I’ve always been a risk taker. It could have something to do with having three older brothers. Or it could just be the spirt of adventure I’ve had since I was a toddler. My mom would tell stories about me climbing to the top of cabinets in our kitchen with no fear and that one time when I was run over by a riding lawn mower. Thankfully the blade wasn’t engaged. Wherever it came from, I’m thankful to have the desire to discover planted deep inside me. It came in handy during my radiation treatment. 

With 19 treatments scheduled between December 19 and January 16, I decided each one would be rewarded with a new discovery in the City Different where we now live. I started my list and it quickly ballooned to over 50 restaurants, shops, galleries, hiking trails, neighborhoods and experiences.

It’s easy to settle into our usual routines like ordering the same item at our favorite restaurant. We can find just about anything we need, or want, on Amazon. (Shop Local!) During the pandemic, we got used to staying at home and our best friend became Netflix. I decided this is not how I want to live, and this was the best time to make the changes.

I won’t bore you with my lengthy list, but I will share some of my favorite highlights. 

Since our Christmas plans were changed, we embraced it. We went to afternoon mass on Christmas Eve at St. Francis Basilica with the most incredible children’s choir. Then we joined thousands on the stroll along Canyon Road for the Farolito Walk. On Christmas Day, our immediate family had a FaceTime celebration and then we shared a meal with seven of our neighbors. It was a different and yet truly magical experience.

One of the best things about living in Santa Fe is that it is a vacation destination. The week between Christmas and New Year brought some dear friends here and we combined time with them and trying out restaurants on my list. Horno and Luminaria were both great choices and we look forward to return visits. We love visitors and spending time with friends here. Make sure you hit us up if you’re in the area. 

NOTE: In case you don’t know it, Santa Fe has over 350 non-chain restaurants. And to make it even worse, I’m part of a Facebook group called Santa Fe Foodies, where they post photos of food, share tips on great restaurants and dishes, and are determined to make my jeans fit tighter, and tighter, and tighter.

Our home is in a planned community with miles of walking and biking trails, and views of four mountain ranges. Almost daily we head out for walks right out our front door. But the discovery theme pushed me to find some new places including the Galisteo Basin Preserve. It’s located south of Santa Fe just across the highway from Lamy, home of our Amtrak station. Wow!!! What a great place to hike with incredible views and moderate terrain. We hiked for two hours and covered four miles. We are already talking about going back and discovering more of the trails.

My final highlight to share might sound silly but we had a blast. Whole Foods here has a bar, the Pinon Bar, where they have a great selection of 24 beers on tap and 20+ wines. Here’s the real reason to go there – on Friday afternoons they have fresh East Coast oysters shucked and served right to you. And you can also go pick up any groceries you need, and they’ll just add them to your tab. It’s truly a locals place. While we were there, we ran into our favorite golf pro who we took lessons from last May. We loved spending time in community with her and celebrating life.  

I made a total of 24 discoveries with the best adventure partner, my hubby. We’ve added more places to our list, which is now over 30, and we keep getting more tips. Obviously, I had some unusual motivation to embark on these adventures. My goal is to continue moving out of my comfort zone, leaving my couch and fully embracing the joy of discovering new stuff. Join me and share what you’ve discovered.