Friday, October 7, 2016

I Walk Alone: The YannTheRunTour Goes to Mexico City!

“I’m known to walk alone, but I’m alone for a reason” - Beyonce “Upgrade U”




So I’m sitting on the plane and ready to go to Mexico City! Do I speak Spanish? Not really. Do I know anyone there? Hell no! So how did I end up here? Well, it’s a long story… Ok, that’s not true. It’s actually pretty simple: I got invited to go on a trip with a friend a few months back. I requested the week off from work and finally got it approved. (Harry Pottery magic may or may not have been involved) I was about to book the flight to meet up with the friend only to find out that I would no longer be going. Funny enough (not really) this was the second time this year this exact situation had occurred and I was vexed to say the least.

I didn’t want to waste my precious paid time off by sitting in Orlando watching Netflix and reality TV for a week. My friend offered for me to meet up with her in Italy, but that trip was far outside of what I had planned on spending. Rather than being salty as hell, my friend Avalon recommended I go to Mexico CIty. Random right? Not really. Avalon and I booked a trip there last October. I believe that I was supposed to leave on a Wednesday, but my mum was hospitalised days before, forcing me to cancel. I was able to get a portion of my ticket in voucher form and it was about to expire this October. Avalon went to Mexico City as planned and had a blast, so I thought that I should go. All caught up? Ok good.

So like I was saying earlier, I’m on a plane, bitches! This vacation is MUCH needed and I am ready to get away for a bit. The flight was pleasant enough and I’m glad I woke up in time to see the fireworks going off in Mexico City to celebrate Mexican independence as we land. The line for immigration is long and hellacious, but I’m not stressing. I worked earlier today and I’m tired, BUT I’M IN MEXICO, LAND OF UMM MEXICAN THINGS!!! I finally make it through and I’m hit with the reality that I’m in a foreign place alone. I had trouble with my phone getting on the network there. I was starting to freak out. Do cabs take credit cards here? Would my cabbie murder me or sell me into sex slavery? Is Wendy’s open this late? Do they have Wendy’s here? SO. Many. Questions.

I finally got my phone situation sorted out and got an Uber to my AirBnb. It was about 1:30a at this point and I was just ready to hit the bed. I couldn’t figure out how to get inside. I also wasn’t 100% sure I was in the right place. Once again, I started to freak out. (seeing a theme here?) I figured out the lock box and got my keys and made it inside. It was actually super simple, but cute.

Friday I slept in because I’m an adult and I can do these things. I didn’t want this trip to be stressful and filled with events. I wanted to take time and enjoy things at whatever pace I decided felt right. I went to explore in the city but was kind of let down when I found that everything was closed. I forgot that every country besides the US takes holidays seriously. I did get to walk around. I got hella lost even with my good friend Google Maps leading the way. I really regret being such a shitty Boy Scout. :( It was so cool just walking around the city and exploring on my own.
That night, I decided to venture out to Zona Rosa, the gay part of town. I wanted to see how the Mexican gay nightlife was. My Uber was a sweet man who warned me that the gays were nice but they wouldn’t trouble me. I guess he didn’t get the memo. Note to self: wear something tighter next time I go out. The bars were alright. Lots of the same music that I’m used to hearing in the States. There was also a bunch of old ass Spanish songs from what appear to be the late 90s/early 2000s that everyone seemed to lose their collective shit over. Apparently the kids there still go up for a good Selena moment. It was during one of these Selena moments that this kid noticed my “What the fuck is happening” expression and started chatting me up. “You look lost. Where are your friends?” I told him that I didn’t speak Spanish very well (or at all) and that I was visiting from Orlando alone. Thankfully he spoke amazing English and we talked for awhile. Jonathan (I was upset he wasn’t Alejandro, Pedro, or another name that would make this story feel more authentico) explained that not many Americans visit Mexico City alone and that NO black americans come. I was basically a unicorn and he said that was a good thing there. Wait, so my being Black was actually celebrated? I’m home!


Saturday I slept in because I was out until 5:30a doing hoodrat things with my newfound friends. Kidding. (totally serious) I decided that I wanted to do something cultural to balance out the night before. I went to the museo nacional de antropologia. It was such an awesome place to visit. I love museums and the cool part about being alone was that I was able to do things at my own pace without having to worry about my travel companion. The museum reminded me of the rich culture of Mexico that many Americans fail to see/recognize. It was also cool seeing the similarities that you find between different cultures and lands. As much as humans fight it, people are people at the end of the day.

Early Sunday is when I found out that my card was no longer working. The night before should’ve been a clue when it declined for 120 peso meal (less than $10 USD) and for the 300 peso cover at the club. I called my credit union and they said it was a fraud alert and they fixed it so I was able to use it to get into the club. I tried to catch an Uber home and saw that my account was suspended because of my card repeatedly declining. I spent the bulk of Sunday calling about my card, as I had run out of cash (except the few dollars I had and planned on using to get back to the airport) and no place takes Discover. Note to self: get rid of my DiscoverCard. I was freaking out frustrated at having to tell my story 2384203423 to 234823043 different people. I ended up giving an award winning Olivia Pope-esque monologue about how tired, upset, and disgusted I was by the whole situation. It didn’t fix anything, but I sure as hell felt better.

Monday, I finally got my card to work and I pulled out some money before they started playing games again. I went to a French boulangerie for breakfast and it was amazing. I decided that I was going to make the most of my last day and visit the pyramids. It was an amazing trip and I highly recommend it to anyone. I actually broke my rule about hiking and walked up not one, but TWO different pyramids. I was a hot, sweaty mess, but it’s a view/experience I will never forget. I met an older lady from Missouri and it was so great to hear not only English, but also a Midwestern accent. We talked about our trips and she respectfully asked if I noticed the lack of Black people there. Y’all thought I was kidding when I said I was a unicorn?! Later on that night I decided to go try Mezcal. I went to this cool bar with mixologists who were on point. My bartender explained to me the different nuances in the different mezcals as I drank a flight. I left feeling warm and fuzzy inside and filled with dread for my 5a wakeup call for my flight home.




My trip to Mexico was exactly what I needed. Sometimes I need to be reminded that I can do things on my own. I also think that being uncomfortable from time to time is a good thing as it forces us to adapt and try things outside of our comfort zone. I was warned about the violence by everyone from coworkers to my Uber driver to the airport. Many of the people warning me hadn’t even been there themselves, so why would I listen? I never felt unsafe and given the police murders that were going on when I was gone, Mexico City felt like a safe haven. The language barrier was scary. Unlike Cancun, Mexico City isn’t filled with English speaking people who ensure that Americans are made to feel at ease. Once again, when I was thrown into it, I actually found out that I can actually get by with my toddler level Spanish. Traveling on my own forced me to meet new people that I might have not met had I had someone with me. I came back from Mexico with tequila, a sense of empowerment, and a desire to explore more unknown places. I can’t wait to see where my next travel adventure takes me.