I ran across this picture....

I ran across this picture today as I was updating our blog. This was one of our favorite days while we were living in Gallup, New Mexico. We went hiking up at McGaffey with a few close friends down there. It was one of the most beautiful places!! Who knew that would be in Gallup ;)

I thought I would take a few minutes and talk a little about Gallup, while it is on my mind.

Everyone we talk to always ask us how in the world did you end up in Gallup? Well, Michael was finishing his undergrad at SUU and we were wanting to take a year off from school to boost up his resume for Medical School. He has a sister, Sarah, that lives there with her husband and family. She called us and said there was a job opening to teach high school down there, which would look great on his resume. So, he sent his resume down and they called him the next day, it was a Thursday. He had a phone interview on Thursday, got the job on Friday and they said he had to be there on Monday!! That was very unexpected but we were excited to start this exciting little adventure for a year.

So, Michael moved down right away and I stayed behind to pack up the house and to get things done. We would talk on the phone at night and he would tell me that he liked it down there but he said it was a huge culture shock, I had a hard imagining.

So it was finally time for us to move down and Michael's parents were kind enough to help me and the kids down there. We get there, and I could see a little what he was talking about. Anyways, we met up at the double wide trailer he got for us! Yay ;) They do not have houses down there for rent because they have a huge problem with one Navajo family renting it and then having the whole reservation moving in with them and trashing the place, so for that reason, they do not rent house, so you see nothing but trailers everywhere. So, we met Michael up at the house he got for us, it sounds crazy cause I know it was only 4 weeks, but the kids have grown so much in that time, Michael could not believe it, they looked so different. So did Michael, I just remember he had lost a lot of weight. Anyways, we get settled in and there was so much for me to do. The place we were renting was on the market right before we moved down and they took it off cause it was not selling and decided to rent it out so with us being the first family in there we had to get all the utilities and propane hooked up, which I have to say was the biggest joke. So, I go down to the county buildings to get things in order, and long story short they had no record of our house, they said that it doesn't exsist...what?!! They just pushed me aside and pretty much said sorry we can't help you, at this point I thought it was because we were white, haha :) In Gallup the Navajo population is about 90%, white about 7%. They were not very nice to me at first andd I had no idea what to do. So my lovely sister in law, Sarah, went down there and took care of business for me :) She went in there with attitude and got it done!! I guess I was a push over :) It was sad how they would treat you though, I was very disapointed. Anyway, we had the same problem with getting our water and getting our propane out there, but I won't go into that.

