Hello, I am Helena

I am an Art Historian based in Oceanside, California. I was born in Mexico City, where I grew up and went to college. I fell in love with Art at the age of 17, after I went on a school trip to Italy. While looking at frescoes and churches, I decided that I wanted to study art for a living. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I ended up combining my two passions. I have worked in the cultural and education fields since 2008. 

In the summer of 2015, while working at Museo Soumya - one of the best in Mexico City - I met my husband. Because of him I moved to Oceanside, California and we got married in 2017. It took some time to feel comfortable in a new country, but I found a place called Mission San Luis Rey that brought me back to where I belong. Mission San Luis Rey is one of the 21 California Missions, established by the Spanish in the late 1700’s. It is an active mission today. I became a volunteer  doing guided tours for 4th grade students. and quickly I started getting more involved. After a few changes brought by Covid, I got the privilege to become it's Museum Director. I am proud to be part of this wonderful institution. 

I started I Travel to Museums because exploring museums makes me feel connected—to people, to history, to creativity—and I wanted a space to share those discoveries in a way that feels approachable, curious, and fun.

This project really grew out of a little frustration. When I looked at travel content online, I noticed something was missing—everything felt rushed, surface-level, or just about taking the perfect photo. But museums hold so many layers of stories, quirks, and surprises. As someone who always asks too many questions, I couldn’t help but dig deeper and share what I found.

So here I am, writing, traveling, and exploring. Sometimes that means standing in awe of a famous masterpiece, and sometimes it’s geeking out over a tiny label that most people walk right past. Either way, I Travel to Museums is about curiosity first and selfies second. If you’re here, you probably feel the same way—so let’s keep exploring together!