What I Learned on My Journey Through West Texas and New Mexico

Vacation are always an excellent way to discover more about yourself, the people that you love, and the people of America. In fact, sometimes you learn a little too much when you're crammed into a compact car with your mother and driving through mile after mile of barren New Mexico landscape- like what your tolerance threshold is for taking a crap and whether or not you can listen to your mother gush on and on about Jason Mraz for hours.

Here are a few lessons I learned on this wonderful trip with my mother through West Texas and most of New Mexico.

Lessons I Learned: West Texas and New Mexico Trip with Mother

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1.) That My Father Used to Wear Make-Up- I'm not even sure how this came up.

Ext. Car- Day

Mother and Daughter are driving on an endless stretch of New Mexico freeway with nothing but desert and big sky in the background.

Daughter

"Oh God, we've been driving through this desolate desert for hours and hours, through run-down town after another! I have to take a pee and there is nowhere to pee! We're low on gas! When will this hell ever end!?"

Mother

"Your father used to wear make-up. Did you know that?"

Daughter stares blankly out onto the horizon.

2.) That There Are No People Like Texans- For about four months after I moved to Austin from Los Angeles, I often found myself holding onto walls in order to prevent myself from falling down to my knees, curling up into a little ball, and crying hysterically when a Texan engaged in conversation with me/displayed generosity. I thought this emotional reaction spurned from the lack of genuine human interaction I encountered in Los Angeles, which is partially true, but I truly believe that Texans are some of the greatest people on Earth. Leaving the state last week for New Mexico reminded me of this. New Mexico, you are fabulous and beautiful land, but if I had to compare overall friendliness you would lose to Texas hands down. I was surprised at the some of the snootiness we encountered in Santa Fe, the aggressive drivers in Albuquerque, and a general lack of wanting to engage with outsiders in other areas.

3.) Marfa is a Magical Place- Maybe it's because of affinity pool of sprawling green land, blue, peach, and lavender skies, and perfectly molded mountains. Or maybe it's the fact that you can stand in the middle of nowhere and hear absolutely nothing. Maybe it's because you feel like you've stepped back into time, like in a James Dean movie. Or maybe it's because you're in a West Texas town full of New Yorkers, Austinites, and Angelenos and you're exactly what the locals hate. Either way, the perfect mix of small town from a bygone era and the arts and culture of the big city makes for Marfa one of my favorite destinations ever.

I will have a post all about her this week.

4.) That New Mexico Offers Roads With No Salvation- There is nothing like the sweat and fear that comes with having to go pee and knowing that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. I know for you men, it's easy, but for us women, it's kind of obvious if we squat on the side of the road with only barren desert landscape as far as the eye can see. There is really no "hiding to pee" when it comes to New Mexico. Throwing a blanket over yourself and walking up to someone's ranch fence about twenty feet from the interstate doesn't make you invisible.

5.) The Coolest Town Name Exists in New Mexico- Have you heard of a cooler town name than Truth or Consequences? I had been fascinated with this town for months now and glad I finally got to see it. Originally called Hot Springs, due to the natural springs that run through the town, T or C was renamed after winning a contest for the radio program, "Truth or Consequences". It's a funky little town full of hip retirees and their terriers. Also the killing spot of this scary dude.

6.) That Georgia O'Keefe Was a Badass- Not just because she was an extremely talented artist, but because she totally left behind her New York life to live out in the badlands of New Mexico by herself. Mom and I went to the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe, and I have to tell you, it's totally worth checking out. O'Keefe had such class and character. I love this pic by Yousuf Karsh below.

7.) That the Streetlights in Roswell Look Like This- And that if I were still obsessed with Fox Mulder, I would have tried climbing the streetlamp and humping it.

8.) That It's Hard Not to See Giant Phalluses in Nature- They're everywhere. See example below from Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico.

9.) That Sometimes You Get Stuck in Your Bubble- When you live in a big city, it's easy to forget that extreme poverty exists in many areas of America. That once thriving towns are reduced to abandoned main streets and dilapidated houses. That we need to focus on helping each other more.