A Lifetime to Get Here: San Miguel de Allende

by Cynthia Claus

A Lifetime to Get San Miguel de Allende, the first in a series of two, was created from the author’s almost-daily blogs about visiting San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for increasing amounts of time and in different seasons, spanning winter 2009 to the conclusion of 2012. The culmination of those years was the sale of her house in her fourth-generation hometown of Philadelphia and her permanent settlement in Mexico. It is a unique combination of travel memoir, how-to guide for the first-time visitor, the occasional lesson in Mexican history or culture, a Spanish grammar lesson or two, an answer to Stateside friends’ questions of “What do you do in Mexico?”, as well as honest, introspective reactions to what the older American author experiences as she navigates this unknown territory on her own. Lovingly-maintained vintage family photos of trips to Mexico decades ago and the author’s own carefully-curated photos from more recent years punctuate and add richness to the text.

294 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2020

Reviews

[Sher Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for everyone who loves to travel south of the border, down Mexico way. Having lived for ten years in San Miguel de Allende, and walked many of the same streets as the author, Cynthia Claus, I can truly say that the facts of places to visit and experiences to seek out are right on. Plus, there are many I never discovered and this attests to the authors great ability to delve into the unknown and dig up the surprises that exist in this charming historical place we all know as SMA. Her knowledge of Spanish and her friendly manner have contributed to her discoveries which she shares in a delightful way with her readers, always with a sense of humor.

[Betsy Willeford · Rating 4 out of 5]

San Miguel de Allende

Some things about San Miguel don't change although now you can shop in a mall and find restaurants serving a variety of Asian cuisines or plan a destination wedding. But the charm, the spontaneity, the openess remains.