No matter how far you venture from the Land of Enchantment, some habits just seem to stick. Whether you’ve relocated across the country or moved across the world, it’s nearly impossible to ignore your New Mexico roots. Here are 16 traits that prove you can take the New Mexican out of New Mexico, but you can never take New Mexico out of the New Mexican.
- Craving chile.
Samat Jain/Flickr No matter how great the food is somewhere else, there is nothing like chile smothered New Mexican fare! From enchiladas and rellenos to burritos and Frito pies, the yearning for chile will never die.
- Putting chile on non-traditional dishes.
Dions/TripAdvisor New Mexicans know that the uses for chile extend well beyond the traditional. You will add green to your pizza from the stash in the freezer. Plus, you will always suggest that the local fast-food chain have chile available for their burgers.
- Being grateful for rain.
AdriaanC/Flickr It rains in other places. In some places it even rains a lot! No matter if it seems like monsoon season, 24/7 in your new home, you will always rejoice in the rain.
- Wanting to take a walk in nature.
Sujay Sarkhel/Flickr Let’s face it. New Mexicans are lucky. Even if we live in a “big city” (think Albuquerque), wide open spaces and trails are literally minutes away. In other places, especially ones landlocked by concrete, New Mexicans will seek out nature somewhere.
- Watching out for rogue tumbleweeds.
Denise Rowlands/Flickr Dodging tumbleweeds is good practice for avoiding all sorts of road hazards. In fact, the driving skills you picked up during tumbleweed season should entitle ex-New Mexicans to a discount on auto insurance.
- Drinking coronaritas.
Denise Mattox/Flickr There is nothing like a margarita with a little fizzy reinforcement from a cold Mexican beer. That is unless you are using that beer in a clamato-y, Michelada at Sunday lunch.
- Drinking margaritas.
Karl Stanton/Flickr We all know margaritas rule in New Mexico. And why? One word - tequila! Silver, gold, reposado, añejo…. Need we go on? We’re 99 percent sure that you will still be grabbing the cactus juice, even when outside New Mexico.
- Eating menudo for hangovers.
Hadley Paul Garland/Flickr So, it’s the weekend and you need to clear your head so you can watch the game on the tube. Nothing is going to accomplish the task like that deep, rich tripe-studded bowl of menudo. Add some onions and a squeeze of lime, and you’re golden.
- Not cheering for Lobo sports.
Enrique A Sanabria/Flickr Speaking of the big game - what’s up with not loving the Lobos? Maybe they aren’t the best college team. Still, they are the home team and worthy of some love. However, in your new home outside New Mexico, you will probably tune in to some other game and not even check the UNM scores.
- Being nonchalant about celebrities.
Georges Biard [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons Before, the celebs hung around Santa Fe and Taos. Now, with the movie biz in New Mexico, even folks from Las Cruces and Shiprock are used to seeing famous faces at the next table over. In your new home, while others are going ga-ga over the latest matinee idol, you will just go on about your business.
- Getting excited about a celebrity if it is Bryan Cranston.
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons Breaking Bad breaks the rules. No matter where a New Mexican is when he sees Walter White (a.k.a Bryan Cranston), he is going to be excited - even if he pretends he’s not.
- Celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Paul Stein/Flickr For New Mexicans, Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday. Even in some remote outpost like Nebraska, a New Mexican will celebrate. And just maybe, he will enlighten his new pals about what the holiday actually means.
- Using words from at least two different languages in every conversation.
Jandy Stone/Flickr You know what I mean here, no? New Mexican’s have a unique parlance. It’s not going to just go away if you move. You will still throw around words like arroyo, nicho, mesa, sopaipilla and chilaquiles, leaving your new friends reaching for a dictionary.
- Dressing like the weather will be perfect.
Silentmind8/Flickr Hint: You might need a winter jacket if you leave New Mexico.
- Putting out luminarias at Christmas.
Chris Dodson/Flickr The neighbors might not understand why you are lining your driveway with little bags of sand and candles. However, come nightfall, you are sure to be the hit of your new hood.
