I’ve always known where I come from. But I don’t think I’ve ever FELT it quite like this.
I was born in Mexico but have lived almost my entire life in the United States.
At this point of my life, I’m a gringo, there’s no denying that.
During my recent trip, I experienced something unexpected: an emotional and almost physical connection to my origins.
Five experiences in particular took my breath away. Literally.
💜 Coyoacán: Art, conquest, and religion.
From Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul to the remnants of Spanish colonial rule and the early churches built to convert Indigenous people. Beauty, creativity, and a complicated history, all within walking distance.
💜 Teotihuacán: Feeling small in the presence of greatness.
Standing before the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, built by a civilization that flourished long before the Aztecs, I felt insignificant and yet somehow connected to something much greater than myself.
💜 Día de Muertos: A culture alive.
The sheer number of people gathered in Mexico City to celebrate Mexican traditions was exhilarating. Hundreds of thousands of people, united in a celebration of life, death, and cultural identity.
💜 Museo Nacional de Antropología: The weight of everyday lives.
The enormous monuments were astonishing, but so were the smallest objects left behind. Evidence of ordinary people who lived, loved, worked, and struggled centuries before us.
💜 La Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México: Beauty and contradiction.
The scale and opulence literally left me breathless. I had to stop several times to collect myself, caught between admiration for its magnificence and the complicated history behind it.
I’ve traveled to Mexico a few other times. This was not like those other time.
I found myself dizzy, emotional, exhilarated, and at times unable to explain what I was feeling.
Thank goodness I had good people with me that allowed me to step away to ground myself.
There’s a lot to admire about Mexico’s history. There’s also a lot to wrestle with.
And somewhere between those two things, I found myself having a reaction I hadn’t anticipated.
The craziest part? I felt at home.
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