“Embracing change is one of the exciting things about being alive.”
— Laurel Corona
When I moved to Taos in 2015, Vicki was stunned by my decision.
At the time I was living about 15 minutes from her house in Phoenix, and my decision seemed to her to come out of the blue.
But I had visited Taos several times the previous year, and with every visit I fell a little bit more in love with the area.
“Why now?” Vicki asked.
“If not now, when?” I replied.
How many good years do we have left when we reach our 70s? It depends on many things, of course, but this was not a time to postpone my dreams.
So I moved to Taos.
I had not lived in a small town since I was 17 when I left Bristow, Oklahoma, population 7,000 — and I had not lived on a dirt road since I was 10.
I had become a city girl in all respects. Yet in March 2015 I moved to a small mountain town in northeastern New Mexico, population 5,000, and bought a house on a dirt road.
Now — four years later — I’m leaving Taos.
There is much I will miss about this town, but I’m thoroughly disenchanted with rural living. I’m tired of snakes on my patio, spiders in my bath, and tarantulas trudging across my lawn in the fall.
I’m tired of having my car washed and seeing it covered with dirt before I get home.
I’m tired of septic tanks and propane tanks and getting water from a well that may one day run dry.
I’d like a few city amenities, like DoorDash and Uber . . . like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom . . . like Target and Trader Joe’s. And — although I am loathe to admit it — it’s time to be closer to good medical facilities.
But honestly? I’m also looking forward to a long meandering road trip.
The day after my house closes, I will head east with Annie, stopping in Kansas to see family and then Tulsa to see more family, and then moving on toward the East Coast.
Some of my family and friends think I’m crazy but . . .
If not now, when?
Recent Comments