible. every so often I just marvel at my kids. They are poised and confident and out there tackling life. It’s weird because sometimes I still feel that young. What age do you feel when you are not looking in the mirror? For me, it’s 36. That was the age when I remember feeling young and powerful (hey I was not even 40 yet and anything was possible) but adult (I was in the middle of a road show to take a company public… that’s pretty adult). I remember feeling like the yin and yang were matched.

Of course, in reality, at 36 I was working like a dog for 100 hours a week; I was stressed; I couldn’t give my family the time they needed and I wished I had; money was less abundant and expenses were more so; we had a 10 year old, and 8 year old and a 1 year old… I had little patience for anything but working and keeping life in control. But time changes our perceptions and so at 58, I feel like I am 36 and it feels good. But my kids are catching up to that and they are having babies. They are young and powerful; they are adults. How is this all possible at the same time? The answer is it’s not… but that doesn’t change how it feels. And you know what… I think it is pretty cool to feel like I am still 36, (despite the aches and pains that weren’t there so much at 36). AND, I am happier... way happier. I am less stressed than I have ever been. I love seeing my family prosper and grow. I love seeing them battling the battles we already won. Looking back, if I didn’t win them, I turned the losses into wins because that’s who I am. And I love seeing my kids do that too.

The thing I haven’t shared in all these experiences is that I have a ton of time to think while driving. My overwhelming emotion is one of happy gratitude. That’s a good place to be. That’s what it’s all about. For sure.

Stay tuned for Part 2 - more fun in Albuquerque.

To end… here’s a happy Albuquerque picture. Not too bad to see when you leave your street in the morning.