Santa Fe can be an insular place. We like it that way. In the grand scheme of the small town that is the state of New Mexico, our capital city still feels more like a village than a metropolitan zone. On our official seal, it still says La Villa Real de la Santa Fe. That's Spanish for "the royal town of holy faith."
It's that "town" part that is the reason why many of us are here, because we know where everything is and where it used to be, because we can still get where we need to on a bus in an hour or in 15 minutes in our cars, because when we look up at the sky at night from even a lit downtown street, we can see the stars and the darker outline of the mountains. And we've still got faith in the real meaning of community.
Whether your family goes back here for generations or whether you're like me, and you chose to come here and don't intend to leave, Santa Fe has so much to offer that it's easy to stay in your comfort zone and remain satisfied.
But what fun is that? This year's Annual Manual encourages you to get out and make a memory. In a place so rooted in history, looking back and looking forward have to happen simultaneously.
Those who are reading this as you try to figure out how to pronounce Cerrillos (Ser-EE-yos) and plan your visit, we know you'll remember it forever.
Bueno, bye.
Julie Ann Grimm
Santa Fe Reporter