For Those Who Hate Stairs....

Avoid Santa Fe like the plague! I walk up and down 49 stairs several times a day. Twice to go to breakfast and back, then about half of those to get to my classroom, then back up, then down the 49 again for lunch and then back, then down again and back for dinner, and that's all provided I am not silly like I was today and forget important things nor is it accounting for actually wanting to do anything. Now, normally stairs would be just a slight annoyance, but they are a special kind of annoyance when you're up at 7300 feet and you're only used to 450. Joy! I didn't expect it to hit me as much, but I don't think anyone does. I'm proud to say, though, that my lungs are still abnormally tough, apparently, because I can manage about twice as far as most before I start huffing and puffing. Not bad for an asthmatic, right?
Aside from stairs, my classes are going well, the scenery is beautiful (as you can hopefully see!) and is completely unlike Alaska. I keep seeing some really interesting flora and fauna. I found my favorite place on campus, hands down. Down by the food area there is a koi pond! It has a little waterfall that pours into it and everything. I already took a few minutes there earlier today, sitting on a rock and working on paperwork while enjoying the wonderful sun and fish. I love koi ponds. Maybe it's the marine biologist still in me, or simply the fact that you cannot really have them in Alaska! Either way, it was a relaxing place and there are surprisingly few people who stop there. I think that is due to the fact that everywhere else has them normally. I will enjoy all that the little fishies have to offer, though!
After only a few hours, though, my exhaustion caught up with me again and I crashed. Hard. Actually slept through dinner! So my lessons today are:
Classes are interesting.
The food on campus is pretty darn good!
Don't sleep through dinner.
Food that you pay for isn't that expensive when compared to Alaska.
No matter how hard I try, I will constantly miss my kitty! PANDORA! I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU!