the land of enchantment.

i spent the last week of my summer vacation traveling to the land of enchantment {aka new mexico} with my friend kim {formerly known as new friend kim}, and i may have fallen in love. 

with the state, that is. 

her family lives near albuquerque, she wanted a rode trip companion, and i'm not one to say no to a little adventure. so away we went.

we stopped at the great sand dunes in colorado {which you may remember from here}, and we climbed all the way to the top. each time i visit the sand dunes, i am overwhelmed with how beautiful and strangely located they are.

we spent the next six days driving through and exploring new mexico. 

it all started in taos, where we stayed in the most adorable casita, tasted the best margarita in town, attended mass, posed for senior photos {that was kind of a staple throughout the trip}, hiked to a beautiful lake in the rain, had some of the best ice cream in the u.s., got hit on by a biker gang, explored the town, and most importantly, kim savored one of the best donuts of her life.

on our way to albuquerque, we stopped off at the rio grande gorge bride to take in the gorgeous views and obviously spent a few hours at ojo caliente mineral springs resort and spa because nothing says true relaxation like a whispering policy, mud baths, and hammocks. it was glorious. 

i was so happy to meet kim's family when we got to albuquerque. they were the nicest people, and her aunt makes some amazing food. they was no lack for snacks, cookies, or diet coke. their kindness and love for each other definitely made an impression on me, and i hope i can hang out with them in the land of enchantment again soon.

the highlight of our albuquerque adventures included visiting the plaza, taking more senior photos, and most importantly {for nick} visiting the breaking bad house. i have to admit, i've never seen an episode but nick instructed me that i just HAD to go. the owners of the house were outside, so i asked if i could take some photos. they politely agreed as long as i stayed off their property. and they told us {other people came while we were there to take pictures too} that we would't believe how many people came to their house, day and night, to take photos. intense.

we finished off our new mexico adventure with a trip to santa fe. we spent the day there walking around, admiring art, and eating at the tea house.

i have officially decided that i LOVE santa fe and want to go back as soon as possible. 

it just had a great vibe with a lot of color and beautiful art. 

two very enthusiastic thumbs up from this girl.

before we knew it, it was time to head back to colorado and start work again.

i had the best time and can't wait to come back to the land of enchantment again soon.

p.s. kim is currently single, and i will be accepting resumes for interested suitors on her behalf.