Why Albuquerque, New Mexico? Famous for Breaking Bad and its blue methamphetamines, spicy red and green chile, the balloon fiesta, and violent crime. I have lived in Malaysia, scuba diving, walking the markets, splunking through bat and snake infested caves with a sheen of guano, night hiking the jungle with tigers, asian rhinos, and mice deer. I spent three, one year periods in Portland Oregon, eating amazing street food, relaxing at world class cafes, and bicycling through purple curtains of rain. I spent three years in Utah when my father was deployed overseas in the middle east. Recently I lived on the east coast of the United States, in Delaware. I don’t really have anything nice to say about it. A big part of my journey has been fueled by creativity and a career in education. I have always known and have always rediscovered a connection with New Mexico’s creativity. It’s in the air, it is unavoidable. Single mothers make black light drawings of their struggles and trauma. Countless venues appear and transform their local neighborhoods, highlighting coffee, musician buskers, artisan honey and peppers, even the pizza is unique. If you haven’t tried green chile, pepperoni, you haven’t lived. Everywhere you look there is character. The character that someone’s hands and mind crafted this because they wanted to. Not because they wanted the corner office, or a new car. Just for the love of it!