There are many reasons to adore life in the Land of Enchantment. However, no place is completely perfect. Once you’ve spent some time here, little things can start to grate on you. While we all have our own pet peeves, these 12 experiences seem universally annoying:
- People thinking our state is part of a foreign country.
Flickr/Damian Bariexca How many times have you been told that a company doesn’t ship outside the U.S. or been transferred to the international desk?
- Wasting water.
Flickr/Robert Couse-Baker Here we treat water with the reverence it deserves because we rarely (okay, never) have enough of it.
- The evil little suckers otherwise known as goatheads.
Flickr/cyclotourist Think stepping on a Lego while barefoot is painful? Then you haven’t experienced the horror of goatheads. They are the enemy of bike tires, paw pads, and unprotected feet.
- Not having any major league sports teams.
Flickr/Keith It’s hard to be as enthusiastic when you’re rooting for an out-of-state team.
- Orange barrels.
Flickr/Mandy Jansen We have plenty of gorgeous roadside sculptures in the Land of Enchantment. Unfortunately, orange barrels seem to be the most ubiquitous art installation and they’re rarely a temporary exhibit!
- Driving on dirt roads after a heavy rain or snow.
Flickr/Jason Corneveaux We’re super grateful for the moisture. Really. But the post-monsoon mudding experience? Not so much.
- The long distances between places.
Flickr/Jason Lunte New Mexico is the fifth largest state and also one of the least populated. That’s part of its appeal, but sometimes you wish everything wasn’t quite so spread out. Incidentally, if you’re visiting from out of state… step on it. We have places to be and another 50 miles before we’re there.
- Sketchy cell phone reception.
Flickr/Alon On the one hand, it’s easy to go off grid. On the other hand, if you break down where there isn’t reception, you could be facing a loooong walk.
- A shortage of 24-hour stores.
Flickr/Mike Mozart In an ideal world, we’d pick up what we need during reasonable hours, but sometimes you run out of something vital at 3 a.m..
- Dry skin.
Flickr/Lucille Pine No summer humidity. Yay! The flip side is that, during the winter months, we battle “lizard skin.”
- Perpetual dust.
Flickr/Sharon Sperry Bloom It makes cleaning feel like an utterly pointless task.
- People who litter or dump their junk.
Flickr/Jordan Meeter Our state is so beautiful… until someone pitches a couch off the back of their truck and drives off. Just don’t.
Which of these things bugs you?
Flickr/Damian Bariexca
How many times have you been told that a company doesn’t ship outside the U.S. or been transferred to the international desk?
Flickr/Robert Couse-Baker
Here we treat water with the reverence it deserves because we rarely (okay, never) have enough of it.
Flickr/cyclotourist
Think stepping on a Lego while barefoot is painful? Then you haven’t experienced the horror of goatheads. They are the enemy of bike tires, paw pads, and unprotected feet.
Flickr/Keith
It’s hard to be as enthusiastic when you’re rooting for an out-of-state team.
Flickr/Mandy Jansen
We have plenty of gorgeous roadside sculptures in the Land of Enchantment. Unfortunately, orange barrels seem to be the most ubiquitous art installation and they’re rarely a temporary exhibit!
Flickr/Jason Corneveaux
We’re super grateful for the moisture. Really. But the post-monsoon mudding experience? Not so much.
Flickr/Jason Lunte
New Mexico is the fifth largest state and also one of the least populated. That’s part of its appeal, but sometimes you wish everything wasn’t quite so spread out. Incidentally, if you’re visiting from out of state… step on it. We have places to be and another 50 miles before we’re there.
Flickr/Alon
On the one hand, it’s easy to go off grid. On the other hand, if you break down where there isn’t reception, you could be facing a loooong walk.
Flickr/Mike Mozart
In an ideal world, we’d pick up what we need during reasonable hours, but sometimes you run out of something vital at 3 a.m..
Flickr/Lucille Pine
No summer humidity. Yay! The flip side is that, during the winter months, we battle “lizard skin.”
Flickr/Sharon Sperry Bloom
It makes cleaning feel like an utterly pointless task.
Flickr/Jordan Meeter
Our state is so beautiful… until someone pitches a couch off the back of their truck and drives off. Just don’t.
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