Change Your Place, Change Your Luck
Dear Friends of Casa Avra,
“Change your place, change your luck” (or meshaneh makom, meshaneh mazal) is an old Hebrew saying that suggests going somewhere new can change your life and alter your fortune by opening new opportunities, perspectives, and fresh starts.
That’s exactly what happened when I moved four months ago to San Miguel de Allende. My new home at Casa Avra has led to an exquisite new life, so different from the one I lived in San Diego for over 34 years.
Mornings as magic
First, I needed a nest. A beautiful home that felt like a warm Mexican hug and had a separate casita for family and friends to visit. That’s Casa Avra.
Here I start my mornings without an alarm, drinking freshly ground specialty coffee on my rooftop while watching the sun rise over the mountains and a vista of six historic churches and colorful homes nestled into the hillside. I journal about the day before, each one full of simple pleasures, new friends, and moments of pure joy.
Dining as connection
The proverb “who eats alone, dies alone” has always haunted me. Being 55, divorced, with grown kids, I was afraid of this.
Not here.
In San Miguel, dining is a communal act. There are countless dining social groups where you can eat with strangers who quickly become friends. The restaurant scene here is insanely good and incredibly diverse, but what I love most is that I found Silvia, my cocinera, who cooks for me and my house guests twice a week and for my dinner parties and monthly Shabbat dinners.
I’ve also been discovering young chefs and hosting chef dinners at my table. I spoiled my daughter in law for her 28th birthday with Chef Pablo and an unforgettable vegetarian dinner. Food as art.
New discovery: pyramids
There is so much to experience in San Miguel and countless day trips minutes away, but I’m going slowly and savoring it all. I try to do at least one new adventure each week.
When my two of my three sons came to visit last month, I finally visited the magical archaeological site La Cañada de la Virgen, prehispanic pyramids just 45 minutes from town. They were stunning. My youngest son, who is 18, sat mesmerized and sketched them.
I loved our guide and the way he moved effortlessly between archaeology, plants, animals, and ancient cosmology. If you’re coming, i’ll share his info!
Can’t get enough: live music
I love live music, yet I rarely saw it in San Diego. It always felt like a hassle. You had to drive, pay a cover, and shows started too late.
San Miguel is the opposite. It’s so easy and part of the fabric of life. Every night there are endless options with no cover…. flamenco, rock and roll, opera, jazz, salsa, DJs, and dancing.
A very San Miguel thing is that because many people like to be in bed by 10 pm, there’s always an early show and a late show. I can walk half a mile any night of the week, visit six venues, and see people in their 20s through their 80s all hanging out together, singing along and dancing.
My favorite nearby venues are Raindog Cafe, Johnny’s Piano Bar, Cafe Rama, and La Hija del Manantial. The cheat sheet for who’s playing when is this website: https://sanmiguellive.com/
No ocean, but hot springs
I thought I’d miss the ocean living in the heart of Mexico, but there are healing hot springs close by. When my kids visited, we took them to the Escondido Place hot springs and soaked in warm, alkaline water tucked into caves just fifteen minutes from town. The grounds are expansive and peaceful, with gardens, picnic areas, and a small restaurant. The kind of place that reminds your body how to rest.
Art
Creative expats have been coming to San Miguel since the late 1940s so this town is immersed in artists, studios, galleries and classes.
Without trying art has woven its way into my daily life. My children tease me whenever I mention a new friend and say, “they’re an artist”. The art here is accessible and exquisite. I’ve never bought so much art so effortlessly (or affordably).
I started by buying classic Mexican folk art like small nichos tin framed paintings and Oaxacan weaving. Then I’ve moved into contemporary art. One of my newest pieces is a woodcut of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. My most recent is a a modern sculpture by Marco Debrayes, a third generation mojiganga artist, those giant paper mache figures that dance at Mexican celebrations.
I never saw myself as an artist, but because art classes are so plentiful and affordable, I’ve taken a silversmith class and made my own opal ring. I even joined a collage art class when my son and daughter in law visited.
The Writers Festival is soon! Come visit!
There’s something about San Miguel that invites reflection and storytelling. Writers from around the world gather annually for the world renowned San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival - this year it’s Wednesday, February 11 through Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Hotel Real de Minas (a short walk from Casa Avra). Check it out! https://sanmiguelwritersconference.org/
If you’re planning to attend or simply feel drawn to San Miguel during this creative moment, Casa Avra is open on the following dates: February 10 to 16, 2026. Interested? message me at Audrey@CasaAvra.com
My Casa Avra casita is also open after March 27. Again it’s a one bedroom with a queen bed and a loft with another bed and desk - so good for friends or a small family. It’s a private home and we share the amazing rooftop deck.
Prices are on my website. https://www.casaavra.com/bookings
I hope my blog gives you a sense of the magic of life here in San Miguel de Allende and inspires you to visit!