Farsighted Fly Girl

One of the hallmarks of Santa Fe are the beautiful adobe buildings that fill the city and supply a distinctive, organic vibe. I've never been in adobe structures so I was thrilled to see them up close, touch their smooth walls and experience their indoor cooling effects. Historically, Pueblo Indians in the Rio Grande valley constructed expansive homes made from sun-dried mud and straw. Stone floors and rooms surrounding a central plaza was another aspect of the architectural style that has been preserved as Santa Fe  Pueblo style. Santa Fe features so many adobe buildings that it's actually startlingly when you see places made from regular bricks and wood. I fell in love with gazing at the soft clay colors of adobe under the bright Santa Fe sun. Many Santa Fe museums and galleries are made from adobe but when you consider the ancient history of  adobe architecture , the art and history is reflected not just inside but outside as well.

Any place with the tag line, "the city different" immediately attracts my attention but its vivid and multi-layered culture and history placed Santa Fe, New Mexico at the top of my bucket list for a long time. After years of scheduling conflicts, I'm finally visiting this magical mountain town this week, courtesy of  Tourism Santa Fe. I 'm delirious with excitement about exploring the city's art museums including the Museum of International Folk Art, New Mexico Museum of Art and of course, the Georgia O'Keefe Museum . I'll be taking a few art classes as well as sampling the distinctive Santa Fe cuisine. As the nation's oldest and highest elevation (7,198 feet!) state capital,Santa Fe promises an unforgettable trip. Stay tuned for posts!

When I traveled to Haiti for the first time, I expected to be moved. For centuries, the island was called the "Pearl of the Caribbean" and the waterfalls and rolling, emerald mountains that prompted Tainos to name the paradise Ayiti , which means mountainous land. was just one of the reasons. But I didn't even consider this. I expected to be thrilled because as the world's first Black Republic , Haiti represents the pride of Black people. Haitians dared to snatch their freedom back from a European power and its entrenched system of slavery and injustice. Despite decades of contemporary oppression and natural disaster, Haitian pride and spirit remain intact. That's what I came to experience. But I was blown away because it's not just the Haitian people and culture that are beautiful but the land itself. There were so many aspects of  Haiti that mesmerized me, my instagram is already overloaded with them. So I thought that I would start with the landscape f...