Finding Focus in the High Desert: A Year of Art, Kratom, and Soulful Discovery in Santa Fe

Guest Contributor: Jason M., writer and artist-in-residence at Ghost Ranch

I moved to northern New Mexico to write. A casita tucked near Ghost Ranch became my home—just far enough from Santa Fe’s buzz, close enough to the canyon walls where O’Keeffe once painted sky into stone. I came searching for language. What I found was presence.

What I didn’t expect was how deeply this land would work on me. Not just creatively, but physically. My breath slowed. My mornings lengthened. And through the stillness, kratom entered quietly—like a desert breeze through an open window—offering clarity without demand. That’s how Bagus Botanicals became part of my practice.

A Sober Shift at Wine & Chile

Late summer greeted me with the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta, a celebration of fire, flavor, and the joy of gathering. But I was exploring a sober path—not from struggle, but from curiosity. I wanted awareness, not a buzz.

Tucked off Cerrillos Road, I wandered into Concrete Jungle, where the shelves smelled of cedar and something alive. I asked for something clean, something uplifting. The staff recommended Bagus White Borneo—a gentle daytime strain, they said, good for creative types and anyone seeking a soft, social lift.

That evening, I brewed a mocktail with lime, basil, and chilled kratom tea. I didn’t miss the wine. What I felt instead was steady joy. An open heart. Presence.

Winter Focus and the Art of Stillness

By winter, the high desert had gone quiet—snow softening the cactus shadows, dusk falling early. My days grew longer indoors, spent tracing indigenous symbols through books and pottery fragments. I was writing chapters that required discipline and stillness.

That’s when Green Maeng Da became my companion—one capsule, warm tea, and I was tuned in. Not wired. Not numb. Just clear. I hadn’t felt that kind of flow in years.

Bagus kratom felt different from others I’d tried. Maybe it was the freshness—shipped direct every 60 days from ethical farms in Borneo. Maybe it was the care: lab-tested, clean, with no bitterness hiding behind flashy branding. It didn’t feel commercial. It felt like a plant—wild, purposeful, grounding.

Spring with Strings: The Opera, the Desert, the Ritual

Spring arrived like a sigh of relief. The Santa Fe Opera preview called me out of solitude and into tradition. I packed a thermos of iced White Borneo, added citrus peel and honey, and found my seat beneath that iconic open-air roof.

As violins stretched across the horizon, I felt attuned—not altered. The kratom didn’t dim anything. It sharpened it all. Crisp air, distant mountains, swelling music. It felt like reverence. It felt like ritual.

Summer’s Fire: Zozobra and Grounding

By August, Santa Fe crackled with energy. Zozobra, the burning of the gloom, had arrived. 60,000 voices filled the plaza. It was beautiful, chaotic, electric.

That’s when I returned to Green Maeng Da. In crowds, I sometimes get overwhelmed—caught in sensory loops. But that day, kratom grounded me. I felt present, soft-spoken, and steady. Like I could move through the fire and hold my center.

The Year in Strains: What Supported Me, and Why

• White Borneo: My favorite for social ease and clear energy. Perfect for cultural events and mocktail evenings.
• Green Maeng Da: A creative workhorse. Steady focus, long-lasting clarity. Ideal for writing or navigating stimulation.
• Red Bali: Gentle, warm, reflective. A companion for journaling, sunsets, or quiet evenings.

Where to Find Bagus Kratom in Santa Fe

Two shops carried me through the year. Both know their plants, and both stock Bagus Botanicals with pride:

• Red House Smoke Shop: Local, knowledgeable, never pushy. A space where questions are welcome.
• Concrete Jungle: A botanical haven with true variety. I brought visiting friends here just to show them what wellness should look like.

Both shops reflect Santa Fe itself—grounded, soulful, and built on respect for nature.

Ghost Ranch Reflections

As I pack to leave this land—where adobe walls hold sunlight and stars hang so low they feel like whispers—I realize how much this year has shaped me.

Kratom wasn’t an escape. It was a way in—into focus, into rhythm, into connection with the land and myself.

Bagus Botanicals didn’t just offer a product. It offered a practice. A reminder that plants are partners, not shortcuts. That presence is the point. And that sometimes, what you came looking for finds you in the stillness between breaths.

FAQs – Kratom in Santa Fe and the High Desert

Is kratom legal in Santa Fe, NM?
Yes. Kratom is legal throughout New Mexico and widely supported by the Santa Fe wellness community.

Where can I buy kratom near me?
Visit Red House Smoke Shop or Concrete Jungle—both carry Bagus Botanicals and are trusted by locals and visitors alike.

What’s the best strain for creativity and focus?
For me, Green Maeng Da offered calm clarity, making it ideal for writing and research.

Can I use kratom for sober events or gatherings?
Absolutely. I used White Borneo during cultural events like Wine & Chile and the Opera. It brought presence and warmth without alcohol.

Can I travel with kratom in New Mexico?
Yes. It’s legal to carry kratom within the state. Keep it labeled and store it responsibly while on the road.

About the Author
Jason M. is a London-born writer and visual ethnographer whose work explores the intersection of ritual, memory, and landscape. Trained in cultural anthropology and fine art, he’s spent the last decade documenting traditional plant use and indigenous symbolism across the Americas and Southeast Asia. His most recent project brought him to northern New Mexico to study Pueblo pottery and write a book on sacred pattern and place. A lifelong wanderer with a reverence for slow living and ancestral knowledge, Jason’s creative practice is grounded in presence—and plants like kratom are part of that ritual.