Caged Birds Cannot Sing

PFor the past 2 months my girlfriend, Aubrey, has been in Mexico (and now Guatemala) on a soul-searching voyage. After living in Seattle her whole life, she decided it was time to stretch her wings and take off to explore a little more of the world. Her first month and a half she spent in Oaxaca, learning spanish, and exploring the local street foods and cultures. Once her spanish was good enough, and she knew where to find all the best treats, I flew down for a visit. /PPAside from a trip to Baja when I was five, this was my first time in Mexico. Everyone I talked to said Oaxaca was a special place, but until I spent the next two weeks traveling through other areas, I did not fully appreciate why. The first thing that stood out to me were the colors. Every building was painted, on the inside and out, with some combination of brilliant yellow, orange, red, green, and blue. Every fence was covered with blooming bougainvillea sporting vibrant pink, magenta, and purple flowers. The jacaranda trees were laden with purple flowers. The walls were covered in brilliant murals (