San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
For the last 20 days I’ve been living like a local in San Miguel de Allende. Never heard of it? SMA is a UNESCO world heritage city and for the past four years has been ranked first or second best city in the world by Travel and Leisure magazine. It is 6,300 ft above sea level with spring-like weather year round and almost no humidity. One-sixth of the population are immigrants from the U.S. and Canada. On weekends, affluent Mexicans from Mexico City flock to San Miguel.
This small city has amazing restaurants, art galleries, festivals, 200 nonprofits and boasts gorgeous scenery. The residents are warm and welcoming. I was there to work remotely - I even led a strategy workshop for local and immigrant entrepreneurs at a local, Black woman-owned entrepreneurship center. I shopped at the very American grocery store, but also at the frutarías and mercados for really fresh produce and meats. I utilized the local rec center (after walking one mile uphill on cobblestone streets to get there), and negotiated rates with taxi drivers. I also took private Tango lessons and did a hot air balloon ride.
I continued to take Spanish lessons with a private tutor and, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I went to the biblioteca pública (public library) for language exchange between Spanish and English speakers. Eduardo, an 11 yr old boy, routinely schooled me on my Spanish grammar. Lol. He took a lot of pleasure in doing it. I was able to help several high-schoolers, college students, and a few working moms with their English. That was one of my favorite experiences in San Miguel. Such a wonderful example of community. Several people who I met invited me to dinner at their home the same day we met.
Besides working, the primary purpose for my visit was to do a relocation tour where I looked at real estate, met with immigration and insurance specialists and connected with the small, but tight-knit, Black immigrant community to learn what it takes to live and do business in Mexico. I stayed in a Black woman-owned guesthouse, CasaELM. On evenings and weekends, the other relocation tour participants and I enjoyed great rooftop restaurants, winery tours, talked with art gallery owners, went to festivals, visited the local hot springs and experienced a Temezcal ritual with a local shaman.
As I return home I'm grateful for the opportunity to explore living in another country.
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