11 days in San Miguel de Allende. 
A place that quickly felt like home because the people felt like family. 
The trip was originally only 7 days, but I quickly found myself feeling like there wasn't enough time to see everything. 

I stayed at Casa Angelitos, a boutique hotel with a charismatic host named Roger. He got in his car and drove to Mexico many decades ago, starting his life from scratch with a few dollars to his name. He built the hotel with his wife Rosana stone by stone, crafting every detail of each room and corridor. My downtime was spent exploring the place as if it were a castle, noticing different elements each time.

My room had a large balcony/patio overlooking the city with an outdoor kitchen and lavender growing in pots along the ledge. Some mornings the horizon was dotted with hot air balloons. Each morning I walked around the city before most things were open, finding a coffee shop with a rooftop, and listening to the church bells.

On the third day, our friends took us on a road trip to see Peña de Bernal, one of the largest monoliths in the world. The climate was dry, yet so much life flourished, despite or because of it. Bright red flowers peered from the ledges, agave and prickly pears greeted us as we ascended. At the top we gave an offering of tobacco to the spirits of the mountain. We sat in gratitude and reflection of its beauty and great heights in brought us to, providing a new perspective. My friend Helena offered me Chilcuague, a golden root that was considered powerful medicine for the prehispanic populations of México. It quickly filled my mouth with a tingling and numbing sensation bringing me back to my body. 

There were so many things I could go into further detail on, but for now I'll list them:
A swim in a volcanic hot spring, a stroll to the organic market, an explorative and insightful day at Via Organica, which is managed by Roger's wife Rosana, to learn about their animal feed innovation (this trip also consisted of playing with baby goats), a hike around the botanical garden, a temazcal ceremony, and on the last night we camped on the future site for Navi Village.