Same situation for me, but I'm a Texan who lives in Washington State who feels this way about New Mexico. Best neighbor ever. I'm just finishing my first fiction novel, and the fourth quarter of my book takes place in New Mexico. I feel very deeply about your state. We used to be roughly one state for a reason, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico, under Old Mexico, Old Texas, and the overlapping disputed territory between the two claimants. We share something in land and spirit, like Washington, Oregon, and Northern California do up here, though theirs is further solidified by a more shared, uniform bioregion. In my mind, the regional history and cross-cultures of Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado bridges any major divides, as there can be said to be many.
In fact, I came down for a while last winter to hang around in preparation to write that final quarter. I met a fascinating old man at the time I started my book who befriended me when I happened to be waiting tables in Hawaii a few years ago. He let me live in his house for several months that spring and summer while he was at his other home outside Taos—you know: work on your book, feed the cat, I'll pay you enough to eat. Old house. Rough shape. On some of the most incredible land up on Mount Tantalus. He wasn't in New Mexico when I swooped down, but when I finish the damn thing, he has said I should try and make a trip. My two best friends who I used to live in a house with in Austin when I was at UT-Austin are living north of Denver; long story how they got there together. I mention them because they've invited me to do the same in springtime, and I haven't seen them in two-and-a-half years. I've been in a room by myself working night and day for two years. My favorite mental gymnastic to sustain through periods of intense work and suffering is to imagine the escape/reward fantasy that when I finish this thing I've given my life and soul to, I can ramble down to New Mexico and Colorado to celebrate. It means so, so much to me. I just smoked and this got a little long and mawkish, but man, see you cats soon.