travelogue.

31. Painter. Bodyworker, herbalist & Reiki practitioner. Expat in Mexico City.

[camp-witch]

friday the 13

Last Friday down here in Mexico.

It feels really weird and fast to say a half year has come and gone and its time to go. I know its sooner than we expected, and that we have been wanting this for a month or so, but its still hard to believe its less than a week away. I can hardly fathom a cross-country move one more time but here we go.

Today is Tom’s last day at work, and they haven’t really had much for him to do all week long so the time has been moving even slower. but we really hope we can get his coworkers to come over tonight for one last hurrah before the busyness of this weekend. The movers start on Monday. I’ve been focusing on my paintings this week, trying to finish and seal them and paint the edges and scan them to have them dry and ready for packing and storage for a month or so. i sent out my newsletter last night to share the work and only like 7 people opened it. It sucks sometimes to move far away, it feels like people forget about you or stop caring, and when you are making things and want to share them with other people and they don’t care, it kind of feels like a waste. The internet is so impersonal and the gallery world is so expensive. I know I don’t make art for other people, but what is art without a viewer?

I’m on the 2 out of 3 semesters of herb school (and I got there quickly too, partially because I had so much free time here, partly because I did know a lot more of the material than I expected). I’m feeling a little frustrated with it because it feels a little lazy in they are repeating a ton of material in the beginner’s unit, and I expected a lot more. But I may feel differently when I get back to the cabin, where I will have access to plants and herbs and jars and time to actually make things- which is very hard here in Mexico, the herbs are limited and there aren't places to order bulk herb from. I think perhaps this course is meant to be a review and hands-on- I’m really hoping I can finish it this August at the cabin and move onto the advanced course. And perhaps attend a conference this fall.

The new moon yesterday was emotional and I can feel my cycle coming on, so i guess I’ll just end here saying I am stressed and tired and ready to go, ready for a new adventure, I will miss Mexico but I look forward to being with our families again. 

[camp-witch]

After spending the majority of the year down here in Mexico, I feel like I have learned so much. Not just all of the schooling I have been through ( I am onto my 2/3 semesters already in herbal school, and halfway through my Spanish classes ) but there is something about living here in Mexico that has forced us to go deep, without distraction. We have had so much time to learn about ourselves, our limitations, our loves and hates. And, we have learned about accepting who we actually are, what our real strengths are. What I am getting at here, is that we are soon departing from Mexico- much sooner than we expected- and it isn't with sorrow that I say this, it is with excitement for the next adventure. You may have read in my husband’s blog at the beginning of this month that he has decided to leave his place of work and strike out on his own. I believe, wholeheartedly, that if we had decided to forgo this move to Mexico and the airport project, he probably would have never came to the conclusion that a smaller business was what he actually wanted. We had a very comfortable routine and life back in Chicago, and it was hard to not romanticize living abroad and working on something new. But living down here in Mexico, away from our friends/family/obligations, and immersed in a huge project and company that took up enormous amounts of time and brain space, he learned that (maybe) he is not the type of person who can expatriate for years, and jump headfirst into a 50 hour work week. I also learned that I desire a much simpler life. And so it is that we have decided to move back to the midwest at the end of July, and stay temporarily at our family’s cabin in the woods in Wisconsin and plot our next move- which will likely be a home in Milwaukee WI, and two small businesses. What I have been making The paintings I have been making down here are small vignettes of a culture I have grown to love and deeply respect. There is magic in and all around this city. A week ago I stood on the top of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, and thanked whatever Great Mystery at work in our lives for the time I have had here. I circled the summit three times in gratitude and thanksgiving. I have seen people work harder than I ever thought possible. I have learned the true meaning of caring for your neighbor; I have experienced the kindness of strangers who don’t speak a word of my language. I have been invited around a table by people from all over the world who have become warm friends. I have met awesome makers, artists, mediums, healers, writers. I hope that in the work you can smell the copal and taste the mango. I hope in the work you can tell I’ve really loved this time, and these places. There is so much I won't look at the same way again.

See the full series (plus other updates I have made to my website) rmgonzalez.com

[camp-witch]

Im so pleased to announce that I am featured in this august’s copy of Loam magaine ! My ONGOING series field notes is being published alongside incredible artists, activists, writers and photographers. 

