I tried to join a mariachi band. They figured out pretty quickly that I couldn’t sing, play an instrument, or speak Spanish, so that was it for me. They were nice about it.

This group was a little unusual in that they had just the one trumpet player. Usually there are two or three. But he carried the whole load just fine. Of course they were right on top of us! That was fun. They were very lively and entertaining. I love the exuberance of mariachi music. And when they do those plaintive ballads of love and loss you can really feel it in the singing. Great stuff.

We are in front of the famous church in the center of the city: Parroquia San Miguel Arcángel. Apparently this world-famous Baroque cathedral-like building doesn’t rate “cathedral” status. It’s a mere “parish.” Something or other with the Catholic hierarchy, I think. Regardless, it’s a spectacular structure and it seems like everyone takes a selfie in front of the place at some point. You can see Michael the Archangel slaying a demon in the center-right of the frame, just above the guitarists.

Click on the link I shared above to see an aerial view of downtown San Miguel de Allende. (It’s worth it, I promise!)

Traveling is a great experience. I really like going to new places and seeing how other folks live. I don’t expect places to be better or worse than what I know, just different. México is certainly different! I would enjoy myself a lot more if I could speak Spanish. I like to do simple things like hang out in the park and eat local food and whatnot. That sort of thing invariably leads to meeting people and talking. Having a better grasp of the local lingo would be nice.

As I get older I find that travel is much harder on me physically than when I was younger. It takes me longer to recover when I get home. I live in a very interesting place so I don’t have to travel to a foreign country to have an adventure. In fact, you can have adventure without leaving home! It’s all a matter of attitude. But wherever you go, be there. Don’t bring home with you—make where you are your temporary home.

*The phrase “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” is attributed to St. Ambrose in the 4th century AD. It’s abridged from “when you’re in Rome, then live in Roman fashion; when you’re elsewhere, then live as they live there” (Sī fuerīs Rōmae, Rōmānō vīvitō mōre; sī fuerīs alibī, vīvitō sīcut ibī).