STOP FOLLOWING ME!!!

For those of you who have known me for very long, you know that I have been trying to escape New Mexico for over four years now. I became an official resident of Ohio just over a year ago, but New Mexico keeps finding ways to show up in my life.
Coming to China has unfortunately not changed that at all. When people here asked me where I was from I would tell them NM...why can't people say where do you live? "Well, I live in China. What about you?" I always feel like I am lying to them if I tell them I am from anywhere but NM. So, I got here and told people I was from NM and there like "oh, that's cool there is another guy here that has family there." Well, I finally met him and much to my relief, he does not live there. It's just his permanent address while in China cause his in-laws are there. I kept breathing....and tried to make NM sound good cause so many people like it....I always feel bad saying I really don't like the desert or making any negative comment about NM cause then people look at me like "I loved it....what's your problem?"
So, I was glad I finally met this guy at my school cause maybe now NM would be laid to rest. Nope....I'm definitely not that lucky. On Friday, we had a student assembly. There was a band here that had come to tour China. They were from....you will never guess....Yep, NM. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And even worse, they were from Santa Fe, Alamagordo, and Corrales. Those places range from 5 minutes to less than 2 hours from my house. It was insane....and everything about this band screamed New Mexico....don't get me wrong. They were very good, but they did the old country and they either looked like rebellious young adults or hippies. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, but that is very sterotypically New Mexican. Wow....NM is going to follow me to my grave and I am realizing that I just need to grin and bear it....Oh well. I love you all!