Art & Serendipity

ser·en·dip·i·ty | \ ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē:

the faculty or phenomonon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for

Art and Travel

Traveling ALWAYS inspires me to create art. The two are intertwined in my world and so this site is a combination of travel stories and my art boutique creations. I sell wholesale and through custom orders. Pop over to my art boutique page to see what it’s all about!

I have an insanely deep desire to travel. Are you familiar with that feeling you get in your chest when you want to visit a place that is calling to you? That melancholic, heavy, and almost manic feeling that you can feel in your body? It all comes from my mother’s influence. She was the one who made exploring fun and as a child, we would often get in the car and ask “Where are we going?”. Her response was always “Serendipity”. This meant no real plan except for being out in nature (nature is free and we were broke!). I know now that these moments of Serendipity were just a way for her to entertain us without having any money to throw at the problem but those long days hiking, rock hunting, and driving around are the marker of my childhood. My mother was an explorer at heart. She had such an adventurous spirit and a contagious appreciation for the details. She was constantly filled with wonder. She left this earth at a young age (mid-life) without ever having been able to travel. I feel a sense of deep sadness about this but I also hold dear the legacy she left: the spirit of an adventurer. I have many moments of restlessness and am in a constant daydream about where I need to go.

This travel journal is dedicated to her and the traveler she would have been had her life been what she deserved. The fact that she had such a short life has also instilled a sense of urgency within me and that is both a blessing and a curse. I have arrived at a place in my life where my independent tendencies are met with more freedom as my son is all “grown up”. I’m needed far less and now I feel the call to reconnect to .. me has grown louder with the excitement of knowing I have arrived at the place where Serendipity is afoot on a grand scale.

To all the moms out there who haven’t gone yet because you are raising a family and to all the moms that are just now at the phase in life where you can identify some freedoms again, I hope you enjoy my travel stories, anecdotes, tips, art history references, and museum guides.

My blog is meant to transport you to a place in time. It is not the typical travel and art blog you might find where there are lists of things to see and where to shop (if you’re as obsessed as I am, you’ve already done your research and know these things). It is more of an invitation to journey along with me and grab some inspiration for how to do what I call “slow travel”. To me, packing your itinerary means you don’t experience anything while traveling. You become too much of a voyeur, checking the boxes on the list rather than a participant in the life happening around you. Of course, I will offer recommendations but more importantly, I will be story-telling in hopes that you will be able to experience a little taste of where I’ve been lucky enough to visit. This leaves room for you to imagine the possibilities of your own travels. It isn’t the things we buy (except for that perfume I bought in Rome… holy cannoli!) or monuments (necessarily) we visit that make the journey worthwhile, it is the people, culture, and lifestyles we are allowed to become a part of temporarily that become our most cherished travel memories.

Where are we going?

Serendipity, dear reader!

Ciao, Lindsey

My Story

A little Q/A to get to know me!

Who are you and where do you live?

I’m Lindsey Preciado-Weaver and I’ve lived in California all my life. Apart from a brief stint in college, I have lived in my hometown since the age of 10. I live in the proverbial “sticks” , 20 minutes outside of Yosemite National Park, and can’t imagine living anywhere that doesn’t have pine and cedar trees surrounding me (have you ever listened to the wind whip through their branches? It is one of the most soothing sounds!). I have always had a deep curiosity and desire to see the world. As an artist, I am a very visual person so seeing something as seemingly basic as a pretty sunset is not at all basic to me. I very often thank God for the gift of sight and the gift of cognition. Think about it…. the fact that we are able to see something beautiful, recognize it as beautiful, and have an emotional response to it is pretty terrific!

I think growing up in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do has given me an appreciation for the world in ways that only a small-town resident would understand. We love where we live but we are always dreaming of what else is “out there”. I live in a town that survives on tourism so we are constantly around travelers from all over the world and I love seeing them enjoying themselves (as long as they practice “ leave no trace”, “pack it in, pack it out”.).

I find history, human nature and mother nature to be incredibly nuanced and definitely connected in multi-faceted ways so, it is no wonder I have an almost insane desire to travel. I am a lifelong student and feel that the world is our greatest teacher. Speaking of teachers… I am a college art instructor so being able to travel to see works of art and historical monuments is integral to my teaching practicum. I have always felt like a fraud when teaching my students about things such as ancient Roman architecture without having actually witnessed it (I remedied this, by the way! Woohoo!).

When did you first become interested in travel?

