In for a Landing: Mexico

There’s a rumble in the distance. I squint in the sunlight at an airplane pushing through wispy cloud layers, growing in size until it’s directly above me. Engine noise reverberates off the rooftop railing and convinces a flock of doves to move on. The plane is coming in for a landing at Mexico City’s international airport. In a moment it’s gone, its Lufthansa-branded tail disappearing behind the city skyline. Another will appear in a moment. From where I sit on the roof of my house, I can enjoy a parade of airline children swooping down to their final destination or lifting off to parts unknown, all bearing their family crests: Aeroméxico, Lufthansa, Emirates, Air Canada, United.

Being up this high is fun. I’m both connected to the ground and flirting with the sky. From below I hear street vendors proclaiming their goods, busses honking at distracted drivers, and students at a nearby elementary school puffing on recorders without care for synchronicity. It becomes one sound after awhile. I can also wave to a dog walker huffing by with six yappers testing the resolve of his shoulder socket. Above, purple-flecked jacaranda trees sway as sparrows propel themselves off branches. The planes flying over leave their trails across the sky.

This cornucopia of sounds and sights seems a perfect emblem for my recent life change. I have moved from the U.S. to Mexico City for many reasons. While I enjoyed my work these past four years, I could never shake the feeling I shouldn’t be home forever. Something about the ease and comfort of it all often stopped me in my tracks with a slight sense of unease. To be clear, I savored it on the whole: enjoying the company of family and friends and soaking in the natural beauty of the country for the past four years has been spectacular. The choice to move back home after Togo was the right one; however, so was recognizing when it was time to move on.

I hope this blog proves entertaining, informative, and even inspiring. Living amongst and thus learning from these fascinating new worlds is truly what gets me up in the morning. I am never more clearheaded than when I’m dropped into a totally new environment. I feel most like myself in these situations and like I’m honoring what I was meant to do since I was a kid gorging on map reading in the back of my family’s minivan. Living this way just feels natural.