TLAQUEPAQUE.
No, I did not just sneeze.
This is the name of one of my favorite places on my trip to Phoenix (pronounced Tah-lockey Pockey).
It was an eclectic mish-mash of artsy shops that seemed to organically grow into their own village, set apart from the real world.
It really was enchanting, a fact that was cemented by the first shop that awaited us:
I think the reason I liked this hodge-podge village so much was because it reminded me a little of Europe:
The village seemed to borrow from other cultures and eras, but it was still distinctly Arizona.
Inspired by the sun, it was a strangely mystic (in the dream weaver kind of way) place of its own. Everyone was so kind, and no clerk was pushy, but I felt if I stayed too long I might be inducted into a new age community! 😉
A little of that haphazard vibe leached into my photography. When I looked through my photos after the trip, it’s a happy chaos of inspiration:

I think I was going for those lightbulbs strung across the courtyard…then again, this photo could be accidental.
Even though there was no scarcity of shops, I only came away with a small souvenir:
Tlaquepaque, the village that mirrored my laid-back, happy-tired attitude after a day of hiking. I think I’ll be back 😉