Oaxaca: The Beauty of Making Things

There's something really special about spending time with people who have dedicated their lives to making things.

In Oaxaca, we had the privilege of meeting artisans whose crafts aren't just hobbies or businesses. They're traditions, skills, and knowledge passed down through generations.

We met a family of weavers carrying on the art of Zapotec textiles, learned about the traditional recipes and cooking techniques Doña Reyna inherited from her ancestors, spent time with a master mezcalero whose family has been making mezcal for generations, and visited Rogelio in his family woodshop, where he makes traditional wooden molinillos used to prepare Mexican hot chocolate.

What struck me wasn't just the beauty of what they made. It was the relationship they had with the making itself.

The patience. The repetition. The knowledge that comes from years of practice. The pride in doing something well. And the excitement of passing that knowledge along to the next generation.

I've become increasingly interested in making things myself over the last few years. Drawing, jewelry, candles, and all sorts of little creative endeavors. And one of the things I've come to appreciate is that the value isn't always in what you end up with. It's in the process. In the hours spent learning, experimenting, getting something wrong, and slowly getting better.

Spending time with these artisans in Oaxaca brought that home in a really beautiful way.

We live in a world that seems increasingly focused on efficiency, convenience, automation, and producing more. But what if there's something equally valuable in becoming really good at one thing? In dedicating yourself to a craft, preserving a tradition, and making something that someone else will cherish for years?

I keep thinking about the idea of the village, where everyone had their specialty, their contribution, their own kind of mastery. Where the things we needed were made by people who had spent their lives learning how to make them.

We don't need more stuff, we need more connection to the people who make the things we already have.

And we need to spend a little more time making things ourselves, too.

This is one of the reasons I love Oaxaca so much. It's not just a place to eat incredible food, explore beautiful landscapes, or experience a different culture. It's an opportunity to slow down, meet the people behind the traditions, and appreciate the extraordinary amount of knowledge and care that goes into everyday things.

Come experience it with us.

We're returning to Oaxaca December 4–10, 2027, for a week of food, yoga, mountain immersion, and meaningful encounters with the people and traditions that make this place so special.

And I promise, you'll come home with more than a few beautiful things in your suitcase.