NPS 2005 Albuquerque Day 1

We arrived.
I slept heavily on the plane.
I'm still freaked if I'm wide awake during pockets of terbulence.

Anyway, we made it...we arrived.
New Mexico is beautiful.
First thing that caught my eye were the mountains.
I almost didn't call them breathtaking...
But they caught me by surprise...I just hadn't expected to see them here.
I don't know anything about geography.

Second thing that caught my eye was the friendly aura of the organizers of this year's National SLAM. From a local Volenteer driving a convertable who offered to take us to the welcome party hosted by Albuquerque the Magazine
to the ex-military security guard at the museum in the National Hispanic Cultural Center who offered background and insight to art we admired in the exhibit.

Tonite I caught up with old friends and introduced myself to new ones.
Tonite felt like a logical beginning.
Free food, free tequilla, sangria, and lots of beer.

A gracious way to initiate a week of competition. With the point being the poetry of course.
74 teams, poets from all around the country, everyone there for a reason.

Everyone mostly hoping to be remembered by someone for something more than unforgettable, concrete, or amazing...