http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , New Mexico en-us Sat, 05 Dec 09 10:48:54 +0000 Sat, 05 Dec 09 10:48:54 +0000 Gosh.Guys Ahttpwww.youtube.comwatchv6bL3GR4iAW0featurerelatedI'm just so.. like. I'm in tears but I think they are good. I mean. I just.. I can't let anything stop me. I know money is an issue but..screw it I'm not going to stop this until like..I mean. If my friends just as seemingly 'average' as me can do this why can't I I mean who is to say that I can't do it. There are peo http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-450564.html We headed South into New Mexico from Colorado. It has been a welcome treat to be off the Interstates especially since where we have been travelling there isn't that much traffic on the secondary roads. Our route to St. Michael's Skeet in Canones was no exception. The terrain was clearly different from Arizona or Colorado and not like anywhere I've seen before. The color of the stone is not as http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Albuquerque/blog-449703.html I have been accepted to the Youth For Understanding company however...I still want to wait it out and see where Rotary goes they'd show me if I was truly prepared anyways. Really short. Anyways really happy to have got in. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-447809.html Well I passed with flying colors the interview. They said that there was either going to be a second interview or I would move on. I am moving on to district I hope I did not already blog about this. It has been SUPER hectic I had two three days to fill out and finish 4 copies of the paperwork. It was only on the third day today that I realized you could copy. Another words I filled each o http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-447345.html October 21 2009This morning we left Gallup at about 845am. The city is actually in a Navaho reservationhellipthis just means that they own the landhellipit doesnrsquot look any different from any other city I had visions of teepees and Native Americans in full dress but thatrsquos not the case. Like many of the Native American areas wersquove been in the city seemed quite impoveris http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Roswell/blog-447276.html October 20 2009Some parts of this trip have come as complete surpriseshelliptoday we experienced this again When we left Sedona this morning we were headed for the Meteor Crater which was a few miles east of a town named Two Gunhellipjust after Two Arrowshellipreally Anyway most of us thought this was going to be a small outpost with not a lot there except maybe some scifi nuts What http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Gallup/blog-446841.html New Mexico was enchantedmdashjust like the sign said it would be. The scenery here is just astonishing. It feels and looks like a different planet. Jagged hills and rock formations and barren landscape stretched on forever. All throughout New Mexico it seemed like same barren dry unforgiving landscape over and over. The transition from west Texas into New Mexico was very interesting and intens http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/blog-446483.html Chase your dreams they sure run fast but keep running and youll catch them.My interview has actually be rescheduled for tomorrow at 7PM my whole family will be there. Id say Im nervous but then Ive waited for too long and come too far to be afraid. If I am ready I will spread my wings and soar and if not I will take deep breaths and continue constructing me wings. The worst thing I could http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-446062.html Bonjour famille et amisAprs Bryce Canyon nous nous dirigeons au Zion National Park.Le parc se situe au SudOuest du Utah environ 2 heures et 30 minutes de route de Las Vegas. Nous devons laisser nos vhicules lentre du parc et utiliser les navettes gratuites mises notre disposition pour visiter et nous dplacer dans le parc ceci afin dviter les embouteillages dans le parc et la pollut http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Las-Cruces/blog-445942.html The ride from Parras to the border was pretty fast despite the 500 km or so I needed to cover. The highway north from Monclova was awesome and I maintained 130 kmh most of the time. I arrived in the border city of Piedras Negras around 3 PM and headed for the border. I needed to cancel my vehicle importation permit in order for the 400 security deposit to be reversed on my credit card. I wa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Albuquerque/blog-444859.html Hello again dear readers.Tomorrow Monday October 11 2009 I am going to drop of my preapplication I believe it is that or at least part of it.. at Ms.Carr's office . I am a bit nervous as first impressions are important AND she's heard about me and is excited to meet me and I don't want to disappoint her but I am also excited. I have waited so very long for this experience to start movin http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-444222.html On my west coast trip I stopped at Madrid NM and was told by a local that this was a must ride. He was right. Its a 14 mile road that takes you to the top of a local mountain. The only way off is to turn around and come back down. The road is a lot of tight twisties and real fun. It smelled great In the 14 miles you climb 10K feet to an elevation of 10621 ft. 23 miles south of Madrid on Hw http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Sandia-Crest-Byway/blog-444203.html We were off to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta with Alki Tours. It is a 10day celebration of launchings races and contests on a plateau the size of 54 football fields. After flying to Albuquerque and spending the night at the Fairfield Marriott Hotel we drove to the Balloon Park at 530 a.m. October 4th. Our early departure gave us a head start on heavy traffic and got us to the Park in time http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe/blog-444178.html Day 14 Monday 28 SEPT Farmington to Santa Rosa After spending time last night and this morning I have changed my route home. I was planning to head across the top part of NM and then on home. Pretty much the direct route from here. But after talking to Carol I decided that I would take an extra day and see some stuff on the way home. The first thing I thought of was the town that Wild HO http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/blog-443943.html httpwww.youtube.comwatchvLJSOJHBZQG4Anyways I have been informed By calling. I suggest you be persistent but not annoying and phone is also more personal than email that I have made it past the 'introduction' 'interview'. That just means that I basically got a personal briefing of the program. Either way my interviewer really liked me and apparently was not afraid to let everybody know http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-443826.html Well some of you reading may see this experience as simply a really fun trip. However I ask you to think a bit deeper as all of us exchange students Well I'm not one yet but.. I assume that if you're reading this.. I will be. must do. See naturally at first we just see the adventures and excitement Though my major excitement was learning a new language so fluently and handson and living http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-441905.html Hello if you are reading this then that means I am officially an exchange student Or you ran into this by accident. I am writing this because well you never hear about how an exchanger feels before the exchange or the things they go through before departure. It is my deepest wish to be the best exchange student and I feel that part of that is showing you the reality of the situation. So here http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Rio-Rancho/blog-441900.html Today was a day trip up north to Bandelier National Monument with its ruins of cliffside Indian dwellings and some great hiking. Then on to Los Alamos where there is the famous U.S. Government nuclear research lab with origins from the Manhattan Project and mysterious things about the U.S. nuclear weapons program going on.Naturally not much to see of a secret government weapons facility but http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Bandelier/blog-439687.html Santa Fethe Southwest's home of the restaurants and art galleries. June is a great time to visit with warm but nottoohot days and cooler evenings. During our visit the economy is down somewhat and even though it is my first trip here people are saying it is not as busy as usual. After a couple of expensive dinner bills however I figure the local businesses can't be hurting that bad. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe/blog-439686.html On our second day we are headed for Santa Fe our main destination on this trip. But before we leave we check out Old Town Albuquerque including a Rattlesnake Museum only in the West and the Petroglyph National Monument on the edge of town. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Albuquerque/blog-439679.html