Dispatches From Mexico City: Visitors From Home

Sometimes explaining your world to people is hard. I'm from Canada. I’ve seen my family a lot since I moved to Mexico two years ago, through visits back home or by meeting somewhere in between, but none of my family members had made the trip down to Mexico City. I know it’s been hard for my family back home in Canada to picture my life down here in Mexico. The number of people who mostly manage to get along, the insane traffic that somehow manages to function, the food that’s so incredible it’s worth getting sick for once or twice a year. There was just no perspective. So it’s been nice showing my mom around this last week. Upon her arrival, we first went out to buy a Christmas tree and decorations. As we hung the bulbs and lights on the tree we could hear the cannons firing at the nearby churches to celebrate the season. It made the occasion that much more festive. The following day we spent the day exploring the Roma neighborhood, checking out stores and partaking in our self-designed pub crawl. Friday we jumped on the Hop-on, Hop-off tour bus but after being stuck in the infamous Mexico City traffic for a little too long decided to disembark in the Zocalo (city center) to check out the Cathedral and a rooftop restaurant. The giant Christmas tree in the center square was surrounded by reminders of our Canadian home: a giant ice skating rink and man-made tubing hills. People sought refuge in the tree’s shade as others skated around on ice just meters away making everything feel very surreal. Saturday, I was able to take my mom to two of my band’s concerts. The first at a Texas BBQ joint in the afternoon, the second at a vegan restaurant in the evening. I can only hope that the disparity of the venues added to the fun. Sunday, we loaded into an Uber with a bunch of friends and headed for the canals of Xochimilco. Monday we checked out the pyramids of Teotihuacan and ate lunch in La Gruta - a restaurant situated in a deep cave just outside the gates of the park. Tonight, I’ll be taking her to Lucha Libre before she flies home. It’s been a whirlwind trip, to say the least. But it’s been a lot of fun. I’m also glad she’ll have a mental picture to go with the stories I share in the future. I think that’s something that can be applied outside of family vacations though -- when we’re communicating about places, people, or even ideas, we need to explain the small details so that others can really grasp those concepts. Whether it's the smells from the taco stands or the benefits of cloud migration, or the safety concerns from walking on dark streets to the security threats posed by malware -- explaining things in a visceral and meaningful way will help people picture your world and decide whether they want to come along for the ride. I’m sure glad I was able to show my mom around my world. Happy holidays!

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Ty Trumbull, from his base in Mexico City, covers the entrepreneur’s journey and business continuity for ChannelE2E. Each Tuesday or so, he offers views about his adopted hometown — his personal Dispatches from Mexico City. Oh, but sometimes he pops up in his home nation of Canada.