The first transport happened before we officially moved. We needed to relocate some large furniture from the house in Fort Worth, which sold and needed to be empty by the middle of December. Rather than moving it twice, we decided to go ahead and take the items directly to New Mexico.

The small U-Haul loaded, we headed west. Late afternoon departure meant we’d be staying in Lubbock for the night, which was convenient since we were dropping some furniture off with a Lubbock resident.

Traveling with a large truck presents some challenges. Speed, for one. We’re limited to less than 70 miles per hour, and while the truck could probably handle a little more than that, we decided to be safe. It was a long drive to the middle of nowhere. And not exciting, either as we have made this drive countless times before.

Morning arrived and the U-haul was a little lighter. We made a quick coffee stop and headed west again, excited to the leave flat plains of this state we’ve called home for many years. The scenery gradually began to change.

It was snowing/raining/sleeting when we crossed the border in Texline. Despite the absolutely unbearable, brutal conditions, we decided a photo was in order. Arranging ourselves near the Welcome sign, we noticed a car pulling up nearby. It was an older four door sedan which didn’t appear to have a lot of life left in it. Out of the sedan stepped a gentleman who politely offered to capture our photo. We agreed, and stood shivering to the bone while he snapped several photos. “I try to stop when I see out-of-towners here,” the man explained before he left. Small towns are full of surprises. We thanked him before we found refuge from the cold in our warm vehicles.

We were hoping for the larger-than-life WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO sign, but because of the location of our crossing (basically nowhere) we were limited to the Welcome sign created by the tiny town of Texico (not to be confused with Texline, which is a very similar border town located further north in nowhere) which seems to stress Texico over New Mexico.

The skies cleared up after leaving the home of the friendly photographer and the Wolverines.

Most of eastern New Mexico looks like this. Flat roads, big skies, the clouds float in and out in no particular order. The grass is a golden color, as if it’s part corn, part grass. The trees are bare and like west Texas, tumbleweeds roll across the road at any given time. Drivers should keep their eyes open for tangles of branches and goatheads and trash.

At the top of any random hill (by standards of flat plains) a driver can almost see Albuquerque. From Lubbock to ABQ, the roads are long and two lanes, with passing allowed only in certain spots. The U-haul chugged along at 70 miles per hour, occasionally creating a little line of impatient drivers behind.

We continued on, passing through Clovis and Fort Sumter and finally, Santa Rosa, where the two lane highway intersects with I-40. At this point we had hopes that the traffic would ease up a little as we changed direction from northwest to west. We quickly realized westbound traffic on I-40 is miserable. There’s a semi truck every quarter mile, each trying to find a time to pass another, which results in a line of cars in the left lane, patiently (or not so) waiting for the semis to figure out their position. Navigating this mess while in a U-Haul was interesting.

There was a quick stop at Cline’s Corner, a gas station which accommodates weary travelers who need a break from the car by selling southwestern style everything: pots, plans, jewelry, blankets, shoes, hats, tamales….. You can’t miss Cline’s. There’s at least ten billboards in each direction advising travelers not to miss the opportunity of a lifetime to purchase a large comfy native American blanket. The bathrooms usually have at least one or two stalls that are functioning properly and coffee is occasionally available. Unlike Texico, they’re not big on sign design. Just some spray paint on a road barrier will do.

After Cline’s Corner, it’s a quick hop, skip and a jump to ABQ. Unless you’re in a U-Haul. We chugged along, dodging semis, motorcycles and SUVs with cartop carriers and bikes attached.

Mountains! This scene is never not exciting for these Texans (ish).

We entered the city from the east, passing Moriarty, Edgewood and Tijeras following the highway around sharp turns and being careful not to hit the wheel destroying potholes which appeared to increase in number the closer the city became.

The exit to Rio Grande Blvd is not far from The Old Town area of the city: zoo, parks, museums and the like are scattered within a few miles from our place. Advantage: walking distance to coffee, beer, food. Disadvantage: the noise.

We found our place looking very much like it had during the video tour (yes, this was the first time we had visited in person). Who commits to a year of rent site unseen? Evidently, we do. A townhome at the end of a line of three, we found bright red walls and a tall ceiling. Not at all like a home a in the suburbs: mission accomplished.

Because we always prioritize food and drink over responsibilities, we put on walking shoes and went in search of an edible meal before unloading the truck. While we found food at Two Cranes, less than a quarter mile from our home, we were disappointed. A small bar, weak beer and less than average food. This is why we ended up at the second location, Sawmill Market, where we wandered through various cafes offering a variety of foods. Everything from tacos, sandwiches, pizza, tapas, cheesecake, quiche, coffee. Options are endless here. As we wandered, we asked ourselves, “do we need to leave this place ever?” and finally decided on drinks at the Botanic Bar. The skilled bartenders can craft pretty much anything a customer desires. They didn’t even blink when asked to create a Negroni and Paper Plane. We walked home from Sawmill fully prepared to begin building, moving and rearranging furniture before heading home in the morning.

Despite the short timeframe, we considered the first part of the move a success. We explored our new home, set up some furniture, made a list of tasks (it was long) and even accomplished unloading old furniture in Lubbock on the way. All in one weekend.