NM the most foreign state (Farmington, Alamogordo: insurance, transfer, movies)

[santafe400]

I think living in a brown mud house (adobe), is certainly different. Any state that has been visited by aliens or had an atomic bomb dropped on it certainly makes my list of exotic states.

[santafe400]

In addition, to my previous remark. Considering how many people I have met back east who have told me they have taken a cruise to new MEXICO; I don't think any other statehood can be as confused as ours.

[rybert]

Originally Posted by desert sun

NM was the first minority majority state along with Hawaii and I think California and Texas then became one too. It is different here, I think New Mexico and Mississippi are long lost step brothers.

Take it back!

[tecpatl]

Originally Posted by santafe400

Hi everyone. I was just thining that New Mexico is probably the most exotic state in the country. I think in terms of culture shock from outsiders, we are probably #1. This is in account to demographics, history, architecture, climate, etc. I have heard friends who visit NM for the first time that it takes alot of getting used to. Even the "do-whatever" feel of the people seems to be a rare commodity.

So just for conversation sakes, this would be my list of the top 5 most exotic/foreign states in the US.

5. Mississippi
4. Louisiana
3. Hawaii
2. Nevada
1. New Mexico

Any thoughts?

New Mexico is about as foreign as the USA gets, but I'd also include South Louisiana. In both places there is a large multilingual/multiracial population, strong local (and sometimes exotic) customs and culture, distinctive music, FOOD (of course!!), architecture (more obvious in NM), art, on and on...
Plus, at least half of the population of the USA doesn't really know that New Mexico is a state.
NMNITA, I'd be interested in hearing you expand on what it was about local attitudes, etc. that displeased you enough to be a factor in leaving the state. I don't ask to be argumentative, but just out of curiousity. As a non-native I have some of my own complaints/criticisms, some of which have been aired on this forum. I have, of course, similar c/c's about my old hometown...

[Towanda]

I am not sure I would call New Mexico "foreign" or "exotic" ... but the fact that it is very different from every other state is part of its charm and certainly factored into the reason I wanted to live here.

[Pit Bull Dawg]

It depends on what is "normal" to you. And what your background is.

We grew up in Southern California, and when we moved to the Midwest - we felt like foreigners there. Didn't fit in. Didn't understand the culture. Couldn't adapt. It was just too foreign to us.
Too much culture shock there!

We felt then (and still do now) that we were living in a foreign country.
So we left.

****

When we moved back to the West side of the U.S.
New Mexico immediately felt like home to us, and we finally felt normal again.

We understand the culture, we appreciate the desert, it's people, and it's beauty. We enjoy the pueblo houses, etc.
No culture shock for us when we arrived, we just blended in...

When we lived in the Midwest, the blizzards, the ice, the humidity, the people, the buildings, the types of jobs, and the small towns were foreign to us. I guess everything was foreign to us. Nothing made sense there.

I see what you mean about New Mexico feeling exotic to some people, but to us - it just felt like home and a place where we finally belonged!



Edited to add: To the OP, I loved your thoughts and your post. Hope I don't come across as disagreeing with you at all. I do agree with you.

It's very exotic and different here. However, it just depends on what you are "used" to in life and your background which shapes what one considers to be "culture shock."

Before we moved to New Mexico, our neighbors in the Midwest all told us to be prepared for "culture shock."

...They never understood that 'they' were the culture shock for us!

[BrianH]

Originally Posted by nmnita

laid back, I guess it depends on where you live in the state and what you call laid back?

Nita

I am from Dublin, living in Clayton and it is laid back compared to there. Its laid back compared to every place I have been.

[Pipeweld]

I guess it would be from where you come from that would make N.M. feel different. Since I to was raised in West Tx. and have grandparents that lived in Deming, and family in Timberon. New Mexico has always just been part of my world. So my list would be more like...

1. Hawaii
2. Alaska
3. New York
4. California
5. Minnesota

[songinthewind7]

I've lived in a lot of places and each state has its pros and cons.
I wouldn't look at any of the states as exotic.
Mississippi seems really depressed to me. I've not been to Hawaii and don't have a desire to go.
Louisiana has some interesting people and I'm talking about the Cajun area. Good food too.
Nevada is okay.
Probably the biggest culture shock I ever got was moving from Cleveland, Ohio to Tennessee. Talk about culture shock and some way too uptight people (I'm talking about compared to Cleveland) it took me about a year before I could half understand there way of speech. Too much accent and prissy women, redneck men stuff for me.
NM is definately laid back and has a mixture of people from a lot of different places. Other than thinking NM is a beautiful state, I was raised primarily in Colorado and it rates up with me in the same category.

[desert sun]

Originally Posted by tecpatl

New Mexico is about as foreign as the USA gets, but I'd also include South Louisiana. In both places there is a large multilingual/multiracial population, strong local (and sometimes exotic) customs and culture, distinctive music, FOOD (of course!!), architecture (more obvious in NM), art, on and on...
Plus, at least half of the population of the USA doesn't really know that New Mexico is a state.
NMNITA, I'd be interested in hearing you expand on what it was about local attitudes, etc. that displeased you enough to be a factor in leaving the state. I don't ask to be argumentative, but just out of curiousity. As a non-native I have some of my own complaints/criticisms, some of which have been aired on this forum. I have, of course, similar c/c's about my old hometown...

I agree,I have thought that too that NM and Louisiana are probably the most unique states, and while tottally different they are similar in some ways.

Both have their own music and food and no other state has that(cajun & New Mexican)
both have a large minority population (white/black---white/hispanic)
both are in the southern US---(southeast--southwest)
and both have distinct accents not found anywhere else. (cajun & northern New Mexican)
They both have long generations of families and history and both are kinda poor states.