🌼 Once Upon a Time in Oaxaca

A small hand-crafted altar in Oaxaca, Mexico, featuring a serene statue of the Virgin Mary draped in a faded blue and white robe. She wears a crown of dried flowers, standing beside a smaller religious figurine and a bouquet of fresh marigolds placed in a glass jar. Colorful artificial flowers and a single orange rests at her feet. The background is painted a soft sky blue, framed by a gold, shell-shaped arch — a sacred blend of everyday offerings and quiet reverence during Día de los Muertos.

A story of color, memory, mezcal, and marigolds.

Last fall, I flew into a place I’d only seen in dreams — a city blooming with tradition, surrounded by mountains, and lit from within by spirit: Oaxaca, Mexico.

We were there for Día de los Muertos, and I’ve never felt more in tune with beauty, reverence, and creative energy.

A relaxed view from a bright blue hammock peaceful rural landscape in Oaxaca, Mexico, featuring a palm tree, power lines, and distant green mountains beneath a sky filled with soft clouds. The photo captures a moment of calm, stillness, and reflection in nature.

🏡 Where We Stayed: A House Between Worlds

We stayed just outside of downtown — a huge, airy home tucked between the city and the road that led to the textile district. From the porch, you could see the mountains watching in the distance, fields blooming with wildflowers, and the quiet hum of daily life.

In the mornings, I’d lay in a bright blue hammock, sipping something cool, letting the clouds roll across the Oaxacan sky. It was peace. It was present.

A vibrant outdoor altar in Oaxaca, Mexico, adorned with a large crucifix and surrounded by a cascade of bright orange marigolds and yellow sunflowers. The structure is framed with wooden lattice and a canopy woven with artificial sunflowers. Below the cross, offerings include ceramic skulls, gourds, and potted plants like agave, all arranged around a large clay vessel. The sunlight and shadows create a spiritual, dreamlike atmosphere filled with life, death, and devotion.

🌸 The City of Marigolds

Marigolds were everywhere. Not just in the markets or in vases — but in fields, lining roads, wrapped around altars, and bursting from the earth like flame-tipped blessings. Their scent followed us like a soft echo. They felt like whispers from the ancestors.

We even discovered a garden altar, bursting with orange and yellow blooms, a crucifix surrounded by skulls and offerings. It felt sacred. Alive.

Our first mezcal tasting in Oaxaca — poured into tiny ceramic cups gifted to us by a local textile shop owner. He told us to carry them everywhere so others could keep the drinks flowing. I’d never heard anything like it, but I was sold. Day drinking and handmade scarves? A dream. 🫶🏽🍶

🧵 Textiles, Mezcal, and Day Drinking Delight

Just up the road from our stay were a few small textile shops — quiet, humble storefronts filled with color and craft. We met a kind shop owner who offered us homemade mezcal while we shopped. I’d never had mezcal before, and whew… that baby was strong.

He handed us two painted mezcal cups and told us to carry them wherever we went, so others could pour us drinks throughout the day.

I’d never heard of anything like that. But listen — day drinking and shopping? I was sold.

An altar on the corner. A moment for reflection.

🍊 Little Altars, Big Energy

Even on quiet streets, you’d see mini altars tucked into walls, often with statues of the Virgin Mary, fresh marigolds, fruits, and candles. They felt like sacred interruptions in the everyday — invitations to slow down and remember.

A peaceful dirt path in the Oaxacan countryside runs alongside a field bursting with vibrant orange and yellow marigolds. The flowers stretch toward the horizon under a dramatic sky filled with soft clouds and radiant sunlight. This serene scene captures the natural abundance of Oaxaca during Día de los Muertos, where marigolds grow wild, symbolizing love, remembrance, and the connection between life and death.

🌿 Fields of Agave & Skies That Spoke

Outside the city, we drove past endless agave and mezcal plants, sharp and poetic against the open sky. It felt like the land itself had stories — quiet but powerful, rooted in ritual.

On one walk, we passed a field of wild golden flowers with the mountains stretching behind them. I stopped in my tracks. It felt like the Earth was blooming just for us.

🍴 Coca-Colas, Mole & the Magic of the Moment

There was a sweetness in the everyday moments, too — sitting in a local café with a glass bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola, watching the light shift. Eating enchiladas smothered in mole, topped with shredded lettuce and queso fresco. The kind of food that stays with you.

rust-toned corset top, brown fitted maxi skirt, gold-rimmed glasses, and a colorful patterned headscarf. She holds a yellow phone with a floral case and stands confidently in front of a mosaic-framed mirror adorned with bright yellow paper marigolds. The background features handwoven rugs and skeins of vibrant yarn in traditional Zapotec patterns, creating a visually rich and culturally immersive scene.

✨ This Trip Changed Me

Oaxaca showed me that art isn’t just something you hang on a wall — it’s something you live. It’s a cup of mezcal shared with a stranger. It’s a marigold placed on an altar. It’s a flower field that knows your name.

Once upon a time in Oaxaca, I said yes to wonder.
And I bloomed.

And that was just day one. 🌞✨