We sat down with our favourite desert child to see what inspires her the most
1. Where do you currently call home? Why? What do you like about it?
I currently live in Tijuana, Mexico. I love how magic and chaotic this city is not to mention all the cultural exchange we have, the amazing gastronomy, music and art.
2. What's something you're working on at the moment? Why are you looking forward to it?
I'm currently designing an eco hotel in Tulum Mexico, super excited with this project, it will be my first being constructed and the best thing is that it will have eco technologies and eco materials. On a side project I'm planning a Baja landscape photo expo for my city.
3. Tell us about a conversation or experience you've had recently that inspired you...
An experience that recently inspired me was standing in the middle of the desert of Guanajuato, Mexico, land of the chichimecas, where I laid down, looked at the sky and witness a beautiful sunset with a bunch of clouds moving so fast it almost looked surreal. Later on a rad flash of lightning on the horizon and a bold eagle flying across the moon. It made me realize how far we've been from our ancestors and how they had lots of things already figured it out, how this knowledge has been lost in this new age society and plastic world we're living in. How important is to return to their permaculture techniques and equilibrium and peace with our planet Earth.
4. Where was your last adventure?
My last adventure was in a small magic town called Mineral de Pozos. Giant cactus landscapes, old people with sombreros, stone streets and big haciendas. In the XVIII century it had almost 70,000 habitants though to its mining activity going on, with the over-exploitation it became a ghost town for many years having only 200 habitants. It's been a little more than 20 years that it has come to live again. It's so beautiful I've never felt so much history in a Mexican little town before.
5. We know all adventures have ups and downs, can you share with us best and worst parts of this adventure?
The best part exploring this little town and being in the middle of the desert where the chichimecas used to live and begin part of a permaculture building workshop, where we use super adobe for foundations, bamboo for structure with hempcrete and coconut for walls. The worst was getting a bad sunburn, but it was totally worth it!
6. If you could travel anywhere with anyone where would you go and who would you take. And why?
Vietnam with my two sisters Anna and Nicole. It's been so long since we've had a trip the three of us together and I would love to experience all the cultural rich and beautiful landscapes of that place.
7. Favourite quote or piece of advice to inspire?
The meaning of life...it comes down to circles, circles of life. A plant has a circle. A seed becomes a plant, that has a flower, transforms into a fruit. The fruit drops, there's another seed and the seed grows again. This is a circle. So, why the flower? "The flower is the moment that we live, the most beautiful moment of the circle" The most beautiful moment. -Alex Atala I think life is beautiful and no matter what comes or what challenge we have its part of everything. I we are truly connect with ourselves our perspective will stay positive. Nowadays with all the media and propaganda, its important to take time to be connected with our inner self, how are we gonna connect with someone else if we are not even connect with ourselves? Divide and you will conquer....that's what the system has been trying to do with society. Let's stay together, let's connect, respect and support each other and most important let's love!
To see more from Vivianne follow her at @vivianneflrs