McKittrick Canyon in the Fall: A hidden Treasure in West Texas

Words cannot describe the beauty of this place. Pictures are definitely worth more than a thousand words. These photos were taken on November 8 and November 14, 2015. 

The first day I went there it was cloudy most of the time. Some trees were still green. 

The sun came out a while later, but I still thought that pictures would've been even better if the sun would've come out early.

We went up to The Notch, almost. These guys were too tired to continue, but we still had some nice views of the canyon down below.

It is the moment you realize that part of your freedom means being able to go to observe and admire nature.

New England and Mexico bred this Canyon.

Ain't that amazing? Cacti and maples grow together. As a science person, it would be hard for me to classify this place as a forest, or a desert. I would probably say that certain species of cactus adapt to some forest climates. 

I came back by myself this time. Trees must've peaked right after I went there for the first time as the leaves were now falling.

Fortunately, even though colors were past peak, skies were mainly clear, so I managed to get less, but probably better pictures overall. 

Who would've thought that the most beautiful place in Texas would be surrounded by the shittiest places in the state?

Don't get me wrong, I do like Texas, but the areas in West Texas without mountains or trees are horrible.

Is this the same state where The Metroplex, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, South Padre Island, El Paso, Midessa, and Amarillo are located? 

Texas is truly like a whole different country.

I do miss Monterrey, Mexico, but I love it here.

Be sure to check with your doctor if you still don't think that a hike in McKittrick Canyon is worth it, you might have a serious problem.

Mi opinión acerca de los atentados en París

Estoy de acuerdo en que Facebook no solo debió haber puesto la bandera de Francia, ya que ha habido un número comparable de muertos en Egipto, Siria, Irak, e incluso en México. Estoy con el pueblo francés, pero también con todos los muertos inocentes, ya sean cristianos, musulmanes, etc.

Creo que casi todo musulmán estará de acuerdo en que el problema que tienen es el hecho de no estar de acuerdo entre algunos de ellos y algunos líderes politicos o gente de poder. Si la mayoría de los musulmanes apoyaran al terrorismo, ¿no habrían ya dominado el mundo?

Condeno los ataques en París, y sí, puse los colores de la bandera francesa en mi perfil, pero condeno también los ataques que ha habido en medio oriente y en todo el mundo por parte de jefes politicos y/o líderes tiranos.

Los musulmanes en general no son un problema (lo sé en parte porque he conocido a algunos), solo los radicales son un peligro. El otro problema es el cómo combatirlos si en medio de ellos hay una gran mayoría de gente inocente. Inclusive en la Biblia, Dios no destruyó Sodoma y Gomorra mientras hubiera ahí gente inocente.

Fall in love with Fall

The word "fall" should not be interpreted as "going down," but simply starting the best time of the year.

Most places will get relief from the oppressive summer heat.

Deciduous trees show their best shades of yellow, orange, and red before they go dormant. 

Or at least that's what happens if you happen to live somewhere these trees grow. For those of us who don't, driving a couple of hours in order to see this is definitely worth it.

New Mexico can truly be "The Land of Enchantment," if you know where to go and when to go.

Escape al Desierto

A veces necesitas ir al desierto y desconectarte del mundo.

Fuera de algún pájaro o insecto que pase por ahí cerca se “escucha” silencio total.

No sé si es el sol, el calor, el saber que es un lugar naturalmente seco o las tres cosas, pero después de un rato empieza a darte sed.

Son pocas las sensaciones más placenteras que el saciar la sed con agua o refresco bien frío.

The Cave of Wonders

As you walk into the cave you expect to see all those piles of gold and jewels. Instead you only see stalactites and stalagmites.

The temperatures were supposedly 56°F (13°C), however it did not feel that cold. That was probably because the air was stagnant. Ironically, the only place with a foul smell was the entrance, as it is where bats live.

Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico seems to be the place where some Disney movies were inspired.

Life is like a dream

Stephen King wrote about life being like a movie on his novel "Revival," I would say it is more like a dream. Unlike a movie, you cannot playback your life.

We do have more control over life than we do in our dreams, but at times it seems like you want to communicate with people and you feel like you're talking to the wall, no matter how hard you try. Sometimes things don't turn out to be as you expect, and sometimes it seems like it's too good to be true.

Scenes may change, as well as most of the people around you, especially if you move to a different country. Even if you continue living, working and/or studying in the same city, life can feel quite different from one year to the next. It often feels like you're listening to the song "X&Y" from Coldplay (go ahead and do it if you haven't done so).

You might wake up and feel sick, or simply find out that it was just a dream. Many of us are neither ready nor willing to wake up just yet, but we are hoping that when we do, we'll live a much better life than we've ever dreamed of, one that will never end, even if we initially have to wake up sick before we feel better than ever before. If after this life we all had to go to hell, as it is implied in the novel "Revival," then what would motivate people to be good? Luckily, this novel is just fiction.