Loam:  How can we nurture ecological, social, and spiritual resilience in the heart of the climate crisis? Rich in resources for regeneration and resistance, Loam: Reawakening Resilience is an immersive exploration into honoring grief, cultivating community, and sparking change. Designed to last a lifetime, our hope is that this vibrant issue of Loam will be a beloved resource as you navigate what it means to foster resilience in your heart, in your community, and in our world during this transformative era of unraveling and rebuilding. 

preorder your copy as they sell out fast!

Field Notes is an ongoing series of drawings on paper, prints, and handmade objects that began in late 2016. It is a slow and meditative project, consisting of only around 10 finished pieces as of today. The project is a study of found ecosystems in the woods and fields mostly around the Midwest, although now that I live in Mexico this will likely change. I am especially fascinated by mycelium colonies and tree allies/foes, which either improve and regenerate their surrounding ecosystem, or transform it into something completely different, such as a burl. The drawings are from life but they read as abstract.

I was inspired to start this series for a few reasons. I was thinking and reading a lot about the ongoing political fight(s) against the natural landscape in the USA, which completely pains me as a gardener, backpacker, & folk herbalist who has a deep love for wild places. I decided to draw from what I found in the wood and field because it is such a joy to study abnormalities and organic patterns, to trace their forms and realize an entire world exists there that we walk past unnoticed every day. I felt like if more people stopped to look, more people might care. It’s as simple as that.

Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote in Braiding Sweetgrass, “Action on behalf of life transforms. Because the relationship between self and the world is reciprocal, it is not a question of first getting enlightened or saved and then acting. As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.”

This was the unexpected lesson. This is the part of the drawings that are not seen; I am no longer just observing, I can see now that I am not separate. The act of going to the woods to draw not only brought my attention to the otherwise unseen, it made me participate in the regeneration. I pick up old beer bottles and trash. I ask permission to pick berries and leave a gift in return. I reduced my plastic use. The work is medicinal in that it has changed me for the better, too.

see the work here 

[camp-witch]

Kristina left for the states early this morning, and I’m feeling melancholy. We’re having breakfast thinking about how fast this year has gone, and how our last ten days in mexico will probably go equally as fast, and I hope to be present for each moment we have left in this leg of our journey.

[camp-witch]

on Saturday morning, we decided to go to the canals at Xocimilco one last time. renting a boat for a couple hrs is really affordable and we brought beer and snacks and just relaxed. it was a beautiful day, and afterwards we went to the Coyacan market so she could find souvenirs for her friends back home.  I’m so glad we got to see it one last time, and be able to bring a friend to our favorite and special places

[camp-witch]

on friday night I forced everyone to go out with me and try PULQUE, from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional to central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, somewhat viscous consistency and a sour yeast-like taste. The drink’s history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to certain classes of people.

I actually thought it was pretty good but it was way too filling to finish! I recommend trying a shot glass instead

[camp-witch]

On friday I took Kristina to the pyramids of the Sun and Moon. I selfishly wanted to see them one more time, to stand at the top of the sun and thank Mexico for this experience, for the gifts I have received this year. She was also moved by their sheer power and spirit. We circled the top three times in thanksgiving. 

[camp-witch]

Thursday was a great day- after casa azul we went for a walk around my neighborhood and I took her for coffee at White Willow coffee and witchcraft, and strolled down amsterdam post lunch looking at the plants 

[camp-witch]

On Thursday we got up really early to make it to Casa Azul the Frida Kahlo museum just before opening- good thing we did, because as soon as we arrived about 20 people lined up behind us. A min after that it was 50 more! The museum was gorgeous, inspiring, one of the coolest places Ive ever been. We were both very moved by her story and suffering and I feel like I really understand her work for the first time. We didn't know that the following day was her birthday. Cant recommend this museum enough. Also, the market in Coyacan is amazing!

