The civility and kindness of Mexico touched me on my arrival to San Miguel de Allende in 1993. There is something about the ordinary daily process of life there that continues to delight me these many years later.

Its colorful houses set against cobblestone streets, its rich history and the simple sounds of daily life in town are like nothing else you can find on this continent. Every morning is met with the doorsteps being swept with soap and water, sweet oranges being juiced at a corner kiosk, the odd whistle of the knife sharpener who cleverly turns his bicycle from a mode of transport to a wheel for sharpening kitchen knives. The ever-present buenas dias tardes or noches from strangers or familiar friends and acquittances.

At the time my husband and I arrived here, telephones were mostly nonfunctioning and cell phones were nonexistent, and soon our lives were completely reshaped by this little town. Prior to moving here, I would never have imagined myself whiling away hours sitting in a town square, but here time takes on a new meaning. All of the town’s details, the sense of life here, have kept me going back these twenty-five years, and making this part of Mexico my second country and my child its citizen.

This story appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of MILIEU. To read the complete story or to see all photos, visit the MILIEU Newsstand to purchase this issue in print or visit Zinio.com to purchase this issue in digital format.  

WRITTEN BY CRIS BRIGER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIGUEL FLORES-VIANNA