Part 13.a: Perspective is Everything

After three months at the lake, I was ready to get back to the big city. What better way to do that then to finally get to explore Mexico City? I knew I hadn't given it a fair shot last time, so I needed to try again. I knew that it would be better, because Mama was coming with me.

This month was going to be a turning point for me, and I was going to make sure of that. I was so tired of how I had been feeling - exhaustion, aches and pains, debilitating stomach pains, and my horrible, overwhelming sadness was too much for me. I decided that I needed a change.

I remember on the plane ride back to Guatemala from Canada (a short trip for the Esperanto Universal Congress), I decided that we are all just playing a video game, and I get to do whatever I want. What I wanted was to be happy. I cried on that plane ride, and from that point on, everything changed.

We arrived on September 13th, 2021 to a great apartment in the center of the city, close to everything. I loved that place, because it had a really great kitchen, and Mama made some really good food that month. It really felt like a home.

Mexico City has a lot of great free walking tours, like Medellin. We only went on one, which was in the city center. We learned a lot, but it was really long, so we were exhausted by the end.

The best (most dangerous) discovery we made was that the famous churro restaurant, Churreria El Moro, was within walking distance of our apartment! I can honestly say that I've never had such amazing churros as I did there. Also, I'd like everyone to appreciate how few times we actually went there. We showed a lot of self control.

Something I totally wasn't prepared for were the earthquakes. I'd never experienced one before, so I had no idea what was going on when everybody in our apartment building started running for the exit! No idea, that is, until the entire building started shaking. We made a break for it, and got safely out to the street where everybody was waiting. I was crying, but all of the locals were chatting with neighbors as if nothing were happening! Nobody was hurt, and nothing was broken, but I was terrified. I was definitely nervous for the rest of our trip, especially after the aftershocks came in the middle of the night and we had to evacuate the building again. Let's just say, I wasn't a fan.

Another super fun discovery was finding out that there was a Six Flags! I'd always wanted to go Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, and this was super similar. Mama and I spent the whole day and night on roller coasters and in haunted houses, and it was honestly one of my favorite parts of our month. It was also a lot cheaper than theme parks in the US!

Mama's birthday happened to fall while we were in Mexico City, and I'm a big lover of surprises. I set up a whole day for her: an hour in an immersion tank, a massage, dinner at a Greek restaurant, and a night in the sickest Airbnb I could find. It was right next to a giant park, and it was at the very top: penthouse, baby! It was way too big for just two people, but it was so cool, especially because it had a rooftop where you could see the entire city! Mama was super happy, and I was just glad that she never guessed any of my surprises.

My initial plan to be happy came to fruition. I ate homemade, healthy food which solved my stomach problems. We spent hours outside, wandering around the city, and everything started to look brighter. Having Mama there definitely helped, and I even blamed my happiness on the city itself, but really it was all coming from a change in perspective.

This was a big step in the right direction, and I'd love to say I found the secret to happiness, but it's turned out to be quite the journey. Speaking of journeys, the journey of how Mama and I got to where we are has almost come to an end! After Mexico City, we made a lifechanging decision to head back to Cali once more...