Please RSVP to Your State, Part I

Well, hellooooooooo, everyone!

Nice to see you.

For some months now, I've had it in my mind to do a blog about touristing in your own state. Typically, when we take vacations, we dream about far off destinations, saving our pennies for months or even years so that we can go to some distant place and explore new cultures and risky cuisine.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for that.

But what about destinations that are right out our front door? How about a trip that takes relatively no planning, limited cash, and can be done in a day? I suggest to you now that you commit to strapping on a camera and becoming a state tourist . Your own city, if you wish to start small, or perhaps just your neighborhood, if you're comfortable right there on the patio with your margarita.

There's so much to see and do just outside our front doors, and it's easy to forget that trembly-on-the-inside excitement when you move to a new place. Remember how that was? You could hardly stop yourself from seeking out cultural stimuli and calling everyone you knew to tell them about that fanTASTIC band you just caught at the AWESOME coffee shop that's been in the SAME hip downtown location for the last 20 years that's shaped like a UFO and has the most AMAZING art on the walls and did you know that you can eat green chile EVEN IN PIE and PEOPLE WILL ACTUALLY GIVE YOU THEIR NEWSPAPERS WHEN THEY'RE DONE WITH THEM and isn't everyone just so nice here?? Where does that excitement go, anyway? When does that subtle shift over to complacency take place? It is so easy to forget about all the great things there still are to do, not to mention the new things that are popping up all the time. It becomes so darn easy to slip into a rut of not going out, not exploring your community, not checking the local alternate rag for new local bands, and finding yourself slipping into that comfortable spot on your sofa that just happens to be shaped like your ass.

Dangerous stuff, that.

I'll admit to falling headfirst into that rut.

When I moved to New Mexico, I was out every weekend checking out everything New Mexican I could find. I went hither and yon, visiting all the cool places I could find, and setting my schedule by whatever the Alibi said. It was groovy. But gradually, through the years, I somehow stopped seeking out all the fun things that Albuquerque and its surrounding areas had to offer. I'm not sure why; I guess I just lost the rush. I've been hot on the trail of rediscovering New Mexico lately, though, and have been having the best ever time finding new things to see or revisiting old favorites. And it's gotten me inspired to inspire YOU. So I'm inviting you to get on board the tourism train, wherever you live. Let's all make a pact to find some new things to do, either something as yet undiscovered or perhaps something you enjoyed that you haven't done in a long while.

We'll even start simple. I suggest that next time you're out and about, keep your eyes open for goodies like this:


I found this while driving to work one morning and it brightened my commute to no end. For thems as don't know, Blake's is a hamburger joint. Usually boards like these are used to advertise a special or disparage the competition, but someone had a stroke of creativity that I would have applauded had I not been using my hands to steer my car.*

So I urge you to do this: simply open your eyes and look around next time you're out doing errands. Seek out the unexpected; I promise you it's out there. You just might end up with a smile on your face. And that, my friends, is our first step into local tourism. Stay tuned for more installments!

*Note: Although I am a vegetarian, I will not be planning a press release, interviewing with Katie Couris, or starting a reality show to express my outrage at this blatant discrimination against me and my peeps. Live and let live.