One of the things I look forward to this time of year is planning my annual pilgrimage to the William Inge Festival in April. I did the research and it turns out that this will be my twentieth trip to Independence, Kansas, since I started going in 1991; I missed the fun in 2002 when I was directing a play here in Miami.

As part of the trip, though, I’m leaving a few days early and overshooting Independence to spend a few days back in Albuquerque. The last time I did that was in 2005, arriving just in time for a desert tornado and the election of Pope Benedict. (Coincidence?) Like the last time, I’ll be staying with Brian, seeing friends, making a trip to Santa Fe to visit relatives, and enjoying some really good New Mexican food.

There are a lot of things I love about living here in Florida, but I also loved my years in New Mexico. There’s nothing like the clear blue sky, the glorious sunsets, the stark desert landscape, and the lure of the mountains. I can’t wait to see them, and when I’ve done my bit for kids and county and retire, I plan to spend time in the magic of the Land of Enchantment. I consider this trip to be both a return to good times and friends as well as a scouting expedition.