It’s incredible how much the dry winter and little rain this spring has affected New Mexico.  Being nearly 6,000 miles (9,500km) away from the situation I feel pretty removed, and yet hearing from family, friends, internet and the tidbits that the news here shows I am astounded by the magnitude of the fires and concerned for all those that had to evacuate Los Alamos and other places around the state and southwest.
As I spent this winter training on the roads and trails that are now either ablaze or ash-covered I was quite content with the lack of snow and my fortune to have a winter away from snowy roads and treadmills.  But during this time I knew that fire distress and the dry forests were a threatening risks that would certainly bring a summer inferno without rain and moisture.
As I “lucked out” to have a dry winter, I also happened to leave the desert of the U.S. and arrive in Italy just as the air was about to be replaced by smokey haze and dry wind.
I hear a lot from anyone in New Mexico about the fires and the lack of rain, and when my family or friends here ask me how things are back there the first thing that comes to mind is FIRES…  It is just recently that the news on TV has mentioned (for about 15 seconds) the fires that are consuming the southwest forests and threatening towns and homes.  No one here knows the danger that so many people are facing and because of this I feel detached from the anxiety of no rain.  Even in such a connected and globalized world, there is news, culture, lifestyles, and so much more that does not get transmitted across borders and distances.
In the past two month that I have been here everyone has been worried about too much rain.  As the month of May and June has been unusually wet and had more rainy days than most would like, the discomfort is simply a matter not being able to go outside or ruining a vacation at the beach.  But now as it seems summer has arrived, and with only one rainy day in the past week, everyone’s complaints have now turned to the heat and humidity…. its always something isn’t it???
I try to stay positive and embrace every situation, whether rain or shine… but can dry, wind and fires really be embraced, or is it possible to find a positive outlook on that situation too??