Things have been moving along steadily here in Mexico City! At Someone Somewhere, we launched a new collection of products inspired by different ecosystems! It has been a fun challenge working with the team to find creative ways to market the new products. The brand has been making strides to become a carbon neutral organization, and our ecosystem collection reflects the direction we are going in. Recently we expanded our collaboration with Delta, and it’s been amazing to hear how these partnerships are changing the lives of the artisans and their communities.
We had a communications consultant come to the office to give us a week-long communications workshop. I learned a lot about my communication style and what I need to be successful in a work environment. My biggest takeaway is it’s important to communicate honestly, frequently, and early!
I had some opportunities to revisit two towns I absolutely love: Puebla and Guanajuato. My trips were partially work and partially to see friends, and as much as I love Mexico City it was great to see smaller cities and appreciate the beauty in them. Historically, Puebla has played an important role in Mexico. While many people believe Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, it’s actually the date of an important battle that happened in Puebla in 1862, commemorating Mexico’s victory over the French Empire. Hovering around Puebla is Popocatépetl, an active volcano that is Mexico’s second highest peak. The volcano creates breathtaking cloud formations, and I was privileged to see one of the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen.
Guanajuato might be my favorite city in Mexico (outside of Mexico City, of course!) It’s colorful, historic, and is a living labyrinth of alleyways, hills, and cobblestone streets. Guanajuato was once one of the wealthiest cities in Mexico due to the successful mining industry that brought wealth to the region. Every year in October, Guanajuato is host to the Cervantino, a globally renowned international festival of music, dance, art, and theater. The Cervantino coveres three weeks of October and is the signature event in Guanajuato. Due to the pandemic, the previous two years featured a virtual Cervantino. The city was filled with energy excited to finally be able to host the festival in its full glory. Every year, a country is invited to be the guest of honor and to play an important role in performances. This year, South Korea was invited. It was amazing to see collaborative performances from Korean and Mexican artists. There are many beautiful places in Mexico, but Guanajuato is one of the cities I can see myself going to every year.
Late October brings in one of the most special events in Mexico: Día De Muertos (Day of the Dead). While November 2nd is the day that is most observed, by late October the energy of Día De Muertos permeates through the whole country. Last year, Día De Muertos affected me deeply. What I admire so much about this holiday is it gives the chance to celebrate and grieve over the lives of late loved ones openly and in community. I reflected how in most places in the world, we are left to grieve on our own, privately. We all have days that mark the date where we lost someone important to us, and those days can be very hard, especially when no one around you knows and you are expected to go about your day, your work, your family responsibilities as if it was just a normal day. I am looking forward to being in Mexico City for Day of the Dead this year, and I can’t wait to share more about this special time of the year in the next post.
