May 2019 Note from the Editor

Our editor talks travel, Mexico, social and environmental responsibility... and what she loves about our May issue!

May 2, 2019

Wendy Manwarren Generes,

Photo by: Jennie Sullins

May has always marked the beginning of the travel season for me. Growing up in Arizona meant that summer break started in early May, and thus family vacations began. We always came to San Diego for a week and then spent another week somewhere farther away but still drivable. We explored Jackson Hole, Wyoming, parts of New Mexico and Colorado, and one summer, I headed south of the border with a friend and her parents for a week—which is where we take you. Four writers (me included) explore four different areas of Mexico and journal our various tales of what we experienced, what we loved (and what we didn’t), what we ate, what we drank and so much more. Join us in this travel issue and read our “4 Ways to Mexico.”

The journey doesn’t stop there, however. In “Points of Origin” on page 24, associate editor Marley McCaughey talks to designers and a shop owner about the mementos and tchotchkes you should seek out on your trips and how to decorate with them when you return home. A local from Argentina finds inspiration—and builds a socially responsible company around it—when she visits Ecuador and meets the women carrying on the country’s ancient hat-making tradition. Learn about her, her business and what fuels her in “Meet the Entrepreneur.” And a couple in Clairemont use a shared landscape background, a globally influenced upbringing and their combined artistic talents to create a clever backyard space that feels like a getaway. Flip your way through it in “Odds and Ends.”

Not yet planning your next adventure abroad? There’s plenty here to inspire you too. Follow Marina Qutab, an influencer living a vegan, zero-waste lifestyle in North County, to see where (and how) she shops, eats and drinks in “The Good Life.” Visit your local nurseries with Kevin Espiritu, our garden columnist, who helps you prepare, understand, navigate and buy plants with confidence in “Nursery Bound.” Or learn to incorporate impressive hotel design into your abode’s style in “Play It Cool.”