Interactions with People

 We recently returned from a trip to New Mexico. My husband's friend (since 5th grade, they are now in their 70s) and his wife had been asking us to visit ever since their new house was finished. It was a lovely trip - they have a beautiful house and there's a lot to see in the Las Cruces area. Beautiful scenery, so different from Chicago, of course. 

The two of them had planned quite a few activities for us, which was wonderful. Besides beautiful scenery, good food, and interesting places (like White Sands National Park!) what struck me was how many friends they have made in their time so far in New Mexico. And even more than that, how easily they both interact with everyone. 

They picked us up from the El Paso airport and then we stopped at a grocery store there before driving to Las Cruces. In the parking lot of the grocery, Lura started a conversation with the people parked next to us. It started with "would you like this cart?" and ended with us being invited to go on a historical tour of the old section of La Mesilla with the woman's extended family later in the week. Yes, Lura and I went on the tour and had to keep explaining to the very friendly family members that we weren't part of their family, alas.

Meanwhile, the guys were at a men's breakfast. John put together a men's group after moving to Las Cruces that meets every week. 

Another day they took us to the lovely mountain town of Cloudcroft. It's a little touristy, but charming and with beautiful scenery. In a cute shop that sells wine, fancy vinegar and oil, we again made new friends while tasting various items. 

Yet another day we visited White Sands National Park, which was amazing. And there Lura started a conversation with a group of exchange students from Germany.

I'm an introvert. I like people, but I have a hard time beginning interactions with strangers. My super power is listening attentively to others. Is it possible for me to learn to initiate conversations? I think I would like that. I'll need to practice, I think. And have some sort of strategy to get started.

Here's to trying new things!

New Mexico adventure coming up!

 This has turned into our month for traveling! We had a great trip to Boston, which I wrote about last week. Tomorrow we fly to New Mexico to visit one of my husband's oldest friends. They have been friends since elementary school. We are all now retired and John and his wife have moved to Las Cruces. 

I have been to New Mexico only once before; that was to attend a conference of the National Association for Gifted Children. I think it was in Albuquerque. It was my first teacher conference. It was wonderful except for the hotel overbooking. They obviously didn't understand that teachers will show up! I ended up in a conference room on one of those fold up beds. It was bad. I ended up with back pain that sent me to my orthopedic doctor once I was back in Illinois. But the conference was great, eye-opening for for a first year teacher of gifted students.

John and his wife have planned a whole itinerary for our visit. They also inquired about our food preferences and sensitivities. And they are picking us up at the airport in El Paso and stopping at a grocery store on the way back to Las Cruces so we can get food that we like and can eat. It's clear they are great hosts. 

So my mind right now is on what I need to do before leaving tomorrow. Packing, laundry, watering plants, leaving notes for our son who is coming over to check on things, ordering an Uber to airport...

I'm always relieved when we make it to the airport, through security, and finally onto the plane. 

Onward!

Boston! A brief travelogue

 We just got back from 4 days in Boston yesterday. I had only been to Boston once, when I was 17. My parents and I went to look at Boston University. I don't remember seeing much of the city. I don't even remember much about BU. (I did get accepted, but didn't go there.)

This trip was with my husband. We are engaged in a quest to see and hear as many major orchestras in their home hall (that is, not on tour), with their music director (not a guest conductor). And so, we saw and heard Gustav Mahler's Symphony #8, which calls for a large orchestra, a large chorus, plus a children's choir, and 8 vocal soloists, conducted by music director Andris Nelsons. It is nicknamed the "Symphony of a Thousand." The concert hall, Symphony Hall, was built in 1900, though it has been modernized since then. It was a lovely evening.

But there's way more in Boston than the Symphony! We ate really well - I'm not going to weigh myself for awhile! Wonderful seafood, not surprising. If you go to Boston and want a wonderful meal, I recommend the Atlantic Fish Company. We also ate a superb Italian restaurant, recommended by an Uber driver, Limoncello, in the North End. 

The best part of the trip, though, turned out to be our walking tour of historic sites. We had a wonderful guide and saw so many historic sites, including the cemeteries where many of the founding fathers are buried. After teaching Colonial history and the Revolutionary War for years to 4th graders, it was so cool to see the buildings, the Boston Common, the harbor, etc. It was a long walk, but a beautiful day to be outside. My husband, who is not as invested in Colonial history as I am, also loved the tour. 

Now we have about a week at home before traveling to New Mexico for something completely different!