So we are all settled and things are going great until we would go to the wal-mart, which by the way was the only wal-mart that had a police station in it!! Yeah!! No joke, every time I went to wal-mart I would get approached at least 3 times, whether it was for money or to buy something from them or just a crude comment! It got very old very fast. I would carry Michael's pistol with me every time I had to go there. I have had to threaten it twice the whole time I was there and there were times I would go home and just cry over the things that people would say about me when I was out shopping. It was things that I really can't repeat they were so bad. I was at wal-mart one time and this guy came up asking for money and I had none to give and he followed me to my car pushing the money issue and as soon as I opened my door I had to get firm and he wouldn't let me shut my car door to leave so that is when I said I have the police on the phone and I have my gun in my hand, if you push this any further you will regret it! He backed off pretty easy after that. I have no idea what his intention was, it was probably innocent and he just really needed money but I was not going to take any chances. Another time I was at wal-mart early in the morning with my kids doing some grocery shopping and as I was walking out of the store and as I am walking to my car I see this van with 2 guys in it and my car was 3 cars down from them and as I started walking past them they roll down their windows and start saying horrible things, again, things I can not repeat. But they were definitely implying that they were going to do something to me. I got really scared and angry so I put he kids in the car and lock the doors. Now, what I am about to say is something that I shouldn't have done and looking back, it was very stupid cause it could have ended very badly but in the moment I was livid! After I get the kids locked in the car I walk over to them and they get out of their van and I give them a piece of my mind!! And of course this was right in front of the police station and they see how heated I was so they came out to see what was going on. I told them my story and all the guys could say was "we were messin around with her." I got even more mad cause I told the police that they were sexually harassing me and I was scared and all the police did was told me that I was over reacting and that we just needed to go our separate ways. I got in my car and called Michael just bawling. At this point I was so frustrated with this place. So, one last one. I had to run to wal-mart one night and I was by myself and as I was walking to my car this guy comes up to me and gives the same sob story that he needs money and in the middle of his story I stop him and said I would love to help but I have no cash. His attitude turned from sweet to angry very quickly. He called me a few names which I can not repeat and he went on his way.At this point, I just laughed cause I was so used to it and I went home and told Michael the story. Anyways, I was going to Home Depot the next morning to get a few things for a project I was working on and as I am getting the kids out of the car I see the same darn guy walking over towards us. He walks by saying "I guess you still don't have any money for me today, huh?" I told him no, sorry I don't ever carry cash with me in this town. As I am walking into the store he starts up with some crude comments and as I was turning around to give him a piece of my mind, I saw the was doing sexual gestures and I was discussed. I go into the store and I call Michael, and he was so sick of this that he left work and came down to find this guy, but of course, as soon as he gets there the guy is gone. So I am at home later that day and I was getting ready for a relief society dinner and I get the kids in the car and I am on my way down the road and that guy is up by our house! I called Michael and she said just got to the church and I will meet you there to get the kids and I will go and try to find him. I for sure thought that was not going to happen, but right in the middle of the dinner I get this phone call and it is Michael. He says guess who I just found?? I gave him the exact description of this guy, African American (which is very rare in Gallup), black pants and hoodie, big puffy ponytail and he has a big chip out of his front tooth. So he tells me the story.....He pulls up to a gas station were he sees this black guy getting onto a bus, Michael turns in the parking lot but he thought that he just missed him, but the guy gets off the bus!!! So Michael made eye contact and the guy and he starts walking over to his car and half way over he stops and realizes that no one ever stops to give him money with out him begging for it. As soon as he stops in his tracks Michael gets out of the car and calls him over. He was getting scared, haha! So, Michael confronts him and says I hear you have been harassing my wife? He completely says that he didn't. So, Michael reminds him of the wal-mart and the Home Depot story. He still denys it. So he points to our kids, he said they were with her when you were saying all of those crude things to her, do you remember them?? Still says no! Michael say that is funny cause you fit her description to a T!! Black, chip in the tooth etc....Michael gets frustrated with this guy so he pulls him to the back of the car to show him our license plate. (Michael has a Marine Corp emblem on it to show that he was in the Marines) He says do you see this? If I ever see you harassing my wife again I will put you so far in the ground, I have done it before I am not afraid to do it again! Michael was like, look at you. Who is really going to miss you if were gone? You are going no where in life, no one would even care if you were gone. (I thought Michael was being a little harsh) The guy finally admits to it and he asked for our forgiveness and Michael said that he would forgive him but I know wife feels extremely violated so I don't think she will! Anyways, we never saw him ever again in that town!

Now put the bad aside, we had some amazing great memories and some great life long friends that will never be forgotten. In my opinion that is what got us from day to day, our family and friends there. We will never regret moving there and we have even thought about doing a residency there after Med school but who knows!! Believe it or not, the good out weighed the bad, even as bad as bad was, I would do it again! So I have a love hate relationship with Gallup :)

So, this place was amazing to sit back and watch everything and everyone in this town. It was crazy, there are sooooo many pawn shops where they sell tons on turquoise, pottery etc... I remember there was this one time where this lady pulled up in her car and opened her trunk and pulled out a live sheep to trade for something, ah, I just love it!!

They have some of the best food down there too!! Our family down there definitely introduced us to some great food!! This experience was a once in a life time experience and I would do it again in a heart beat!!