#GNM13

This post has only been 2 months in the making. :)

We took what felt like our first real vacation back in November to Santa Fe, NM with Ryan's parents to visit with family & just relax & we got way more than we imagined. The past two years have been hard different & it was time for our eyes to see new things & experience life a little bit differently.

I've been pondering how to put this trip into words. It wasn't just a trip or a vacation. It was an experience. An experience that I hope I never forget or lose sight of. An experience that taught me so much, yet not enough. The closest single word to describe the entire week is this: enriched

If I had a choice, I would go back right now. Or at least a couple of times a year. I want to spend as much time as I can with Ryan's Auntie Sandra & Christina (Kristina?). They are hands down the cutest couple on this Earth. Their entire lives are filled with love & it radiates off of them so bright that you can't help but catch a little bit of it yourself. Honestly, they are perfect example of who I strive to be. They don't over-complicate their lives. They're honest, loving, hardworking, intelligent human beings that see the world like it's brand new, every single day. I just want everyone to know them but part of me just wants to be selfish & hide them away for only myself. Don't even get me started on how brilliant & talented they are.

They had us over for breakfast in their home & it was probably one my favorite moments in Santa Fe. There is something so personal & special about having a meal made with love in someone's home.

It was also so wonderful to meet Ryan's GREAT Grandmother Helen & the man whom Ryan is named after, Uncle Brad. Helen is the most hilarious 98 year old woman you will ever meet. A woman that requests certain restaurants at certain times depending on which hot waiter will be her server. Her mind might not be as sharp as it once was, but her tongue sure was. I managed to get an overwhelming amount of pictures of the landscape & almost none of the fabulous people that I shared it with. I must get better at that.

Our hotel, The Lodge at Santa Fe, was not even close to what we had hoped and paid for but just look at that view from our breakfast table!

I could stare at this land forever. I don't know what it is. It is just so peaceful & beautiful in my eyes.

Truchas, NM: also known as the ghost-like town full of closed galleries & studios that we got lost in where you could put your arm out the window & touch the houses. We literally stopped at a General Store that said open & it was an empty building with nobody in sight.

I fell in love with that town. I truly did. The views were breathtaking. The culture was enlightening. The people were so kind & interesting. The food, delicious. So... who wants to move to Santa Fe with us?