I also appreciated my time in Peñasco itself. I was there during a snowstorm so I got to see the mountains get covered and witness the town in all of its snowy Norteño beauty.
With so many people migrating to New Mexico it felt precious to spend some ephemeral time in a Norteño place. As someone who grew up in the state, I see many things about my communities changing. Our state has a complicated history of colonization, something my family has also participated in. Part of my project was examining my family’s experience here. I felt like Peñasco was a great place to do that. I was able to find a place that in my perception is more like the New Mexico I knew when I was growing up here.
Alessandra and everyone at the theater were very friendly and thoughtful towards me and gave me a lot of space and respect towards my process. I also felt like Covid precautions were incredibly thoughtful – people were doing their best to take care of me and their community. Lots of space, community, communication and solitude.
