That particular visit was in the fall, several years ago,
and included a trip to Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mesilla, where we
built an altar to commemorate our creative and wonderful mom, as well as trips
to Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Columbus and Palomas ,
Mexico
We were officially on vacation, but my sister, also a
journalist, and I both planned to do
some freelance travel features.
It became a running joke: "That dinner would have
been delicious, if only the souflee hadn't fallen and the soup hadn't
gotten cold and the ice cream hadn't melted while we were making notes about it
all."
Or the condensed version that became our vacation mantra:
"It's more fun to eat lunch than to write about it."
As it has become more
challenging to satisfy the multimedia, diverse platform demands of my job, my
traveling companions have become more exasperated.
Dr. Roger, who hates to be photographed, has been a
surprisingly good sport over the years about lending his back for human
perspective shots at locations ranging from City of the Rocks to rocket
museums.
But I suspect I've tried his patience as I lingered to get
just the right light on aspens for a still photo, videos of
folklorico dancers, or an Instagram of another allegedly best New Mexico green chile
cheeseburger.
Even spontaneous, serendipitous moments of vacation fun and
surprise can be compromised when you try to mix journalistic business with
pleasure. When I discovered I hadn't captured a crucial angle when a greedy
goat jumped a fence and snatched a snack out of his hand, my companion noted my
disappointment and graciously
volunteered to attempt a reenactment, but we both knew the time had passed.
Sometimes, I admit, I'd like to vacation anonymously in a
world that sometimes seems desperate to publicize their causes, events, and/or themselves.
It can be tough, after covering arts, entertainment and culture in the same
territory for two decades, to attend any prime time attractions without being
besieged with story requests, fliers, business cards, and sometimes even books
and CDs.
I try to explain I'm on vacation, but it doesn't really work
in one's hometown, where I have been beseeched in my health club's swimming
pool, locker room and even into the
shower, places where I am clearly unequipped
- and disinclined - to take notes.
Though New Mexico is the
fifth biggest state in our nation, I've found that the small world maxim
applies and there is no refuge for
someone who has worked for New Mexico Magazine and daily newspapers in Albuquerque , Santa Fe and Las Cruces .
Last year, I spent part of a vacation with a friend who is a
much better photographer than I am and realized what I have made my loved ones
endure. While I took a few quick candids that will probably never be seen by
anyone but me, she spent hours setting
up shots and carting around her weight in camera equipment. I finally left her
to it, and went off to relax and enjoy the event on my own.
And, give or take a quick cell phone video or two, that's
what I did on my recent staycation. I went to some new events I'd already
advanced and showed up without a pen, notebook or camera to enjoy some fun attractions I've covered for decades, but
never attended as a civilian, especially wearing very dark sunglasses and a
very big hat. And no media credentials on a chain around my neck.
But I also realized how grateful I am to have a job I enjoy
in a place I love so much that I want to spend my vacation on my own leisurely
version of a kind of A & E busman's
holiday.
I had some great times. And except for this column, I didn't
write a word about them afterward.
S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at dmoore@lcsun-news.com,
@derricksonmoore on Twitter and Tout, or call 575-541-5450.
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