Just got back from San Antonio and
one of the best weeks of my life ~ ever.
My husband was there for a teachers' convention
and I decided to tag along for some stolen
moments between seminars and events.
The weather was unbelievable. We literally felt
like we were in a dream. Short sleeve shirts,
breathtaking views, the magic of the Riverwalk
and just having some time alone to explore a
city neither of us had ever been to.
We are already planning our trip back.
It can be so hard to let go sometimes.
The fear that enjoying yourself and
actually living in the moment will somehow
alter your brain into a pile of mush
and you will forget all the things you
need to do when you get back.
That was me our first night there.
But once I was able to a make a list of
all things I was afraid I would forget and
realized my cats would be fed, my emails
would be answered, and things would get
done once I got back, I was able to relax
and enjoy every moment.
The city was filled with art ~ literally on
the sidewalks and in the grass. There were
mosaic sculptures everywhere, the perfect
compliment to an already beautiful landscape.
And in typical "Casey" fashion, once we
got there I immediately declared "I do not
want to go to the Alamo," afraid it would
be boring and the pinnacle of tacky tourist
places. We ended up going there
the first morning we were there, and
it was beautiful. Not just the history
of the place, but the landscaping and
beauty within the weathered stone walls.
I think it was a good lesson for me to learn
early in our trip. I think it led to my
curiosity and eagerness to explore lots
of other places in the city.
One of the highlights of our trip was meeting
an artist at one of the local galleries, J.D. Morera.
He had a studio in a co-op gallery in South Town
and immediately greeted us when we walked in. We
ended up talking to him about art, life, and travel.
He lived in Europe for 15 years and ended up in
San Antonio basically on a whim ~ his flight to Virginia
was delayed and he called someone he used to know
in San Antonio, someone he hadn't spoke to
in over 10 years. The conversation ended with him
having a place to stay and several job opportunities.
He had been an established artist in the states
before deciding to move to Europe, where he was born,
but now that's he's back, he's basically building his resume
from scratch.
He sketched as he talked, explaining how
his newest passion was studying some of his
bigger abstract paintings and exploring smaller
works of art within his larger pieces. He said
the drawings weren't always finished pieces
of art themselves, but rather deeper explorations
into his own work ~ a process that allowed him
to explore his vision and grow as an artist.
He also told us about his experience with having
his artwork shipped from the much slower-paced Europe
back to the states once he decided to move.
He said it took 3 months for him to get his paintings,
and for a while, he thought he might never get them.
But it was then that he realized his work wasn't
out there floating in a box in some ship or lost
on a plane ~ it was in him, part of him,
something he could never lose.
I looked over at Jerred as we stood there
listening to this passionate man talk about his life
and we both had tears in our eyes. "You're killing us,"
Jerred said, as we laughed and thought how lucky
we were to have stumbled onto this gallery and this
amazing man filled with such life and wisdom.
Proving once again, that even as amazing as San Antonio
was with its weather and natural beauty, it was the people
that really made up the soul of the place.
