Mexico City. Or as I call it “El DF – mi casa mexicana. In English: my Mexican home. Why do I call it my home? Quite simply because I feel at home in Mexico City. Not like in Cologne, of course, but I had my laundry in Mexico City, my favourite café, I knew where to go partying, I knew the city pretty well and I just felt at home. But the most important thing: I no longer felt like a tourist, but like a homie. And that feeling is great 😀 And makes you feel at home. Or at least connected. This feeling of… I’ve seen everything and still want to stay. I’ve arrived, I’ve found a place for myself. The joke is, Mexico City doesn’t necessarily invite you to stay. Sure, it’s a huge city, there’s an incredible amount to see and I think it also has the most museums in the world. In short: you can do everything in Mexico City, really EVERYTHING – well apart from hiking or swimming in the sea. But I mean in comparison with other major or capital cities. The reason why Mexico City doesn’t necessarily invite you to linger is that you either love or hate this city. The reason for this is quite simple: el tráfico. In other words, the traffic. It really is….You need half an hour to get freaking anywhere. Minium. That’s no joke. Even on foot! Super annoying and exhausting. It’s also loud, chaotic… I don’t even know how to describe it, but Mexico City isn’t super inviting and I don’t think it’s for the faint-hearted. And the traffic is the ultimate enemy. That’s why people in Mexico City say exactly what I just said: you either hate it or you love it. Admittedly, I wavered for a long time – a really long time!- but in the end I realised: I love Mexico City. I like chaos, the traffic is exhausting, but I eventually got used to it and… when I feel at home somewhere, I start to love a place despite any adversity (see the KVB in Cologne). 😀 Oh and btw if you were wondering why I said “El DF” at the beginning, that’s the nickname of the city. Just like Kölle is the nickname of Cologne.
If you ask me if you should ever travel to Mexico City, my clear answer to anyone out there is: YES! And plan at least a week. The city has so much to see, do, experience, …. whatever! There really is something for everyone. And a week will go by like the snap of a finger, trust me.