- Explaining that New Mexico is an actual U.S. state.
By TUBS [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons It’s a fact: the further you get from New Mexico, the more likely it is that people will marvel at your skill with English and ask about life in Mexico. You’ve dealt with this issue forever. Just be prepared and keep a U.S. map bookmarked on your phone.
So, let’s hear it. Any ex-pat New Mexicans out there? Anyone leave the state only to return? Which New Mexican habits did you hang on to?
Samat Jain/Flickr
No matter how great the food is somewhere else, there is nothing like chile smothered New Mexican fare! From enchiladas and rellenos to burritos and Frito pies, the yearning for chile will never die.
Dions/TripAdvisor
New Mexicans know that the uses for chile extend well beyond the traditional. You will add green to your pizza from the stash in the freezer. Plus, you will always suggest that the local fast-food chain have chile available for their burgers.
AdriaanC/Flickr
It rains in other places. In some places it even rains a lot! No matter if it seems like monsoon season, 24/7 in your new home, you will always rejoice in the rain.
Sujay Sarkhel/Flickr
Let’s face it. New Mexicans are lucky. Even if we live in a “big city” (think Albuquerque), wide open spaces and trails are literally minutes away. In other places, especially ones landlocked by concrete, New Mexicans will seek out nature somewhere.
Denise Rowlands/Flickr
Dodging tumbleweeds is good practice for avoiding all sorts of road hazards. In fact, the driving skills you picked up during tumbleweed season should entitle ex-New Mexicans to a discount on auto insurance.
Denise Mattox/Flickr
There is nothing like a margarita with a little fizzy reinforcement from a cold Mexican beer. That is unless you are using that beer in a clamato-y, Michelada at Sunday lunch.
Karl Stanton/Flickr
We all know margaritas rule in New Mexico. And why? One word - tequila! Silver, gold, reposado, añejo…. Need we go on? We’re 99 percent sure that you will still be grabbing the cactus juice, even when outside New Mexico.
Hadley Paul Garland/Flickr
So, it’s the weekend and you need to clear your head so you can watch the game on the tube. Nothing is going to accomplish the task like that deep, rich tripe-studded bowl of menudo. Add some onions and a squeeze of lime, and you’re golden.
Enrique A Sanabria/Flickr
Speaking of the big game - what’s up with not loving the Lobos? Maybe they aren’t the best college team. Still, they are the home team and worthy of some love. However, in your new home outside New Mexico, you will probably tune in to some other game and not even check the UNM scores.
Georges Biard [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Before, the celebs hung around Santa Fe and Taos. Now, with the movie biz in New Mexico, even folks from Las Cruces and Shiprock are used to seeing famous faces at the next table over. In your new home, while others are going ga-ga over the latest matinee idol, you will just go on about your business.
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Breaking Bad breaks the rules. No matter where a New Mexican is when he sees Walter White (a.k.a Bryan Cranston), he is going to be excited - even if he pretends he’s not.
Paul Stein/Flickr
For New Mexicans, Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday. Even in some remote outpost like Nebraska, a New Mexican will celebrate. And just maybe, he will enlighten his new pals about what the holiday actually means.
Jandy Stone/Flickr
You know what I mean here, no? New Mexican’s have a unique parlance. It’s not going to just go away if you move. You will still throw around words like arroyo, nicho, mesa, sopaipilla and chilaquiles, leaving your new friends reaching for a dictionary.
Silentmind8/Flickr
Hint: You might need a winter jacket if you leave New Mexico.
Chris Dodson/Flickr
The neighbors might not understand why you are lining your driveway with little bags of sand and candles. However, come nightfall, you are sure to be the hit of your new hood.
By TUBS [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
It’s a fact: the further you get from New Mexico, the more likely it is that people will marvel at your skill with English and ask about life in Mexico. You’ve dealt with this issue forever. Just be prepared and keep a U.S. map bookmarked on your phone.
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