TEXANALANE ADVENTURES

How do I explain what it’s like living in Mesilla, NM?

Firstly, it feels like a moment in time, a time that I’ve labeled, PRIMITIVE ROMANCE. As I speak to the old timers, I learn that within their lifetime, the plaza was once all dirt with horses and buggies hitched to posts, while the Rio Grande flowed flawlessly nearby. Adobe homes lined the streets, colorfully adorned with vines and flowers. Dust swirled from door to door defining its high desert topography. Today, much of its population includes those families who were, indeed, pioneers and adventurers, as Mesilla became a stagecoach stopover and as more and more visitors left but returned as soon as they could.

Indeed, Mesilla, NM is a step back in time and yet timeless. In 2001, I visited Mesilla for the first time. No, it was not planned. Actually, I was driving my first solo trip from Texas to California, and my car broke down. What could have been a disaster for me, became my great desire to one day return and live here. Crazy? Perhaps, but on that overnight excursion while waiting for car repair, I experienced its charm, its culture, its friendliness … its mountains, desert, art … its desire to retain what history had provided.

Today, September, 2025, Mesilla has not changed much. Of course, beyond its city limits, a population explosion happened over the last twenty-four years. But, Mesilla itself, has retained its lowkey, authentic way of living. It still looks like a Mexican village where all homes are adobe, and the plaza maintains its small-town ambience with locals performing their native dances, restaurants serving tasty cuisine, and creative vendors selling their wares alongside farm to market booths. Others, like me, can sit on park benches absorbing the good vibes of a well respected community and its charm.

It’s FIESTA holiday! I keenly observe locals and out of town visitors stroll around the village plaza, eating New Mexico treats and listening to mariachis sing with great gusto as pretty, young girls dance their Ballet Folklorico: The Dance of the People. I sense Mesilla’s strong pride in its history. And, I imagine hardy pioneers enduring summer’s intense heat as hot dust whips in their faces. I fantasize the history that has unfolded and how the culture has remained authentic and true. I love that so much … which is the WHY for my current who, what, and where stage of life.

Being seventy-seven and deciding to independently move to Mesilla was both easy and hard, and, yes, impetuous and practical. No need to bore my readers for all the right or wrong reasons for my move, but I feel I should at least say, “It’s a twenty-four year manifestation that I feared would never happen.” “Age, health, and family were all considerations, and well … the Universe took care of the rest, bringing the opportunity. The door of opportunity opened, and I felt that I would always regret it if I did not take the chance or the risks.”

“So, here I am, nestled into my small, adobe apartment with cedar-logged ceiling matching all the pictures that I had cut out of magazines as I imagined my southwest motif and southwest-style clothing.” Someone recently said, “You fit in perfectly!” Of course, I do. It’s where my heart belongs.

Long story short. My message is about my adventures in Mesilla, NM; but more importantly, it’s about never being too old to make a dream come true or taking a risk. Yes, it may prove to be short-lived. Yes, it may prove to be to not align with my upcoming needs. But, what if I hadn’t? Someone once said that, “It’s not all the accomplishments in your life that are remembered; it’s regrets that are remembered when we are ready to cross over.”

My ‘cross-over’ time’ is getting closer every day, (as is everybody’s), and I have enough regrets. So, I decided to not add another regret to the list.

It’s FIESTA! I sit on the plaza bench, cane in hand, and a local ninetyish gentleman is pointing out historical landmarks and Mesilla’s unique culture. Chimes ring sweetly from the Basilica San Albino Catholic Church across the street.

I sense that I am lucky. I am adventurous. I am open to learn, to lean into new experiences. I am old, but the gleam in my eyes tells me that my young-at-heart soul will never outgrow my sense of wonder and curiosity. I am blessed.

Live life lovingly,

Texana Lane