Two weeks in Mexico have flown by! On my flight here, I couldn’t believe how fast my time in Nashville went, and how soon I was going to be landing in Mexico. The pandemic caused me to cherish my time with my family more, so as I excited as I felt about starting this chapter in Mexico City that I have been dreaming about for years, I left wishing I had more time to share in Nashville.
I arrived in the Mexico City airport in a t-shirt and shorts—escaping one hundred degree humid summer days in Nashville and forgetting it would be cold and rainy this time of year in CDMX. For someone who was sad to leave home, it wasn’t the best weather to walk into. Feeling mopey, I knew I had to remind myself why I came to Mexico and reignite the spark I had for my time here.
Pozole is one of the most iconic dishes of Mexico. This traditional stew is often prepared for important celebrations, weekend family gatherings, and national holidays, especially September 15: the start of Mexican Independence Day celebrations. The three main varieties are pozole blanco, verde, and rojo, the color being determined by the chiles used (or lack of chiles in the case of pozole blanco). To get myself out of my funk, I went straight from the airport to La Casa de Toño to order my personal favorite: pozole rojo with chicken. La Casa de Toño is a popular chain where you can get pozole all year round. While it’s no homemade pozole made with love by someone’s abuelita, it hit the spot that day and nourished me in all the right ways. The next day, I felt so excited to get settled in and start my work with Someone Somewhere in a few days.
One of the key ingredients of Pozole is hominy, which gives it its hearty properties. It is typically garnished with shredded lettuce, radish, and oregano. Usually served with tostadas and crema as well.
After picking up my things from a friend who let me store my large items while I was back in Nashville (thanks Brian!), I spent my first couple days exploring the city, neighborhood, and meeting up with some friends. I reassembled my bike and have been using it as my primary means of transportation. Traffic is notoriously bad in Mexico City, even inside neighborhoods, so I am thankful to have my bike to move freely. It’s also a great way to wake me up on my commute to work, especially since the early mornings here get quite chilly.
While I had started my work with Someone Somewhere remotely a week before coming to Mexico, I was excited to finally go to the office and meet my coworkers in person. Someone Somewhere is a lifestyle apparel brand that works with artisans in rural areas of Mexico to create products such as t-shirts, travel bags, windbreakers, etc. You can learn more about them in this video.
On my first day in person, I was shown around the office, met some of my coworkers, and had an orientation session. Everything was going great! While I was between meetings, I saw I had a missed call and some messages from my sister. When I opened my messages, to my unfortunate surprise, I learned she had called to tell me she tested positive for COVID 🙁
I immediately left the office to get tested and texted my coworkers letting them know my situation. A few hours later, my test came back positive too. I went back to working remotely while I quarantined in my apartment. It wasn’t how I had planned to spend my first full week in Mexico City, but with some UberEats orders and some binge-watching, I was able to get through it. Thankfully I had very mild symptoms, and I fully recovered.
After I was able to leave my quarantine, it was nice to people watch at parks and see these dogs enjoying a dip in the fountain 🙂
After I was cleared to go back to the office, I started settling into a routine, signing up at a local gym, and finding my favorite street eats. At Someone Somewhere, I help a lot with their U.S. market communications, whether that’s their U.S. website, social media, or email campaigns. It’s been very fulfilling to feel that I am contributing meaningfully to an organization dedicated to making a positive social impact. My coworkers and managers have fully supported me to be creative, and I really appreciate that they value my work and encourage me to test out new ideas.
I look forward to sharing more about my work, how I am adjusting to life here, the local food scene and the relationships I have built with street vendors on my next post!
Three of many street tacos I have had in my short time here so far!