Misión cumplida... casi

Todo empezó en el verano del 2013, estaba haciendo la tesina de maestría. Cada vez que mandaba avances, la asesora me pedía corregir diez cosas. Al corregir esas diez cosas me regresaba el trabajo y me pedía corregir otras nueve cosas distintas. Me recordaba a la asesora que tuve en la tesis de carrera, solo que esta no era fastidiosa ni me amenazaba con no graduarme. Al mismo tiempo, estaba esperando el permiso para empezar ese trabajo en Estados Unidos que tanto soñé. Le di prioridad a la mudanza de Monterrey a Odessa, Texas y dejé la tesina pendiente. El trabajo es verdaderamente absorbente y no tengo la energía envidiable de mis colegas españoles, así que me enfoqué en mi trabajo. El verano pasado no me convenía regresar así que en algunos días estuve aburrido sin hacer nada, una semana en Nueva York, unos días en Dallas, carnes asadas… Este verano regresé a Monterrey, acabé la tesina sin necesidad de ir a asesoría y las cosas se dieron para que las correcciones fueran mínimas (con otro asesor, por supuesto), así que tengo la maestría terminada.  Muchas veces me pregunté si la asesora anterior fue tan perfeccionista que el nuevo asesor batalló para encontrar correcciones.

La cirugía de los ojos salió, a un costo mucho menor que en Estados Unidos. Adiós lentes. Dos tratamientos dentales pendientes ya quedaron. Ya no tengo metal en la boca.

Me da tristeza ver que la familia de mi mamá esta deshecha, pero a la vez tranquilidad porque no hay nada que pueda hacer para unirla y en mi familia está todo bien. Pude ver algunos amigos, aunque la mayoría ya vive fuera y/o están casados. Creo que la gente se está dando cuenta que en Monterrey no es fácil tener el nivel de vida con el que te habías acostumbrado. Me gustan mis cerros, mi ciudad con sus edificios (cada día más bonita), pero a la vez siento que me quedan menos razones para quedarme. Al tener pocos amigos que sigan viviendo ahí y a la mitad de la familia deshecha no me deja las mismas ganas de ir a Monterrey que tenía antes. Lo que sí me queda claro es que el hecho de no ver a algunos amigos en mucho tiempo no significa que no sean amigos y a los que he vuelto a ver nos volvemos a saludar con el mismo gusto de siempre.

Nunca fui de muchos amigos pero sigo abierto a la posibilidad de seguir haciendo amigos acá en Odessa, y a lo mejor a que se atraviese esa chava con la que quieres estar todo el día el resto de tu vida. Mientras tanto, tengo planes de seguir viajando siempre que se pueda.

Feels like home to me, sort of

After living in Texas for almost two years and going back home to Monterrey to spend the first summer since I left almost makes me feel like "I'm home." On one hand, I've seen some friends and family, but on the other hand many friends have left, and some family members are dead, even though they still live (extended family issues). No big deal, everything else is fine, right? Wrong.

On both sides of the border, powerful people have been using their power against society. Here in Mexico, our politicians keep stealing and raising taxes. In the US, every time the right and left fight, they either win or lose, but society often loses in these battles. People in Texas can now carry guns in public and in universities, and same-sex marriage is now legal all accross the US. My main concern is not same-sex marriage, but children raised by two moms and two dads. Just like abortion, evil has prevailed in those kinds of decisions. Here in Mexico, abortion is legal in Mexico City as well as same-sex marriage. Both of these could become legal nationwide.

I have noticed that people in general are becoming increasingly liberal, even among "conservative Texans." Does that mean that I'll follow the trend? No. While most liberals will think that most of these changes are good, the truth is that dysfunctional families are also increasing, along with junk TV, is that just a coincidence?

Rather than having the left and the right fighting, they should find some common ground. If same-sex people want to live together, let them do it, but let adoption be done only by a married copuple (consisting only of a man and a woman). Talking about adoption, making it easier for couples to adopt, instead of aborting, have male biological parents take responsibility for the child, or have the child sent to adoption if the mother does not want it. If a woman was raped, the govenrment should help her take care of the child and help with medical expenses (if the biological parent does not have the means to do it) whether she wants to keep the baby or send it to an adoption center. 

There are lots of things to complain about, but also a lot of things to be thankful for. A liberal society has decreased the amount of religious people (as well as their religious practices) but it is good to know that there is a final destination which I believe that'll make the happiest moment in life feel sad. 

The fact that there are lots of places to travel to while I still live, but thinking about a much better "ending with no end" will help me deal with this. What can motivate someone who only thinks that life will be over when you die? Is this the reason why people have become liberal? Have many liberals lost faith in God and just want to enjoy the moment? They probably think that the body that ages with them may not allow them to enjoy as much after they grow old. Other liberals who are still religious probably just follow the trend. Do we have good liberal people? Absolutely, and the fact that you call yourself christian and/or conservative does not make you a good person.

I Set Fire To Rain

When Accuweather first said that they were launching a channel that would focus on weather and not "fluff," they meant to say that The Weather Channel has been adding lots of "fluff" to their content. 

I do agree with them somehow, but I also agree with TWC on the fact that "It's amazing out there!"