Seeing a Little Town Quite Differently - Part 1

I grew up living on the outskirts (20+ minutes into the hills) of a small town in Southern Arizona, that borders Mexico (you may already know this).  Throughout my childhood, the family would live half of the year in Arizona and the other half in San Diego.  We also traveled a lot.  But our home base was always in Arizona. (Photo below- Arizona on the left, Mexico on the right.  Please click on the photos for lusher detail)

   

I always have had a love/hate relationship with the tiny Arizona border town that I lived in until I was 18 years old.  As you might know, small towns often breed all sorts of drama (which I for one, can't stand).  Many people stay in this town because of the lucrative produce industry (produce coming to America from Mexico).  Where probably some, if not a lot of the produce you eat passes through (if you are in the US).  My Father owned a produce brokerage in the town for 30+ years.

However, as time has past my feelings towards to town have changed.  I look at it with love more for the buildings and history. 

   

You see, when I met Mister Lovee, he took me on trips exploring other parts of Arizona.  Something I had never extensively done, explore my own state.  I was fascinated.  So many beautiful old structures. 

From Prescott to Snowflake to Globe to Pinetop to Jerome, and even to the spookiness in Clifton, I was enamored with the villages and mystery Arizona held.  My parents had taken us to the Grand Canyon and such, but not to the sleepy little towns Mister took me to.

That is when my eyes changed.  My perception changed.  I saw my town with the curiosity that I saw other places with.  Of course, there were always things I loved about the town, but now, I see it very differently.  Without the fogginess of being an inhabitant of the town I guess you can say...

The country house is about 2 hours from the town.  And my parents still live in the hills on the outskirts of the town.  In July I decided to be a passenger in my Mom's car and go around taking photos of the town.  This is just the first installment of a huge amount of photos I will share over time.

My Mom started out our little car ride on a street where a little store existed many many years ago, and the sign still hangs...

   

We climbed up this street which turns into little hills and such.  Shapes of buildings caught my eye.  How had I never noticed any of this as a kid?

        

Through the houses, I could see an old brick red school house that sits on the Mexican side of the border.  When I was growing up, the U.S. side and the Mexican side were quite one in the same to us.  You went back and forth a couple times a day even.  Most of my friends lived in Mexico and I spent much time at their houses.  As we got older, dancing at the discotheques and dining all took place in Mexico.

   

I wanted to pluck this charming scalloped house right out of the scenery and bring it home with me ;)

   

My Mammie always takes us past one of her favorite houses.  There are several cute old houses like this in the heart of the town.  I would quite like to own one, one day...

        

I think this house is borderline spooky, which I loooove!

        

As we drive along down a street, I spot a house with a glass case, almost like a giant shower in the front yard.  We drive up and I snap a shot, noticing that that is their own giant shrine of sorts, filled with religious statues...

        

As we drive on down the same street, we come upon the house of a little old lady.  She has filled her garden with treasures. 

  

I guess she really is on to surrounding yourself with that which inspires you, don't you think?  I love it!

   

We drive down towards the square where all the shops are.  It is basically the town's "downtown" area.  Where I am always intrigued by the house that sits atop these stairs, which are sandwiched between two retail shops...

        

I wanted to drive past the tiny candy store that sat close to the Elementary school I attended.  It has long been shut down, but I remember buying, with a little coin purse filled with nickels and dimes, all sorts of delicious sweet & spicy candy (which we still enjoy).  Two super duper rather scary old ladies ran the counter.  I thought they were witches.  They were well into their nineties...

   

The signs just sit, with passing time beating upon them.  I find such beauty in their fading...

        

As we end our drive for that day, we wind up back where we started, at the third photo from the top.  At what was once a store...

I find myself going mad over this building.  The colors, the old paint...

   

The paint around the windows tickles me so.  Pink surrounds one and teal green the other...

   

The front of that brick structure makes my heart skip a beat.  The color, the memory it seems to hold.  Imagine, a gallery and studio in that building?

        

As we get perfectly in front of it, I spy the dreamiest of all sights. 

