"I <3 Albuquerque"
-
8/17/2012
I am originally from the northwestern corner of NM. I moved to California for 10 years and then decided to relocate to ABQ 2.5 years ago and could not be happier. I hear a lot of anger in most of these posts about a place that I find charming, beautiful and yes....enchanting. I have lived in Germany, San Diego, and Sacramento and did not find what I was looking for until I came back to NM. Yes, the pace of life here is somewhat slower, but I am at a point in my life where I enjoy that. I am healthier here than I was anywhere else as the outdoor activities, high climate, and grower’s markets offer me everything I need to live a healthy lifestyle.
There are some poverty-stricken, crime laden neighborhoods here, but I learn from these people who have less than I do and chose a profession that was more about bettering our world and helping these people than being worried where my next $100K was coming from. This place is not for everyone, but when I look up at the sunset every night, take my dog for a walk in the mountains in the mornings, and have a hop-skip-and-a-jump to world-class skiing mountains- I am one elated human being. It’s hard to be around a bunch of old-school, uneducated thinkers, but again, I approach this as a challenge and relish in what I am able to teach people. I hear people complain about this place all of the time. To which I say, "THEN MOVE!!!!!" I am so sick of people complaining about living here- those are the people that we need out of our city so we can have positive innovators here that are going to make the changes that need to happen instead of perpetually contributing to the poor attitude and problems of our city.
One of the greatest attributes of ABQ are the people. They are friendly, open and relaxed. After a decade in CA I was ready for someone to hold a door open for me, say hello when they pass me on the street and just plain play NICE. That is NM for you. It has a little old-western feel to it….some ruggedness and behind-the-times mentalities, but again, I use this as an opportunity to drop some knowledge on those that, quite frankly, have not had the opportunity to get a top notch education like I have.
My biggest hope for ABQ in the next 10 years is that our schools improve, our police force improves, our drivers improve, and most importantly…..that we have a little more respect for this gorgeous land and become a “greener” city. I advise those thinking about moving here to listen to all perspectives, come and visit, enjoy the food, experience the culture and don’t just take these nay-sayers at face value because they probably belong in some white suburb of San Diego, which I found dreadful.
Ashley | Albuquerque, NM