[camp-witch]

Kristina comes to visit for her birthday on July 4! First stop: Museo Moderno for the Leonora Carrington show Magico- then back to Roma Norte for a walk and tacos and cocktails 

[camp-witch]

#plasticfreejuly When I started making an effort to de-plastic my household purchases, I think cleaning was the one that confounded me the most. I grew up with millions of plastic cleaners under the kitchen sink with synthetic sponges and scrubbies just like everyone else I knew. That stuff was dangerous for us to touch with bare hands but for some reason it was ok to clean our house with it? These days my cleaning routine is so simple and effective I can’t beleive I ever used to drop cash on 409 at the dollar store. We wash all our dishes with different styles of wooden brushes (which go into the commercial compost at the end of their lives). For tough pots I use my lovely pot broom I bought at the market in Mexico (which you can order online or make yourself if you grow broom corn next spring!) I make my own spray cleaner from half white vinegar, half water, and some tea tree oil which I put in an amber glass spray bottle. It works for everything in the kitchen and bathroom and smells really good. You can scrub tubs with baking soda before spray this one and then rinsing away. You can customize it further by infusing the vinegar with herbs or adding different oils. We currently wash our dishes with dr bronners Castile soap because our olive oil soap cake hasn’t arrived in the mail yet- but when it arrives, it will last years and you can also use it on your hands and it’s very effective. We don’t use paper towels- we use un-paper towels which are just as absorbent and never pill and we just wash them seperately. We have a huge variety of cloth towels so we never need paper. Instead of air freshener sprays I cleanse with herbal smoke from various plants such as sage, copal, romero or palo santo. We also like Blackbird cones because it comes in reusable or recyclable tins. And lastly, I use a rubber lint remover and a pumice stone for animal hair removal from clothes and couches! #plasticfreejuly2018 #cleaningtips #cleansing #plasticfree #zerowasteliving (at Mexico City, Mexico)

[camp-witch]

I had the extreme pleasure of being able to meet some Instagram friends in Mexico City this last week. We had never met in person and I had only known them online for a very short time. But we had an amazing connection, I think, there must be something special about friendships forged while abroad. We’re all on our separate journeys as women healers and spirit workers, and bam! Our roads crossed and we met one another over tequila and quesadillas. And even a seat at the table of a Tia’s house can feel like the greatest place on earth for a few hours when you’ve spent so much time alone in recent months. I know that we have had our ups and downs , and I know now that I may not be a person suited for the expat life, but it’s so much easier when you have companions for a little while. I wish my husband could meet a couple people too for a little while.

[camp-witch]

Mexico things.

[camp-witch]

midsommar eve (at Distrito Federal, Mexico)

[camp-witch]

HAPPY MIDSOMMAR!! Wish I had some aquavit. This is one of my favorite days of the year. Cleanse my home, bathe my tools in sunlight, read the cards. This is what the second half of my year will bring. A card for each month. Starting the second half of my year in the arms of one of the most magick cities on earth feels happy and strange. And it looks like some bright things lay ahead. #tarot #litha #solstice #midsummer #summer #tarotspread #mexico (at Distrito Federal, Mexico)

[camp-witch]

not a bonfire but it will do #litha (at Distrito Federal, Mexico)

[camp-witch]

Once upon a time, I sketched my friend’s legs in bed as she lay dying. A few weeks later, she was gone. I learned so much from my relationship with her , I wouldn’t be who I am today without her influence. I used to live in her basement, and worked as her caregiver. She was too sick to leave her home. During that time, once, on a Sunday over tea, she called her next door neighbor over to join us. I let her in, a beautiful elegant Japanese woman. As we sat for tea, my friend told me I had a lot to learn from our neighbor. Our neighbor, all these years, had stories to tell me- about a time in her life when she was my exact age, and was forced to give birth alone in a cell in a stadium in Illinois, because it was WWII and the government deemed her dangerous, as a japanese mother. The woman I was in charge of caring for, she told me it was important to hear this because it would change my generation. And it was true. It has changed me. And I will defend with every last breath the poor parents who have their children in cells in the us-mex border. If the gov had known Shirley, the gov would have known this is just as inhumane and insane as the abomination we enacted during WWII. STAND THE FUCK UP AND RESIST #resist #lifelesson #usmexicoborder #familiesbelongtogether #families #caregivers #internmentcamps (at Mexico City, Mexico)