It's not surprising.

A person with a degree in Urban PLANNING: plans!

I planned to fall in love. 

My friends rolled their eyes like teenagers. 

I said, determined, 6 months, max.

If osmosis didn’t do it, my step-by-step guidebook WOULD.

Yep, the chapter experiments in “The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live” by Melody Warnick was the key to unlocking my love. Like a  tornado unleashed. 

It’s now been 1 year, 3 months and I’m only on Chapter 3!

The object of my affection, Rio Rancho, remains  just on the edge of "love" for me.

And, still, the place Warnick struggled to love is the place I love MOST. Blacksburg, Virginia.  (At least in my mind as I've not visited there since 2006!)

Our daughter Honour visiting Blacksburg.

I was 10 years old the day my feet first crinkled the autumn leaves on the green grass of VA Tech. That’s ALL it took for me to fall in love with that little Blue Ridge mountain town.

WHY doesn't such "instant love" happen to me here? WHY do I have to LEARN to be content HERE, when all I had to do there was BE THERE?

Some would identify my musings as a whiny kid who needs to buckle up and embrace where she's placed. I'd sure say that because I don't personally brook whines and sighs well at all.

Others, such as my husband, would call the challenges in this move as stages of culture shock. 

Imagine that: CULTURE SHOCK going from a hot Southwestern Saguaro town to a windy, green chile Southwestern town! Really? Culture shock?

I have identified this much: I am a tree person. 

One who thinks if sand walks into your house, waves should be nearby! Everyday, way too much desert sand lands at our doorstep. 

So…how do I get from these truths to a woman in love amongst these prickly tumbleweeds? 

Hope bubbles up when I see....BLOOMING YELLOW GLADS in our sandy yard! And hummingbirds flitting around the red autumn sage. Sometimes the endless supply of bunny rabbits bouncing in the yard even make me laugh. 

Plus, it's a LOT more fun to see the hot air balloons etch the sky here than the fighter jets back in Tucson.

And, oh, how about those New Mexico rainbows? The reason I ever stayed out west in the first place, way back in the 80's. And promises of purpose here in this new watering hole. 

A CHANGE IN PLANS

Since Warnick's game plan failed my 6 month plan, I veered away from her steps, and tried my OWN experiment: 

READ LOCAL

I doubt Steve nor I could ever grow strong links in any place without some kind of READ LOCAL outlet.  

While those here are a bit weak, they ARE helping us make inroads toward loving the place where we live these days. 

Who knows? 

Just maybe the planner will really fall in love with the place. 

Someday. 

Definition

First, what in the dirt devil does READ LOCAL mean? In this case, I’m using it as an umbrella over these 4 clouds of connection to New Mexico's City of Vision:

• LOCAL BOOKSTORES
• LOCAL LIBRARIES
• LOCAL AUTHORS
• LOCAL PUBLICATIONS

And as they say, folks, keep your radio on for the next tune: 

BOOKSTORES! 

(I'd love to hear how YOU connected to bookstores in your hometown!)