No Place Like Home

LOURDES, Michoacan---The crazy road up the mountains led to several humble homes and ranches. One of the houses belonged to Javier. Javier and his family have dedicated their life to making the famed Cotija cheese, which last year won an international award in Italy.

While we were fascinated to see how and where the world's best cheese came from, but Javier found it amusing that we were so interested in their lives. People have been living humbly and on that mountain for more than 400 years. To Javier, this was just a way of life.

Javier is 47-years-old, but looks much younger. In fact, he has a slight resemblance to one of my cousins. I think this made me more drawn to him and his family. Javier's home does not have running water or electricity, but that's where he feels at home. He spends most of his day outside, tending to his many chores.

Whenever I go to the city, he said, I feel like my heart is suffocating.