A Week in Albuquerque

Let's be honest: traveling for work isn't fun. Sure, all the times when you're not actually working are okay, but when I travel for work, I'm in meetings from 8:30 until 4:30. And when it's 4:30 in the winter, it's dark soon after meetings end. And when you've crossed two time zones, you're ready for bed at 8. Which barely leaves time for dinner. So pretty much the first two days (Monday I got in too late to even count) were just blah. Work, eat, sleep. But Thursday! I love me some Thursday. We had an hour and a half for lunch, so my friend Kathy picked me up and we enjoyed a fun lunch. After returning, it was just a teeny time until we were done at 3. Daylight + Winter Warmth + New City = A Long Run! There's no other way that I enjoy getting to know a city better than a long run through it. So I headed out of the hotel and started running. Soon enough I was on Route 66. Cool. Then I was crossing the Rio Grande! It's such a western river. I loved it. Then I ran on a rec trail though Rio Grande Valley State Park, and then right by the elephants in the zoo. It was awesome. After the run I sat in the hotel's hot tub. Because duh. Then I went upstairs, showered, and gave myself a Korean face mask treatment. Then I had a banana and a Star Crunch for dinner. Perfection.

You can't be in New Mexico without seeing a hot air balloon. (This was taken from my hotel room. Except for the freeway, it wasn't a bad view.)


Views! Of stuff!


Man, I am sooooo good lookin'.


I'm just hoping for the next conference I can convince those in charge to choose Salt Lake City. Or Puerto Rico. Or just somewhere warm, because otherwise, in January, what's the point?