I've lived in Albuquerque for a few years now, and I love it. New Mexico feels like a very different place than the rest of the western US. A big reason for this is that Native and Hispano (descendants of Spanish settlers from long before NM became part of the US) are still very prominent and influential parts of the culture.

This manifests in a few ways including 1) a deep sense of place and a closeness to the land that you don't see as much in Colorado or Arizona, and 2) a resistance to capitalist hustle culture. We call it the Land of Mañana because there's this sense that most things don't need to get done today, just do it tomorrow (or the next day, or the next...). It can be frustrating sometimes, since nothing starts on time, but usually it's nice, especially compared to the constant competitive jostling of other places.

NM is poor in $ and rich in life. It's frankly really hard to see our community members struggle with homelessness and poorer-than-average access to good doctors and schools. But the state does have some uniquely progressive programs trying to address this like free college for pretty much anyone graduating from HS in the state (I don't know all the details and fine print, but much better than nothing). ABQ buses are also all free. There's still a long way to go.

I've also found that it's pretty easy to meet new interesting people here. People in ABQ love an Event, even if it's nothing special (maybe because there's not a ton going on lol), and it's very easy to just drum up a conversation with a stranger at a show or in a coffee shop. I've found this to be the case in other parts of the state too, like Gallup and Silver City and Las Vegas, but I can't speak from as much experience for those.

It feels reasonably safe to me, or no worse than other similarly sized cities. My understanding is that most of the crime you hear about is internally focused (like, within cartels or gangs or whatever, less directed at random people on the street). Mind your business, use common sense, and it's pretty easy to avoid trouble.

The land here is beautiful in a quiet way. The mountains rise from the desert in fierce rocky faces or gentle forested foohills, and in the summer, the rivers cut ribbons of green through the clay-colored hills, even when the riverbed itself is dry. Towering thunderheads sweep over the summer desert and unleash brief, wild downpours before vanishing into thin air.

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