Why Oaxaca Keeps Calling Me Back

My first journey to Oaxaca was in January 2022. Oaxaca City is in southern Mexico, surrounded by mountains and rich in Indigenous history and culture. It is about a five-hour drive from Mexico City, or a quick 40-minute flight. I returned again in July 2026, this time to help my friend Christa settle into her new life there.

Between those two visits, Oaxaca had stayed in my heart,  and being back only made me fall more deeply in love with it.

That surprised me a little.

I am not normally a city girl. Give me mountains, wilderness, a sailing boat, a quiet beach or a dirt road heading somewhere remote, and I am happy.

But Oaxaca is different.

There is something about this city that feels incredibly authentic. It is full of colour, creativity, history, food, music and people who seem deeply connected to where they live. Both times I have been there, I found myself thinking, I could live here.

In fact, one day I think I may have a little apartment in Oaxaca.

My first journey

My first visit was with a group of local Todos Santos women from Mano Mágicas. We travelled to learn from women in Oaxaca who had developed their own businesses around textiles, embroidery and traditional crafts, including creative ways of using plants for natural dyes.

What made that journey so meaningful was seeing Mexican women from two very different parts of the country meet each other, exchange ideas and discover possibilities together.

For some of the women travelling with me, it was their first time on an airplane. For some, stepping into a city as large as Oaxaca was completely new. Even sitting down in a beautiful restaurant was something they had rarely experienced.

And then something beautiful began to happen.

As the days passed, I saw these women opening up to a bigger world. They began to dress a little differently, stand a little taller and carry themselves with a new confidence. They became curious. They asked questions, shared their ideas and embraced experiences that were far outside their everyday lives.

These were women from the small pueblo of Todos Santos, now walking through the streets of Oaxaca and meeting women who had created businesses from their own traditions, talents and creativity.

I could see the connection happening.

They were learning from one another and sharing ideas. They were seeing what was possible when a woman believed in what she had to offer and found a way to bring it into the world.

Something shifted.

The women who had arrived with me were beginning to see themselves differently.

They weren’t trying to become someone else. They were discovering what else was possible for them.

For me, that was the most beautiful part of the journey.

It was true magic.

That experience stayed with me and deepened my belief in the power of women travelling together. Sometimes we travel to see the world, and sometimes the journey changes the way we see ourselves.

Oaxaca called me back

Four years later, I found myself returning for a completely different reason.

My friend Christa had emergency back surgery and could no longer return to her desert home in Baja because our road was too difficult for her. She is an artist and was creating a new life for herself in Oaxaca, including an apartment of her own.

So I went to help her make the move.

While I was there, I found myself falling even more deeply in love with the city.

This time I wasn’t simply visiting. I had the chance to settle into its rhythm for a while — walking the streets, exploring the markets, eating the food, listening to the sounds and experiencing everyday life.

And I began to understand even more clearly why Oaxaca had stayed in my heart all those years.

A photographer’s dream

As a photographer, I find Oaxaca irresistible.

There is colour everywhere. The street art, the incredible doors, the architecture, the old buildings, the textures and the little details that you might easily walk past if you weren’t paying attention.

You can turn a corner and find a wall covered in extraordinary artwork, a doorway painted in brilliant colour, an artist working on something beautiful or a tiny shop filled with handmade creations.

There is always something to notice.

And it isn’t only what you see.

There is music drifting through the streets, singing, conversation, laughter and the rhythm of everyday life. The historic churches and the Zócalo are places where art, music, gatherings and celebrations seem to happen naturally.

In the evenings, I loved wandering through the historic centre. I felt comfortable walking around, taking in the energy of the city and discovering what was happening around each corner.

And then there is the food

Oh, the food.

One of the things I love about Oaxaca is how natural and fresh the food feels.

The markets are full of fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits, spices and ingredients I don’t always recognize. Traditional foods are prepared in ways that have been carried through generations.

And the street food is wonderful.

Elotes, tacos and the little traditional snacks you find along the way are delicious, simple, full of flavour and affordable. There is something special about eating food prepared right there on the street, often by someone who has been making it for years.

I also love that I can eat fresh, simple food here and feel good afterwards.

Then there is chocolate.

I am a chocolate maker, so Oaxaca feels almost like it was made for me. Cacao and chocolate are woven into the food traditions and history of this region, and I love discovering the many ways they are used.

And, of course, there is mezcal.

I am especially drawn to the women mezcaleras of Oaxaca and the stories behind what they produce. There is something powerful about meeting women who are carrying on generations of knowledge while creating their own livelihoods and businesses.

I love learning about the traditions behind mezcal and the women who are finding their own place within that tradition.

The more time I spend in Oaxaca, the more I appreciate how food, tradition, land and creativity are part of everyday life here.

This is what makes Oaxaca feel so alive to me.

The women of Oaxaca

Perhaps what draws me most strongly to Oaxaca are the women.

I am inspired by the way women here carry their traditions forward while creating businesses and new opportunities for themselves and their families. Their creativity is deeply connected to their culture, and there is a story behind the work they do.

That is part of what keeps drawing me back to Oaxaca.

Sharing Oaxaca

After returning this summer, I began thinking about how wonderful it would be to have other women experience Oaxaca with me.

Many of the women who travel with me already know and love Mexico, but Oaxaca offers something quite different from the coastal areas many of us are familiar with.

Having lived in Mexico for 21 years and speaking Spanish, I feel comfortable connecting with people and settling into the rhythm of a place. I love being able to have a conversation, ask questions, hear someone’s story and learn something I would never discover simply passing through.

That kind of connection is what makes travel meaningful to me.

So the idea of bringing together a small group of like-minded, curious women began to feel very natural — women who are interested in expanding their awareness, experiencing another culture with openness and curiosity, and supporting the women they meet along the way.

The more I thought about it, the more I could see how beautifully Oaxaca and the kind of journeys I love creating could come together.

A journey begins to take shape

The more I thought about it, the more natural it felt to bring these pieces together.

Oaxaca has so much to offer, and I knew the journey needed to include the things that had made me fall in love with the place — the people, the culture, the women, the food, the art and the mountains.

There would also be plenty of space to wander, explore and enjoy being together.

That felt right to me.

And slowly, A Journey Through the Soul of Oaxaca began to take shape.

February 24 – March 5, 2027

We will be in Oaxaca during the Food & Wine Festival, adding another wonderful dimension to the experience.

If Oaxaca is calling you, you can find the full journey details here: Go Here

¡Ándele, amigas!