Good morning from Las Cruces!
It’s hard to believe that I started this week recap in Oklahoma, but it’s true! Sometimes the trip just seems to fly by and this is one of those weeks — but nevertheless, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at some of my favorite highlights of the week.
It all starts in Olustee, Oklahoma, a town of about 700 people. Here, I was lucky to be welcomed into a family who gathers every weekday for coffee – a tradition that lasts a couple hours while a dozen or more people cross through during the morning.
Helen, left, is the owner of said home/kitchen table. She was kind enough to let me ask about two thousand questions about Olustee, Oklahoma and America. (I can’t wait to share more of her perspectives with you!)
This is Richard, the German documentary maker I mentioned during my Olustee recap video. He’s currently working on a similar project, examining US national identity, but is considering it through an international lens. It was fascinating to watch him work and we were able to tag-team a number of interviews during my stay!
I loved being able to bounce ideas off another creative and commiserate about the highs and lows of this work.
And this! This is a preview of one of the couples I interviewed in Oklahoma. He is a member of the Comanche tribe and owned the most popular barber shop in Altus (which his son now owns).
Then, it was off to Texas. I stayed overnight in Borger (a town of about 12,000 people ) before exploring Amarillo and making my way towards Santa Fe, New Mexico.
I’ll go back and finish exploring the rest of Texas later this summer!
Just outside of Amarillo, I was able to see Cadillac Ranch, an art installation I’d been dreaming of see live and in person since high school. It did NOT disappoint.
See, all smiles.
Then, I reached the official midway point of Route 66 (and it’s hard to believe this part of my journey is halfway done!).
I crossed over into New Mexico and it…is…stunning.
Seriously, speechless.
I slowly made my way towards Santa Fe so I could explore some of the more rural mountain towns nearby (including Las Vegas, NM and more!).
In a bathroom in a small town outside of Santa Fe, I saw this poster for Nalaxone, the generic name for Narcan, a opioid overdose reversal nasal spray.
When I asked the gas station attendant about the poster, he sighed. He moved to the area in 2012 and, in his words, “found it surprising that there’s a big market for black tar and everything like that. But there is.”
When I pressed him about how the area has changed in the past couple years, he said:
“I don’t know if I’m getting used to it or it’s getting better.”
After exploring the northern parts of New Mexico, I went down to Albuquerque for a few days of exploring. The largest city of New Mexico, this city is filled with history, beautiful architecture, and tons of cool spots to explore.
Before I knew it, though, it was time to move onto the next stop of the trip: Las Cruces, which is where I’m writing to you from today. The drive continued to astound me.
I’ll spend the next day or two exploring this area before ending my New Mexico adventure in a small town in the Northwest corner and heading over to Arizona.
I have a feeling I’ll be leaving a big chunk of my heart here though.
Until next time.
