In Santa Fe

Saturday night in Santa Fe...

A couple of weeks ago, I moved out of Upaya Zen Center and into a room in a house on the other side of town. (If you know Santa Fe, my new home is off of West Alameda, near the Co-op.) I am adjusting to life outside the monastery walls. Some things I'm enjoying... like being more in my own rhythm of life... and some things I miss, like getting up early in the morning and walking just a few steps to sit in the zendo with a whole sangha. But overall, this feels like the right move for the present moment.

I've been really enjoying taking walks around my neighborhood in Santa Fe. There are so many alleyways and curvy streets here... I am reminded of the same feeling I had when walking through New Orleans. A town with secrets, a town with a long, long history and a big dose of magic and mysticism.

There is so much here that is new to me, and yet at the same time something feels strangely familiar. There is much here that reminds me of growing up in Southern California, just 10 miles from L.A... something that feels 'at home' about seeing all the shrines to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the lowriders, Spanish spoken in so many places.

Soon I'll take my camera out for a walk and share some neighborhood photos.