I started daydreaming about travel when I was in high school.. I wanted to travel abroad in high school but couldn’t afford to. I remember my older brother got to go to Mexico with the Spanish Club at school and I was pretty jealous but my first trip was when I was 18. It was a short trip to Seattle, WA and that’s all it took for me to be hooked. I have traveled FAR less than I find ideal but I am on my way to exploring more! Traveling has become a priority for me because I feel I can no longer wait until “next year” (which is how I landed in Rome.. read that journal entry.. it’s fun!). My son is grown and I am a relatively free bird, lucky to have a husband who gets my weird personality: A loner. I don’t think he would ever travel somewhere solo but that is how I prefer to travel! No offense to anyone in my fam.. it’s just how I like to roll! Dear reader, don’t worry, I promised him we would do a family trip together next summer (right after my next solo trip! Ha ha!). I am also deeply interested in international affairs and politics so visiting other places aligns with my desire to learn more about other cultures.

What is one thing you always take with you when traveling?

You will always find me with my watercolor kit when I travel (near or far). I think the act of painting makes us slow down and really sink into the details of what we are documenting in the most lovely way. I encourage you all to do the same, even if you aren’t a “good” artist. Trust me… there’s something so special about creating an image that will remain with you far longer than the photo in your camera roll on your phone.

Why did you start a blog?

I love a good story. I get this from my mother. She used to make up the most creative stories when we were kids (one of which my brother and I keep saying we need to write, illustrate, and publish). I am so enthusiastic about the world that I simply have to share stories when I go places because I want everyone to be excited, too! I’m like a little kid at Christmas when I travel. I can’t contain my joy so I try to share it and hope that my stories inspire other people to get out there and jump on the story-telling bandwagon. I also love writing narratives so a blog just makes sense. Visual documentation in combination with the written word is one of the best ways to commit an experience to memory.

How can you afford to travel?

Umm… how can I afford not to!? I save! I don’t believe in debt and certainly not going into debt for a vacation. I don’t want to be paying for that vacation for an additional year and knowing you will be doing so steals some of the joy from your travel experience. In the past, I have taken on a second job working 1 day a week and every penny from that job went into a jar for one year. That was how we went to Hawaii and we came home without spending it all, even though we went all out! This summer I picked up 2 summer school courses to pay for my impromptu trip to Italy.

It is such a huge relief when you can splurge while traveling and know that the only baggage you’re coming home with is your duffle and not a mountain of credit card bills. The sense of freedom when paying for your trip with cash is absolutely worth being thrifty while you save for it.

I will be very honest here and say that when my husband and I were first married, we each brought debt to the marriage and we worked REALLY hard to get out of debt. We said no to a lot of things, we worked extra shifts (for years) and now we have financial freedom/ no debt so, its “game on!”. Time to enjoy what the freedom of being debt-free provides. For me, that’s traveling! We had to prioritize getting rid of debt so that we now can prioritize our future and our fun. WORTH IT!

Why write about art and travel?

Those are my two passions and I think there are several versions of art in everyday life, all over the world. The art of living, man-made art and architecture, the artistry found in nature, food, fashion… art transects literally every aspect of life, and who doesn’t want to go see art created in other cultures?! If you don’t, you’re probably not my tribe which is ok but….. maybe I can change your mind! Art and Travel are like peas and carrots…. like Birkenstocks and dreadlocks…. they just belong together and when paired, some serious inspiration occurs.

What do you want other travelers to be aware of?

First and foremost, we need to be aware of how our travel impacts local communities and the local environment. Just last week some people spray painted all over the rocks in Yosemite which I think is a travesty and so detrimental to our sacred spaces. We need to consider putting our travel dollars into the hands of locals rather than large corporations, particularly in places that struggle economically.

There are wild places that see so many visitors now and we love our National Parks to death, here in the U.S. I would say if you are traveling to an area to appreciate its natural beauty, PLEASE take your trash with you, leave the spaces in pristine condition and respect the nature and wildlife.

If traveling to foreign countries, be aware of the local population and their reliance upon the tourism industry, and try to support locals as much as possible. Buy handmade souvenirs rather than mass-produced products and talk to the locals! They have the best scoop on where to go and what to do!

Lastly, avoid “wildlife” opportunities in foreign countries. Places that are geared towards Instagram-worthy photos of you riding an elephant, etc. Those places treat their animals horribly (and I mean horribly). If we stop supporting them, they will go away. Instead, look for reputable sanctuaries to visit where rescued animals are well taken care of.

If you’d like to learn more about how important sustainable travel is, I recommend watching “The Last Tourist” HERE or on Hulu. It is eye-opening and is really important to see how we can either positively or negatively impact the areas we travel to.

Also! Focus on the actual experiences rather than the photo-op (which by the way is the same photo EVERYONE is taking so it’s not unique and you’ve placed your focus on the wrong thing!).

Where do you want to go next?

My son wants to go to Austria and Switzerland, my husband wants to return to Hawaii and I want to go to Greece, Spain (again), and Portugal. Any of those places would be magical so, we will see what the future brings!

Like a true Gemini, I have two different artistic personalities. One is the “fun, pretty” artwork you see on this website and the other is MUCH more serious in tone and topic. Click on the tab below to view what I call my “real work” vs. the commercial art I sell.

My art website