I may have found my next home town. While I've been alluding to my daydreams of experiencing life elsewhere for a season - sometimes, more so, escaping for a season - I stumbled upon this ciudad precioso (beautiful city) in Mexico, in the state of Guanajuato: Guanajuato City. It happened so innocently, while reading about author Tony Cohan's journeys in Mexico in Mexican days, that the wanderlust bug bit me. I'm very content here in Seattle, but experiencing a growing urgency to experience life in Mexico for a season.
Guanajuato state, for those like me who are unfamiliar with Mexican geography, is situated in the middle of the lower half of the country. Jalisco (the state housing the famous Guadalajara) borders Guanajuato on the west, Mexico City sits south more than several hours travel away, and the tropical state of Veracruz (bordering the Caribbean) neighbors to the east. Guanajuato City, the state capital, is situated in the Sierra Gorda mountains, full of character, charm, history, rich architecture and treasured artifacts, mystery, celebration, and cultural traditions. Cohan painted such a riveting picture of the city through his writing, that, without any photographs I fell in love. Once I started researching Guanajuato and seeing pictures of the destination of interest, however, my hunches were confirmed: this is my kind of city.
In addition to the colorful buildings and historic architecture, the abundance of festivals, the narrow winding streets that necessitate walking as the primary form of transportation through the city, the tunnels, the museums, the climate and location of the city, apparently it's not full of gringa(o)s like me. A huge plus. The last thing I want is to live in a Mexican town surrounded by Americans and Europeans. That town appears to be San Miguel Allende, about an hour away; a very beautiful place I've heard, but too touristy to live in for my taste. Adding to that appeal, Guanajuato is a less expensive place to live. I like it even more.
Maybe these are nothing more than pleasant daydreams that will evaporate with time. But then again, maybe not.
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