People of San Miguel: Natalie Taylor, Listening to San Miguel’s Stories

By Aundria McMillan Humphrey

In a city where every wall whispers history, Natalie Taylor has become one of its most attentive listeners. Her work in San Miguel de Allende is not simply about cataloging facts or tracing colonial brushstrokes — it is about weaving connections, uncovering hidden truths, and ensuring that the voices of this place are heard across generations.

From Beaches to San Miguel

Natalie first arrived in San Miguel almost by accident. “I kept saying no, no, no — we’re going to the beach,” she recalls. For years, she and her husband Dennis spent winters in Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Cancún. A friend insisted she try San Miguel, and finally, “almost out of spite,” she bought tickets.

Within two days of walking the cobblestone streets, they fell in love with the city. By 2018, after selling their Chicago properties, they moved permanently. “We never regretted it,” she says.

Falling Down the Rabbit Holeof History

Natalie’s passion for history quickly found fertile ground. Volunteering with Patronato Pro Niños, she trained as a tour guide — but soon realized the scripts were riddled with hearsay. “I went down the rabbit hole and I couldn’t stop,” she laughs. Together with a colleague, she rewrote the tours based on rigorous research. That experience launched her deeper into San Miguel’s churches, art, and archives.

Her bilingual fluency opened doors — literally. Priests allowed her into sacristies and hidden corners where centuries of art waited to be rediscovered. “I have actually put down a lot of history that was not recorded, particularly not in English,” she explains.

Her blog now serves as an informal archive, and she is preparing a book on Ignacio Ramírez, the 19^th century intellectual who fought to separate church and state. “He was on the level of Voltaire,” she insists. “He needs to be recognized.”

A Rebel Spirit

Natalie’s drive to uncover truth is rooted in her own heritage. Born in a refugee camp in Italy to Ukrainian parents who fled Soviet oppression, she grew up in Argentina before moving to the United States. “I think the suffering of your people leaves an imprint in your genes,” she reflects. From childhood, she hated bullies and defended the downtrodden — even physically fighting boys who tormented her younger brother.

That rebel spirit shaped her worldview. She married across racial lines in the 1960s, confronting prejudice firsthand.

“I understood without words,” she says of landlords who denied housing once they saw her Filipino husband’s dark skin. Such experiences deepened her commitment to justice and equality.

Bridging Communities

In San Miguel, Natalie channels that commitment into building bridges between the Anglo and Mexican communities. She volunteered in rural schools, supplementing education for children in classrooms where one teacher covered grades one through five.

She now serves on the Bicentennial Citizens Commission — the only woman and the only nonMexican among five members.

Together they are developing cultural projects, including statues of Ignacio Ramírez and new historical publications.

“I’ve always been very interested in creating that bridge between the two communities,” she says. “Two very strong communities in San Miguel — the expats and the locals — need to see each other more clearly.”

Leaving a Legacy

Natalie is keenly aware that her work is more than personal passion; it is legacy. “I know I’m leaving something that will be there,” she says of her blog and forthcoming book. She envisions her research collected in libraries, accessible to future generations.

Her story is not only about San Miguel’s past, but about its present and future — how history can connect people across cultures, languages, and experiences. In her words: “People love stories. That’s one way of getting it — your story. And that’s how we build bridges.”

A City Reflected in Her Work

For Natalie, San Miguel is more than a backdrop; it is a living partner in her story. The plazas, churches, and murals are not relics but companions, whispering to her as she listens and records. “It didn’t take long — the second day we went to town, we just fell in love,” she remembers.

That love has deepened into a commitment: to honor the city’s past, to connect its communities, and to leave behind a record that ensures its stories endure.

San Miguel de Allende has always been a place of convergence — of cultures, languages, and histories. Through Natalie Taylor’s work, it becomes something more: a mirror that reflects not only the beauty of its architecture and legends, but the resilience, curiosity, and bridgebuilding spirit of those who call it home.

Aundria McMillan Humphrey, Ageless living Advocate, slowdowngranny.com

Podcast: Living & Learning with Aundria McMillan Humphrey