Escape the USA

I have been in Mexico for 10 days and I’m currently averaging 8 tacos per day.

I don’t do public math but that’s on pace for almost 100 taco’s in 12 days. With enough grit, determination, and a couple extra morning workouts, I know I can hit it.

Why am I in Mexico? Because for the fourth year in a row, I've spent Thanksgiving anywhere but the Midwest. It started in 2022 when I realized I could fly to Peru for less than the cost of Cleveland and a significantly lower risk of being stranded at a United or American Airlines hub.

At that point I was trying to maximize my PTO at Dexcom so it made sense to take advantage of the bonus 2 days off. After my visit to Peru I decided this was going to become an annual tradition for me. The following year (2023) I flew to Guatemala, and this past year (2024) I took a road trip along the cost of California (2024)… because 3 weeks prior I went to Mexico City.

This year I spent the week in Oaxaca and have returned to the greatest city in Central America for my fourth visit: Mexico City.

I’m writing this after I just devoured my daily ration of 8 tacos. 9, if you’re including the fish taco from Quintonil. Coming up, I’m going to share the highlights from the past 8 days to reaffirm why Mexico (and CDMX) is the country (and city) that keeps on giving.

Day 1: Landed in CDMX, spent the night in the city before my flight to Oaxaca. Beelined it to my favorite taco stand in the city. Los Amigos

Day 2: Slept 5 hours, came back to the airport to teleport to Oaxaca by noon. Made it to the Airbnb. Took work calls and hit the town for the legendary Oaxaca mole. Had my first drink in 395 days at Selva, one of the top 50 bars in the world. Not a bad way to break the dry spell.

Day 3: Took an Airbnb cooking class making home made Oaxacan mole.

Day 4: Visited an alejibre shop and did a Mezcal tasting tour. Consuming 40 tastings of Mezcal in the span of 3 hours from local distilleries, aka palenques. Didn’t feel the mid-day hangover, love me some good quality mezcal.

Day 5 (Thanksgiving): Visited Monte Alban, an ancient town on a mountain, went to one of the most popular markets in Oaxaca for some Tlayudas, and had thanksgiving dinner at Los Danzantes (1 Michelin star). My half for a 5 dish dinner only cost me $75. That’s 75% of a sub par first date in San Francisco.

Day 6 (Friday): Flew back to CDMX and saw Lucha Libre (aka Mexican Cirque du Soleil).

Day 7: Went for a 5 mile run throughout the city and saw a Liga MX playoff soccer game between Club America and Monterrey. My first international soccer game exceeded expectations. The energy was absolutely electric.

Day 8 (Sunday): Got world class seafood at Contramar, visited Chapultepec Castle and the Soumaya museum.

Day 9 (Yesterday): 11 Course tasting menu of the third best restaurant in the world, Quintonil.

I love visiting Mexico because the US dollar goes so far. Plus getting exposed to a different culture gives me a different way to think about the world. I’m spending the next three days working from CMDX to see what it’s like to live and work like a local (and save money on the flight back).

I’m experiencing the arbitrage of making US dollars and spending pesos and I can’t think of a better time to switch things up while the US slows down and I wait for the mountains to get filled with snow.

South and Central America hold a special place in my heart and I’m incredibly grateful to be able to get to spend time here. I’m feeling rejuvenated and it’s good to get out of my comfort zone. Plus, it makes life a whole lot more interesting and enjoyable.

Perhaps next year I’ll spend my time somewhere longer than 2 weeks.

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