So here I am. I’m writing this from the sky on day five of my life transition and asking myself do I feel different? Lighter? Liberated? No, not really.
At the start of 2022, well a few days in, I set the intention for this to be my year of ease. On the eve of 2022, I originally declared this would be my year of transformation.
I have a tendency to work hard for everything. I tend to (over) exert an immense amount of effort to achieve but in this chapter, I’m learning and embracing the paradox of being still and flowing.
There’s no fast track to unlearning behaviors and habits that no longer serve you. Patterns make up who we are. Reinvention is a process, I’m reminding myself (frequently).
Being in Mexico City, North America’s largest metropolitan area, I observed a different way of life. Slower starts in the morning and longer endings in the evening.
I stayed in Roma Norte, an adorable, walkable neighborhood adorned with art, music, and restaurants, and filled my time walking city blocks under the warm sun, drinking rosé and flat whites, eating tacos and oysters, practicing yoga and breathwork, shopping for vintage pieces (purchased a deliciously cute upcycled strawberry bucket hat for 100 pesos at Vintrend), and traveling by an Ado bus to Pubela, the historical town where the Mexicans defeated the French on Cinco de Mayo in 1862.
If you ever find yourself in CDMX, here are my recommendations:
Eat carne tacos at Taqueria Gabriel with a Jamaica auga fresca spiked with mezcal (thanks for the pro tip Derrick Braziel, chef and creator of Pata Roja Taqueria in Cincinnati, Ohio).
Nibble on divinely good churros with chocolate ice cream at Churrería El Moro. Order a flat white at Panadería Rosetta with a pain au chocolat and jamon croissant.
Walk or bike down Avenida Álvaro Obregón and pop into shops, museums, restaurants, and bars (consider having a refreshing limon caprihinia at Mãe Joana).
Visit the Buddhist Center of Mexico and take a yoga or meditation class or simply buy a book or incenses.
Plan a fancy night out and have pre-dinner cocktails at Blanco Colima (I can vouch for the Old Fashioned) and oysters at La Docena.
Admire the street art and visit Frida Kahlo’s hood Coyoacán. Learn basic Spanish and test it out. Download Duolingo and the Google Translate app.
Lastly, pause and visit with people. A smile is a universal language.
During this period, my song of the moment was “Morning Asana” by Londrelle, and my go-to podcast was Failing Forward, Episode 121 (I just so happen to be the interviewee and the theme is giving yourself permission 😃).
Check out Instagram for my Mexico City reel.
Thanks for journeying with me.
kh