Intention of this series of bi-weekly posts is to share updates on living in Mexico.
Mexico City: TUE December 28th 2021 – TUE January 4th 2022
MON December 27th 2021
My Dad dropped me off at the local train station in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Shoreline East to New Haven, connected with Metro North to Grand Central, and connected with Airport Express Bus to Newark; trip duration six hours; wore KN95 mask (thank you, David).
TUE December 28th
Flew United Airlines, Newark (EWR) to Mexico City (MEX) on Boeing 737-700; flight was full. Aircraft pushed back late from the gate, but landed on-time at 1:30pm CST. Flew towards New Orleans, and then over the Gulf of Mexico; five-hour flight time.
There was no line to clear customs; customs agent asked for the duration of my visit, and seem quite surprised when I replied “four months.” US visitors are allowed to stay in Mexico for up to six months; the customs agent asked to see my return ticket on United.
Found Scotiabank ATM at the airport, made a no-fee withdrawal from my Bank of America account; exchange rate is almost 20 Mexican pesos to 1 US dollar.
The subway entrance is just outside the airport terminal. Mexico City subway is one of the busiest systems in the world, with 4.5-million daily passengers. Purchased a re-usable metro card, and boarded the subway; one-way fare $0.25 USD; had to make one connection, and got off at Balderas; AirBnB was just around the corner, and checked-in before 4:00pm. Maintain four criteria for AirBnB reservations: less than $20 USD per night, non-shared bedroom (for privacy), WiFi (for working on laptop), kitchen (for making coffee and lunch), and wash machine (for laundry). In more normal times, would stay at a hostel; due to COVID, trying to minimize public exposure.
Weather was 75-degrees and sunny; walked to the Zócalo, which was decorated for the holidays, and returned home at 6:00pm. Mexico City is at 7,500 feet elevation, almost a mile and a half; for reference, Denver Colorado is at 5,300 feet. For two days, had a headache, but not a migraine; climb four sets of stairs to the AirBnB, and find myself out of breath.
WED December 29th
Woke up in the morning, asking myself, “now what” and “what have I done.” Remember waking up the first day in Marine Corps boot camp, and asking myself, “what have I done.”
There was little time for reflection, because there were six drill instructors yelling and screaming. How will this Mexico experience unfold: good, bad, maybe; I don’t know. After living and working in Canada, don’t enjoy winter weather. Could have wintered in Florida, Arizona, or southern California. It would have been easier, more efficient, more productive. What am I doing in Mexico; I am changing my life.
Quit CFO career in March 2019 to take a sabbatical. Don’t know anyone in my “network” who has taken a sabbatical, not even a college professor. Only proxy was New York City-based, Austrian-born designer, Stefan Sagmeister, addressing the topic in a YouTube video.
In a similar manner, don’t know anyone in my “network” who has lived (without working) outside the US. This isn’t just a one or two week vacation in Mexico. I’ve read people’s blogs, who are world travelers, and who have lived outside the US; but don’t personally know these people.
I have wanted to travel extensively for more than a decade; a career got in the way. Last year, I taught my MBA students decision theory, including MiniMax regret, which is to make a decision that minimizes the maximum (worse) regret. It’s been said that Jeff Bezos used MiniMax regret when deciding to quit his Wall Street job to create Amazon. I’ve asked myself, if I were diagnosed with terminal illness, with less than one year to live, what would I regret. I would regret not traveling and experiencing the world.
On the surface, this might appear melodramatic; maybe. After volunteering at hospice, and seeing patients my age, or younger, recognize that life does not include a guarantee. I grew tired of the deferred life plan, as Randy Komisar reminds us, “and then there is the most dangerous risk of all – the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.”
Why Travel
Rick Steves is an American travel writer, author, activist, and television personality. His television show, Rick Steves’ Europe, is broadcast on PBS. Watched one of his past shows, Why Travel (S11E08), over the holidays. Steves asks if travel is just hedonism, or something more powerful. Rather than paraphrase, I share his thoughtful writing below.
By traveling thoughtfully, we connect. Even for those of us who can only travel as a state of mind, travel can result in a deeper connection.
Travel connects us face to face with reality. It’s not virtual. It’s not through a viewfinder. Travel is candid, honest – being in the moment. In a world hungry for authenticity, we yearn for connection. Travelers connect with different cultures, different people. On the road strangers are just “friends we’ve yet to meet.” Travel frees us from routine. It creates room for serendipity; serendipity leads to connections. Travel forces us to bend, and to flex. It makes us more tolerant and inspires us to celebrate diversity.
