Arriving to Mexico City

Day 1

I arrived for the first time in Mexico City at 12:30pm on New Years Eve, 2013... the day before my 37th birthday.  I was traveling by myself, a single female embarking on a new adventure.  I was nervous, excited, scared, and happy!  I had so much adrenaline going through me, I had no Idea what to do with it.  This was not the 1st time I've traveled alone, but it was all new experiences for me none the less.  I was going to one of the biggest cities in the world by myself, and I couldn't help being a little nervous, no matter how prepared I was.  I had to be on my toes and boy was I tired.  I flew a red-eye flight, from Seatac at 10pm the night before, layover in Atlanta, GA, landing in Mexico City at noon the next day.  Needless to say, I was lacking sleep upon arrival to this amazing, a bit intimidating international hub.

This trip was different for me.  "Why" you may ask, because  I was traveling as a student enrolled in two separate independent studies.  It was winter quarter and I did NOT want to be in Seattle.  So I did what any smart student should do... I studied abroad.  However, I was not studying abroad through any of the schools resources.  I researched other ways to find out how I could achieve a similar experience on my budget.  Studying abroad with the school was way too expensive for me, and so were a lot of the volunteer programs I found on the internet.  I couldn't understand why I should pay to volunteer.  Doesn't that take away the whole idea of "volunteering?"  In reality, we end up paying a lot of fees that go towards setting up the experience for multiple students or volunteers.  Which makes sense, if we don't want to take the time doing it ourselves.  However,  I figured I can, and should be able to do do this on my own.  So that's exactly what I did.  Hasta luego Seattle!

I decided to book a hostel prior to arriving in DF, since it was New Years, and I had no idea how busy things would be.  The hostel was located right behind the cathedral in the Zocalo, main square.  I highly recommend this hostel!  The staff was super friendly, helpful, and welcoming.

So I'm not only a female traveling solo, going to school at an age about 15 years older than the average student, but also, I'm staying at hostels for the first time in my life.  I've stayed at similar places in Asia, but I was with a buddy, and we shared rooms vs. dorms with bunk-beds.  Really... I'm 36, staying at a hostel in Mexico City for my 37th birthday, and on New Years??  What the hell am I thinking!  Haha... One might thing I'm having a mid-life crisis, but No Way is that the case.  If you know me, I love connection, traveling, and making shit happen.

Anyways, I arrived to one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world; safe and ready to celebrate!  VIVE MEXICO!!