Some context before you read more about my travels on my blog that's not a travel blog. I am currently sitting in Portland Brew (a hipster coffee shop with fantastic granola for you non-Nashville fans) with a wad of paper towel/athletic tape wrapped around my left thumb because I cut it quite deeply with a knife while cutting an apple last night. If you have been following this blog closely, you will know that this is not an uncommon occurrence. If you haven't, feel free to educate yourself.
Okay, so back to New Mexico. After our adventures in Oklahoma (which, it has been argued, is not a part of the midwest. I don't subscribe to that kind of tomfoolery but please feel free to contact me with your thoughts on the appropriate regional designation of our dear oklahomies.) we continued on into New Mexico. While making this journey, we listened to Tina Fey's book Bossypants on Audible. That's the only reason for the title of this post.
In New Mexico, we had the pleasure of staying with Annalise's friend's grandfather's friends George and Donna. (Read that again if need be.) After driving three miles of unpaved, pothole-infested mountain road, we arrived at George and Donna's beautiful cabin in the middle of the woods and were greeted with joyous smiles and open arms. Here we were, three young girls they had never met, yet we were welcomed as family. After George showed us around our room, we entered the kitchen to a delicious homemade meal Donna had prepared for us. As we broke bread, we chatted about just about everything and learned about their exciting lives.
Donna reminded me of my Nana, a former teacher who is bright and sassy with a quick wit. She recounted stories of her days teaching in New Mexico and how isolating it was to be the only non-Indian teacher at the school. However, she explained her journey of befriending the locals and her heart for the children and teachers she worked with. She was frustrated with stories of racism against the people she had come to love and explained how difficult it can be to understand them if you're not familiar with their culture. Along with this cultural enlightenment, Donna shared her "smut" on the upcoming royal wedding and we swapped Princess Diana conspiracy theories.
George was quiet, joyful, and abundantly generous. Our first morning in Santa Fe, he insisted on showing us around the city and lead us to some free parking. He absolutely loved the lemon bars we brought and was not afraid to finish up our meals when we were full. When I received an email from him that started "Yo Travelers, Y'all are a class act", I knew I was in for a treat.
Our stay in Santa Fe, although it included beautiful scenery, incredible art, and a fascinating interactive art collective called Meow Wolf that I must recommend to anyone who ever finds themselves in Santa Fe, was ultimately defined by the hospitality and joy of George and Donna. It felt like we were staying with old friends, not distant acquaintances we happened to reach out to two days before. These two are hilarious, adventurous, compassionate, and silly. We even got them watching John Mulaney.
As I've come to learn (and keep learning), our lives are shaped by the people we interact with. Had we found an Airbnb in Santa Fe, we still probably would've experienced the beauty of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, the majesty of Bandelier National Monument, and the profound absurdity (see what I did there) of Meow Wolf. But we would have missed out on Donna's earthquake cake and George's informational Santa Fe pamphlet he gives to prospective buyers when he sells realty. We wouldn't have endured the unpaved three mile drive to their cabin or fed their dog Buster the scraps of our homemade Posole.
And (maybe most importantly) we wouldn't have been the recipients of the overwhelming kindness, friendship, and hospitality extended to us by two adventurous and selfless people who have made a life for themselves in the mountains of New Mexico. George and Donna said yes. They said yes to three strangers who asked to stay in their home. They said yes to investing in said strangers and treating them to an authentic experience of life. And in doing so, they inspired me to say yes a little more often too.