My family looked at several places to live in our travels so far, both Seattle and NM were on the list. We chose NM.
We lived in southern NM for 5 years. It's an amazing state, full of interesting culture and history. If you are outdoorsy people, you will find that there is more than 10x the amount of public acreage in NM than in Texas. The cost of living allowed us to maintain a middle class lifestyle on one RN income. The food is beyond superb, better than any Tex-Mex you can find, specifically the red and green chiles.
You are within an afternoon's drive from hot springs, waterskiing lakes, hiking national forests, snow sports, desolate wilderness, cultural hotspots, and legitimate history. There is a lack of professional sports, although you can make a weekend trip to Denver, Phoenix, or back to DFW for those things.
Your husband should find massive job opportunities with his Spanish capabilities. However, he will not be paid well, and will be dealing with one of the worst performing student populations in the nation. You will find plenty of opportunities yourself, and your combined incomes will be allow you to live in any city, Santa Fe included.
We were intrigued with the culture and diversity of Seattle, along with the weather as well. However, we would have needed to become a two income family to live in the areas we identified as right for us. That was our deal breaker, so we moved to NM.
We are no longer in NM due to life, but we have often considered moving back. We miss the food and geography, but what we miss most is the pace of life.
