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Traveler Collective Living

Traveler Home in Mexico Update SAN CRISTOBAL de las Casas, Mexico- “There is always music in my house,” a friend mused one day from inside the coffee house he works at. “Actually,” he continued, “Everyone who lives there is a musician.” It is true, the traveler’s home in San Cristobal de las Casas has been [...]

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Traveler Home in Mexico Update

SAN CRISTOBAL de las Casas, Mexico- “There is always music in my house,” a friend mused one day from inside the coffee house he works at. “Actually,” he continued, “Everyone who lives there is a musician.”

It is true, the traveler’s home in San Cristobal de las Casas has been taken over my traveling musicians. The place came to life.

At the end of September of this year, I entered into the prospect of opening a hostel in the south of Mexico with a friend. Though upon engaging in the project it seemed far better to create a collective living arrangement for long term travelers than an actual business. I dubbed the place the Traveler’s Home, but failed to move in myself. I stayed put in my fully decked out hotel, but have maintained friendship with the travelers who did move into the collective, and go there often.

On my last visit to the Traveler’s Home, I noticed something: the place has come alive. There are travelers playing music everywhere, fresh paintings have covered up the hippy scribble that previously adorned the walls, new glass windows were put in where the old ones were busted out, a garden was made, a green house is on the to do list, egg laying chickens roam the place, a neat little mosaic replaced the grim that was once the shower’s walls, and a nice sized rectangle window was knocked out of a brick wall, bringing light to a room that was formerly dark and dreary. Each week the travelers are repairing and building up their collective home a few ticks more. Each week new travelers move in, and others leave for other destinations.

The Traveler’s Home in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico is up and running in full operation. Its residents have made their three or four hundred peso a month living spaces livable, there is music everywhere, the sound of voices, laughing, and the vibe of a place that has come alive.

Photos of the Traveler’s Home

Petra in the Traveler's Home

Traveler's Home

Music in the Traveler's Home

Petra dancing with travelers

Collective garden in Traveler's Home

Filed under: Accommodation, Mexico, North America

About the Author:

I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. has written 3694 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

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  • Megan September 17, 2013, 1:41 pm

    Hi Wade – is this place still alive and kicking?

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    • Wade Shepard September 18, 2013, 12:02 am

      Not really. Last I knew it was still around but the collective spirit of the place disintegrated.

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