Well, it's hard to believe but I am really writing from Mexico City, Mexico. I have been here hardly 24 hours, and yet have much to tell and write about in so little time. My trip here was flawless, and I was fortunate to be sitting between various "chilangos" (chilganos are residents of Mexico city) who I chatted away with for the majority of the trip. We stopped over in Cabo where swarms of U.S. spring breakers also arrived. On my way through customs there, the gentlemen that had been sitting by me, dressed in a clean pressed black suit, white collared shirt, shiny black shoes, and perfectly spiked hair, turned to me and said "when I came to your country through the desert 8 years ago, this suit was all I had... I can't believe I'm home."

Our ensuing conversation was unbelievable- he shared quite a bit with me about his plight by foot from Mexico City through the deserts of Arizona and all the way to Seattle. For those of you not familiar with mexican geography, that is a LONG trip. He left with 130 members of his "pueblo," led by a "coyote," and was amongst those fortunate enough to make it the whole way. Some were left to the severities of the desert probably never to make it out again, some were deported back to mexico, others stayed in Arizona. He chose to make his way north to Seattle where he has lived for the last 8 years. For this first time since moving to the states he was left without work, so he chose to make his way back to DF. I told him about my classmates that would be doing humanitarian work on the border between Arizona and Mexico this spring break giving out water and aid to those trying to cross the treacherous and dangerous sections of the border to prevent more deaths, like those of his friends. He asked me if my friends were the ones with the guns patrolling the border, I assured him they weren't. He said he hopes to come back to Seattle one day soon- he likes the adventure of crossing the border, he told me. I told him to be careful as I know its not an easy trek and its dangerous and perhaps more closed off than 8 years ago- he said, "they always say its more patrolled. that doesn't stop us. we always cross..." "Maybe next time," he said, "i will meet your friends." He must have stared out the window over Mexico the entire way from Cabo to DF (DF is short for distrito federal kind of like DC) and i can only imagine what he was feeling as he stepped onto mexican soil for the first time in 8 years. We had quite the conversation, to say the least. I assured him we are a divided country and that I hope he knows not all the country approves of minutemen standing on the border with guns, "protecting" our country.

Anyways, that was before arriving to Mexico. Landing in the "valle de México" (Mexico valley) i could see all the vibrant colors of the buildings, and the city sprawling for miles and miles between the mountains. I was relieved and happy as we landed in Mexico City. Walking off the plane, I was greeted by the smiling faces of Gomez (my old cross country coach) and his fiancé, Jessica. Jessica is from here, and she IS amazing, so kind, sweet, warm, welcoming, and helpful. I have felt instantly right at home, and their house is just blocks away from my new office. Our neighborhood is quiet, and our newer modern looking apartment building sits next to a beautiful, colonial style one. We went out to dinner last night at an argentine restaurant close by (go figure) and Jess's sister, Erica, also very warm and kind. Great first few hours in México.

This morning, we woke up early to take advantage of the closed avenues. The mayor of DF has made an effort to close streets on Sundays to make biking a more feasible sport, and "reforma" street was buzzing with bikers, runners, joggers, and families. This city is very different than Buenos Aires, but at the same time there is something very familiar and comforting about being here. Riding through the enormous parks here and admiring the purple blossoming trees, I was convinced I had wandered back into the bosques of palermo, a park near my home in Argentina. Gomez and Jess meet with a running club here every sunday morning and I met a few of their coworkers from a local, international school. We ended the morning with a traditional mexican breakfast and tasty cuban coffee from "café la Havana," a place where supposedly mexican revolutionaries used to meet in organization of the Cuban Revolution of '59.

This afternoon we visited the "parque méxico" which was great, full of greenery and people and families and children and enjoying their sunny afternoons. There is definitely a cultural richness that you can feel everywhere- we walked into this plaza type area and admired a Brazilian capoeira group alongside a salsa class with blasting music in the middle of it. People are so warm and chatty with perfect strangers. We were enjoying the salsa music alongside many friendly locals (and their dogs).

Tomorrow is a national mexican holiday, marking the birthday of Benito Juárez. Work starts Tuesday... This city does not feel nearly as enormous as I had imagined- our quaint little neighborhood seems very manageable and peaceful. The sun is warm, not too hot and not too cold. There is such a mix of architecture and color- there is plenty to take in and enjoy. Well, that's 24 hours in chilangolandia- more to come soon, i'm sure.

Hasta pronto!