The Magical Oaxaca—A City That Enchants & Transforms You
I’d be lying if I told you I’ve dreamt of visiting Oaxaca my entire life. I didn’t. It’s not like when I dreamt of travelling to Paris since I was a little girl, cutting out all the magazine clippings I could get my hands on. But when I started working with Elexia of Artelexia, through her love of this magical Mexican city, I became veeery curious.
She would tell me of her first time there, how the city literally changed her life filling her with the purest energy and inspiration to start Artelexia. She’d tell me about the delicious food, the vibrant colors, the architecture, and the people—most of all she’d tell me about the energetic vibe of the people. From her first stories, I knew I needed to visit Oaxaca someday.
I knew of a trip she was planning for some time, months before the idea of me travelling there ever crossed my mind. Every so often I’d ask her how the trip was coming along, how many guests were joining her, what she was planning to do, and each time I’d get a little more excited for visiting. Someday.
The months passed, and with each a new story of Oaxaca—the enthusiasm grew and grew.
I was excitedly planning my own trip to Mexico City, while just a few days—2 to be exact! —before Elexia’s expected departure she told me yet another story. It was then that I could not restrain myself any longer and booked the last space in her tour.
It’s been four months since I visited this beautiful city and was completely enchanted by her. I let myself be mesmerized by the people, the food, the energy that still remains pure and of the people, sharing their lives and earth with us, making it all that more magical.
Oaxaca has carved herself a large space in my heart. It is a city unlike any other I’ve visited, incomparable—it just is.
I have a love affair with a magical being. Even my husband says I am changed—there is me before and after Oaxaca, and I can completely understand why. She does that to you. She lets you into her womb and re-births you an evolved being.
These few images I’m sharing don’t do this wonderful city justice. It’s a place to roam, to live, to just be. To let oneself get enthralled by the energy of the people, the colors and textures of the architecture, the taste of the food, and become one with it all.
I hope you enjoy these few images I managed to take while I was completely in awe, literally with tears in my eyes and a knot in my throat, as I felt every present moment.
I will see you soon, my beloved Oaxaca, for your magic is hypnotic and I must return to you … someday.
Balboa Park Palm Trees—A Place to Just Be
I’ve been on a journey to focus my attention on moments that bring me joy. The best way I know to get into a space of contentment is by visiting one of my favorite places: Balboa Park.
Balboa Park has a vast assortment of plants, trees, flowers and anything nature spread out in various gardens over its 1,200 acres. My husband and I recently spent a beautiful, blue-skied Saturday morning learning the difference between the over 50 varieties of palm trees at the park—my favorite tree.
My favorite palm overall? These: Mexican Fan Palms & California Palms.
I love their long, slender ‘legs’—as I call them—and they remind me of tropical destinations I’ll one day visit. Places that bring me peace and relaxation.
Here are a few more varieties that caught my eye because of their different fronds, shapes, colors, and textures.
The thick, silver trunk of this one complemented by its shimmery-green frond roots make it another of my favorites.
It’s interesting to think that the rough, textured rings around its trunk are actually scars left behind as the tree grew. I’ll stop here. I can really go deep into a life analogy on this one!
My ‘long legs’, the Mexican Fan Palms and California Palms, differentiated by the slight variance in the shape of their ‘head’. Both with feather fronds, the Mexican Palm has a more oval/wide shape, while the California Palm has a more elongated shape with a slight taper toward the bottom.
These majestic palms also caught my eye because of their light blue-hued, fan fronds.
And here is an assortment of four more varieties with a mixture of feather-frond and fan-fronds. Some not even noticeable as ‘palm trees’ being that they grow so low and close to the ground.
I definitely recommend taking Balboa Park’s Palm Tree tour on the second Saturday of the month. Visit the website for other interesting tours of the park and its architecture, gardens, and cultural centers.