The lessons I’ve gained from exploring Europe – the land of my heritage – are universal. For me, these lessons are affirmed, and then stretched, when travelling farther afield. As a child ventures beyond his backyard, I ventured beyond Europe. Year after year, I pushed my boundaries. The world opened wide with a montage of wonders and lessons learned. Traveling beyond my comfort zone, culture shock became constructive. The growing pains of a broadening perspective – my ethnocentrism challenged. The celebration of difference and oneness at the same time, the recognition that love is love in their home just as in mine.
Through travel we see a world filled with joy, with compassion, and with good people. We learn the more we reach out, the more we receive. We learn that we all share the same world, and we all share the same window of time. Travelers seek bridges rather than walls. Every wall has two sides, and two narratives; for one to be truly understood, both must be heard. Traveling, we realize the challenges of our future will be blind to borders and best overcome not by conflict and walls, but by community, and bridges. There’s so much fear these days. The flip side of fear? It’s understanding, and we gain understanding when we travel.
Travel is more than a holiday. It gives us new experiences, acts as our greatest teacher, makes our lives more meaningful, and connects us with a global family. We can’t all travel physically, but anyone can live with a traveler’s mindset. It’s a choice. Travel makes us more comfortable with the world, our hearts bigger, and our lives richer. And it makes us happier. And that is why we travel.
THU December 30th
Shaved with a double-edge safety razor for more than five years; this might be the type of razor that your grandfather used. Can’t go through airport security with razor blades, so had to buy them in Mexico City. The razor blades weren’t easy to find; took two days, eventually going to the local shopping mall, and buying them at Sally’s Beauty Supply. In the meantime, shaved with a five-blade cartridge that felt like it was raking off my face – ouch.
FRI December 31st
Took subway to TAPO (Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente) bus station. Mexico City has four bus stations; TAPO is the eastern bus station, near the airport. Wanted to familiarize myself with the station before Tuesday’s bus trip to Puebla. The express (non-stop) bus costs $12 USD, and takes two hours; the local bus, with stops, costs $9 USD.
Public parks have “gym” equipment; can do push-ups, pull-ups, bar dips, etc. Would like to run, but with zero-drop shoes, would prefer dirt or grass, soft surface. Went out in the evening, which I normally don’t do, and walked to the Zócalo. It was pretty quiet, but everything was lit up for the New Year celebration. Best wishes for health, happiness, and equanimity in the New Year!
SAT January 1st 2022
Quiet day, many shops closed. Visited Bosque de Chapultepec, second largest city park in Latin America. It is in the western part of the city, easily accessible by subway. Key sights include Chapultepec Castle, which houses the National Museum of History, and also Jardín Botánico, with more than 300 plant varieties, including: succulents, agaves, and cacti.
SUN January 2nd
Visited Palacio de Bellas Artes, and Museo Nacional de Arte, both located in the historical city center; both museums were closed Friday and Saturday, due to the New Year celebration. Both museums are free to the public on Sunday, and given the holiday weekend, the museums were crowded. Also visited Centro de la Imagen, essentially, a museum of contemporary photography, also free to the public.
Smart Phone
Have an iPhone X with T-Mobile One plan, which includes free roaming in Canada and Mexico. There is free WiFi in parts of the city; sometimes it’s very slow or doesn’t work. To minimize data usage, turn off cellular data for most apps. AirBnB has WiFi, no data issues (ie. speed), and use WiFi calling to reach family and friends. I rely on the GPS function of Apple maps, but not the routing function; also use Maps.ME which is an offline map; it requires advance planning; finding locations, or ensuring that locals maps are installed.
Grocery shopping
Grocery shopping is always interesting; what is available to eat and drink, and at what price. There are many corner, convenience stores (ie. 7-Eleven, Oxxo), but also supermarkets or supermercado (ie. Walmart, Chedraui, Soriana). Based on shelf volume, instant coffee, canned tuna, and packaged cereal are quite popular. The panadera (bakery) is also popular, sweet pastries, in particular. Fresh vegetables appear to be limited, but sweet, tropical fruits are available (ie. banana, papaya, etc.).
Other observations
There is an obvious police presence in Mexico City. I have functional Spanish language skills from prior travel experiences, however, struggling a bit; people speak quickly, and it’s difficult to understand clearly speaking through masks. Speaking of masks, everyone wears them here, indoors and outdoors. To enter most stores, a temperature scan is required, too.
Air quality isn’t ideal in Mexico City, due to several factors, including: high altitude, population concentration, industrial activity, and also due to geography. Mexico City is built on a lake bed, and is surrounded by mountains on three sides. Due to certain weather patterns, the air tends to remain concentrated in the valley, and particulates are not easily dispersed. Air quality might explain why mask wearing outdoors, is notably high.
Oaxaca: WED January 5th – WED January 19th 2022
Plan to take the bus from Mexico City to Puebla (2-hours), Tuesday January 4th 2022, and bus from Puebla to Oaxaca (5-hours), Wednesday January 5th. ¡Hasta luego!
garthmonroe 