The daily card, weeks 20-21

I'm back! We had a fantastic time in Central America over the past couple weeks - full of hiking (up volcanos and Mayan ruins), snorkeling (with sharks, manatees, and sea turtles), eating (tacos, obviously), drinking (margaritas and mezcal), and just generally enjoying screensaver-worthy scenery. Thanks to expert planning by my BFF, it was the perfect combination of adventure and vacation. If I can get my act together to start posting regularly again, there will be lots of pictures to follow.

Another success with card-making on the road! This was definitely the most "on the road" so far. These puppies came together in a nice hostel in Antigua, a cabin in the jungle in Flores, the nastiest hostel ever in Caye Caulker, and a well-air-conditioned boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen. I made cards during swimming breaks, right before catching overnight buses, and late at night by headlamp (i.e. after 10pm - some early morning excursions turned us into old people for the duration of the trip) trying not to bother my fellow hostel-goers.

Once again, the pre-mapped cards worked super well - it was nice to be able to slap something on them on days when I was short on time/energy/interest, and to start from scratch on others. For this first set, I love the synchronicity between the cards for May 19 and May 21 - I left the former in DC so had no idea I was replicating it in watercolor two days and one country later.

As in Mauritania, I also did some patterns based on my surroundings. The May 21 card is based on the rich striped patterns (I am sure there is a name for them...) that are so prevalent in Central America. I love how May 30 (inspired by all the tropical foliage and probably also by Justina Blakeney's aesthetic) and May 31(inspired by the bright turquoise water and the yellow kelp), created when we were relaxing on the beach in Mexico, capture those bright, easy-going days.

Overall: totally love this project and love that I've been able to bring it on the road. Combined with my photos, souvenirs, and nightly emails to my boyfriend, I think the cards will serve as a great record of the trip - one that captures a bit of what I felt, beyond just what I saw or thought.

I am settling back into life in DC - no big trips scheduled for the forseeable future - and slowly picking back up my routines. Hopefully that will mean more regular and more varied posting - stay tuned!