Field Notes: San Antonio
I was having a conversation with someone recently around nostalgia, travel, and remembering a place. I was coming across a lot of images of cacti and big leafy plants that day that made me think of some places I’ve been to in Texas. I had also just recently bartended (very poorly, I’d say) at our company event, in charge of a specialty cocktail that represented “me.” I went with an elderflower version of a whisky sour that I was introduced to in San Antonio more than 13 years ago, in the lower-level bar of the Havana Hotel. Then I was working from home and lit some incense that I had first come across in—you guessed it—San Antonio.
When I think back to the many times I’ve visited, I wonder if I’m being nostalgic or romanticizing that time in my life. I did a lot of solo travel for work to that part of the country, and some personal trips as well. I always stayed at the same boutique hotel—Cuban-inspired, quaint, well-storied. They had these awesome red glass candles you could only buy in their gift shop. I looked everywhere for them online back then when I’d forget to buy them while visiting. They had a great story, a great brand; it felt like a special place. Black-and-white movies playing in the courtyard, great drinks, unique room keys, and a restaurant that felt like a hidden gem. It was the definition of an experience, and I referenced it many times in the hospitality work we’ve done. I just found out they closed late last year. They will be missed.
I think back to the pulga-like (flea market) vendors in the Market Plaza Center and on Produce Row. I still wear a minimal, single-thread bracelet I bought from an older woman there who reminded me of my grandma. Mi Tierra Cafe, La Gloria, and later on, the Sternewirth at the then-new Hotel Emma. There are many more places like these as I explored and took recommendations from locals.
People often talk about the people they meet, places of interest, and whether or not they’d go back. Warm, great, and yes. It’s a part of my collection of experiences, a place where I could spend more time—real time—reflecting, absorbing, and creating new perspectives. I look forward to it. I’ll be back there soon.
In the work that I do, the places I visit become part of my perspective, not just references. They’re more than memories. I’m fortunate to have that.
I might do a few of these location posts—we’ll see.
