The beautiful town of Atlixco is known for its unique flower species. Every street seems to do its best to support this reputation, lined with flowerpots and latticed arches. Walking through them is almost fantastical.

Perhaps even better is the walk up the hillside to the cathedral at the town’s center. We wound through narrow paths between farmhouses and up rocky stairways among the trees and cacti, basking in the sun and the sounds of roosters crowing and cattle lowing. Keeping a sharp eye, we could see lizards scamper across the stones, or find enormous grasshoppers camouflaged along the path. At the top, a flurry of butterflies danced around the simple cathedral. Nature was welcoming us with open arms.

Back in town, the marketplaces are bright and bustling. I will truly miss the colors of Mexico when I return home. Everything is so vibrant here. After a bit of shopping, we lounged in Atlixco’s zocalo and listened to the free concert that was going on. Shortly after sitting down, we were approached by two friendly and curious siblings, a six-year-old girl and her three-year-old brother. They were very quick to make friends with us, chattering away in Spanish and not caring that we responded only in nods and smiles, as we had little idea what they were saying. Together the four of us played pretend with their balloon dogs and Kristina’s scarf, which became everything from a blanket to a bracelet to a fort. Their mother watched, amused, nearby. They were absolutely adorable. Hopefully the children at the daycare will warm up to us as quickly as these young strangers in the park did!