In addition to traveling to lots of other places, Louisa and her husband split their time between Eureka, California, and Guanajuato, Mexico. Their two homes allow them to be comfortable both together and apart, and enjoy the benefits of each place—more work, projects, and water in California, and hiking, hills, and Spanish in Mexico.

Most Memorable Location-Independent Experiences
Remodeling our house in Guanajuato—an extended, challenging, yet deeply satisfying project.

Making Mexican friends, which has taken time, initiative, and persistence.

Travels around Mexico, something we do every winter, often going somewhere new, which is a real joy. I love traveling around the country and getting to know it.

Biggest Surprise along the Way
My pleasure in speaking Spanish; it’s a huge part of my experience in Guanajuato. Three years ago I went to Paraguay on a project, teaching leadership skills to women banana growers, in Spanish, and I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do that if I hadn’t lived in Guanajuato.

Another big surprise was learning how important neighbors are in Guanajuato. We cultivate relationships with our neighbors and go to a lot of effort to form positive bonds with them. For several years I have cleaned up the graffiti near our home, and I think it is appreciated.