A precious old man, on the dilapidated old front balcony and-

   

At that very moment, my emotions were elevated to indescribable levels.  Who knows how many years this man has followed his ritual.  On to the balcony to smoke his Marlboro reds.  As time ticks around him, and the building changes, and his face and body change, he continues on with his daily ritual...

And with that, I was glad that my eyes could see the town from a whole different perspective.  I too have grown, with changing time.  I am not the same girl who left that town all those years ago.  I see things I never would have seen back then.  I am open of heart and mind, and ferociously protective of soul.  With that realization, I felt ever, just ever so thankful...

♥, V

See you sooooon ;)

Comments

[Sarah]

I loved reading this post. It is difficult to go back to things you tried to get away from at some point and I love the way you have done that. It is like you are being forgiving of the town and seeing its true beauty. Wonderful!

[Tristan Robin]

charming post

and I totally want EVERY SINGLE ONE of those lawn ornaments and statuary!

[A Fanciful Twist]

Miss Sarah,
YES YEs, you are perfectly correct! It is exploring the
town from an angle, free of all the muck and feelings- And realizing that the
town is precious and the emotional part has nothing to do with the towns face
so to speak.
Also, so much time passing, you realize all your feelings were childhood
feelings as well, and no longer mean anything... And now the place, is free
to be enjoyed...

[A Fanciful Twist]

Mister Fabuloso, SO DO I!!!Will we have to fight over them? tee
heeee ;) ;)

[Cori G.]

What a beautiful sleepy town that rests in the heart of your memory. I too was raised in one of those little Arizona border towns where cultures blurred from one to the other and old building slept and dreamed of memories past. Many of those old buildings have been awakened to new life and are filled with love and laughter...no building should ever go unloved.

Your little town is lovely, but I do long to see more of the home at the top of the staircase...Oh Fanciful One! Won't you please share more about it soon?

[Alix]

Oooooh! I love Noone house too! How fabulous.

How's your Spanish, by the way? Bet it's awesome.

I really really really love Arizona. Didn't ever think I would, but I had a much different image of it in my mind than the actual place. In fact, if I were the jealous sort, I might just envy you for having grown up there and making it your home state.

And I would never refuse an invitation to come visit...

[Maggi]

What a beautiful town and now you will be part of its history one day too! Thanks for sharing these pictures, they are lovely!

[Laura]

When we lived in Tucson and travelled for day trips to Mexico, I think we parked in your little town and walked across the border because they told us to never drive our car into Mexico!

[Paris Parfait]

Isn't it interesting how the more we experience, the more our perspective changes? Thanks for taking us along on this charming little tour down your Memory Lane, preciosa! xoxox

[Dane]

You have the heart and souls and eyes of a photographer. The bit about the old man's rituals lasting for decades amid the change was my favorite.

[Pattee]

I am just as fascinated by these things as you are. Partially it's my nature and my father introduced so many vivid memories of old buildings, turquoise doors, rusted and wild things. I grew up in Great Falls, Montana and at 18 I left home and was as far away from Montana as I could get at 18, Seattle Wa. Now as a grown up I love going back to the high plains city... Some things never change and sometimes progress just happens.

A couple years back we went to Butte Montana an old copper mining city... Wow was it amazing ~ all the old mines and all the old restaurants and hang outs. The history was amazing... and I thought as a kid... Ick it's so old!!!!

I love your posts Vanessa~
Pattee

[Theresa]

Beautiful post. :) Theresa

[Kylee]

V~

Such amazing history!! I'm definately gonna have to make a trip to Arizona sometime :-)

[Suzy Pierce]

Wow- To see things in a whole new light! Exciting and what a charming town. Your pics are just as wonderful! I bet you were glad to be home.

[Kaerie Faerie]

Fab post, love this little town, I have pictures of my favorite house on my blog, it is a Castle, I've never been inside, walked past it to school every day of my child life. Recently I went around the old neighborhood and really took a look, amazing how great it looks, it makes me so homesick for Chicago
Karey

[Tricia McWhorter]

What a lovely post down memory lane. It is interesting how changing our mind changes how we see the world.

[Gypsy Purple]

Now this was so incredible!!!!...it was like driving WITH you...I tryly enjoyed..thanks!!

