For two years, I've been telling everyone I want to move to Mexico City, but no, I haven't been, so no, I don't know what I would be getting myself into. But... I have a good feeling about it. Finally, I decided to put my idea to the test and take an exploratory trip to Mexico. With trusty travel pal Kendra onboard, we booked a quick weekend trip and conducted some basic planning.
Going into this trip, I was nervous. What if my general expectations about Mexico City are too high? I tell everyone I want to live there someday and what if it's not the picture I've painted in my mind. I did not have expectations of Austin or San Francisco even, and both were huge surprises, huge blessings, and quite evidently, where the Lord wanted me to live life. For Mexico City, I have lots of questions. Will I feel safe? Will I be able to communicate enough to get by? Will I appreciate the culture and love the layout of the city? Can I envision a normal routine in this huge place? Can I picture myself having friends or community? Could I start again here?
Going into this trip, I tried to minimize my expectations. I tired to minimize the pressure to do and see everything because I already have a second trip planned for July. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This trip is about walking around neighborhoods aimlessly, stopping by coffeeshops and boutiques merely because they're interesting, absorbing some culture and allowing Mexico City to speak for itself.
So with that, here are some glimpses of Mexico City, and my final thoughts at the end.
So did Mexico City live up to the hype? Absolutely. Despite my high expectations, I think CD.MX. exceeded them. From the food, to the colors, to the plants, to the sights and sounds and smells, I feel like I have just discovered a new heart city. This concept of "heart city" was explained to me by a fellow wanderlust travel, though now nameless and faceless in my memory. Heart cities are quite simply put, "cities after your own heart," places where it's easy to connect, easy to live and breathe and be. Antigua, Guatemala was my first, San Francisco might be my second, and I think Mexico City is my third. When will I move there? We'll see....