[marjorie]

My goodness....what a mysterious and intriguing place this is! All the colourful buildings have me swooning, indeed! I've always felt much the same about south Florida where I grew up.

Your posts are always so insightful and lovely! Thank You!! :)

[Cassandra]

Yes, I know this feeling.

It's the nostalgia that comes to us when we look back on our youth.

Isn't it magnificent?

[Sara]

I grew up in a small town, too. And I love going back there whenever I can.

[Princess Crystal]

It's really beautiful that you are sharing such an intimate and personal part of yourself. And it's so great to see how you are able to change your lens and see things a different way... finding the beauty in things you never noticed before. It's kinda like magic when things like that occur, isn't it?

[sadira]

I can totally relate. Growing up in this small town...all we wanted to do was run away and run free. It took growing myself up to make peace with life here...and now? Those of us who have chosen to come back and stay? We long for the town it once was (we are a silly lot.) There's something that breathes differently in you when you know a place so intimately, it becomes like a second skin...and sometimes you want to shed this and live away from it, but I always seem to let my breath out when I come "home" after being away. Safe up here once again. I have seen this town change and "evolve" loose the sweet character it once had...those Mayberry people that use to walk through our lives are almost all gone now, being replaced with something different (and I cringe when I see the "Everybodys Home Town" flags that fly around on the lamp posts here) I know though, it is just how it is over time...like that old man and his Marlbros. My love and I have started taking trips all over...although, I have been to a lot of the sleepy places before, it always amazes and delights me to see them again or even for the first time. I also love to seek and find inspiration in our little corner of the world...and I am so very excited to see the inspiration coming from yours.

Thank you V...for reminding me of the magic that is all over Arizona, it's truly a state you can fall in love with over and over again.

[AForestFrolic]

Isn't it amazing to go back where you grew up and see it from 'different' eyes!?! I love all of your photos and memories and I find it intriguing...that border town! So amazing V!

Jamie :)

[Meghann]

How beautiful your hometown is! I love that 'spooky' house - I'd live there in a second! Isn't it neat to go back to our roots? I think it is fascinating :)

[Tracy Martinez]

What a great town, I've always wanted to live in a small town like that. I really like the stone house, beautiful!!
Thanks you for sharing.
Tracy M.

[Deborah]

Vanessa, that was so charming. I greatly enjoyed my little trip with you. I say once again, Southern Arizona should be paying you for your advertising!
**blows kisses** Deb

[Shell]

I enjoyed the trip to your hometown. My mom went to Arizona when she was in her 20's. She has all these great pictures from there. I always wanted to go there myself.
Seeing those pictures just brings back that longing again for Arizona.

[HouseHold6]

Isn't it awesome to "go back" to places you've always known! I love the picture of the peek in someone's window, and the old man smoking. So personal, yet exposed! Love that :) So part 1 means there's a part 2 coming, right? hehe
much hugs!

[Rhonda Roo]

I love your little border town.
I had the opposite experience growing up in miami..sometimes i felt like the city swallowed me whole. i was an anonymous little no one, stifled by the tall palms....

Now, it amazes me, when i see the incredibly unique beauty of many cultures that coexist as evident in the art deco buildings, the pinks and whites and Mediterranean tiled roofs still standing side by side. Influences from all over the world...that helped shape a girl's soul.

And now, your hometown has the look of a wise old grandmother, who can tell you the secrets of the heart, through the lines and cracks of her face....

[SueAnn]

Your little town is wonderful. I love buildings that are held together with memories and dreams. Always makes me sad to see stores that are long gone and fading away. I think of the dreams that started that business. Where they fulfilled?? I sure hope so.
Hugging you
SueAnn

[devil mood]

I'm loving this post and that house is dreamy!

[Kandes Lee]

That is a fascinating little town. It looks rich with culture and history. I wish I could forgive the town where I grew up and see it in a different light. But Scottsdale is a different story. The darkness gets more difficult to see through as the years go by.

[Andy Light]

Very nice story..beautiful shot of pictures. Thank you for sharing us this article. I'll be back and read more about this. Many Thanks!