On Stalking Strangers

This post is one in my series on traveling, volunteering and teaching. So far, I will have two parts to this series – Central America and Eastern Europe. For the Central America stories click here. For tales of Georgia and Eastern Europe click here. 

I woke up early on my second day in Mexico City. If you’ve traveled alone, maybe you remember the first day you woke up in a strange place by yourself – it’s a weird feeling. My plan for the day involved the Turibus (a hop-on, hop-off tour around the city for $7 kinda thing) and Chilaquiles (corn tortillas with green sauce and scrambled eggs – so good).

After breakfast, I hopped on the Turibus and put on the requisite headphones to listen to the tour. A few stops in, two young guys got on the bus and I noticed that they were speaking English. As an extrovert, I was already feeling a bit lonely and lost so when they got off at one of the tourist stops, I shamelessly followed them off the bus. I wandered around looking at the fountain until one of the guys asked me to take their picture, and offered to take mine.

The picture the guys snapped of me by the fountain

I ended up chatting with them – it turned out one of them, Enrique, was from Mexico City but had gone to school in Vancouver where he had met Syd, who was visiting for the week. They invited me for lunch, and glad for the company, I happily accepted.

We spent the rest of the day together; touring around on the bus, doing a bit of shopping, heading to the top of the Torre Latinamericana (one of the tallest buildings in Mexico). 

My new friends and I at the top of Torre Latinamericana

At the end of the day, the guys walked me back to my hotel – where we stumbled upon the 100 Year Celebration of Mexican Revolution in the Zoloco.

This was honestly the most amazing show I’ve ever seen. The Zocolo in Mexico City is a square in the center of the city with striking buildings on all four sides – the National Palace, a beautiful cathedral, the federal building and the Old Portal de Mercaderes. The celebration took place in the giant square in the middle of all these buildings. They used the buildings as screens – literally projecting HUGE pictures all around us with a stage and dancers in the middle. The cathedral lit up with gorgeous colours and huge skeletons dancing across the Palacio National is something I’ll never forget.  

The Zocolo all lit up - Photo Credit HERE

For an idea of the epicness  - this video captures some of it.   

I was so grateful to have met these guys – if it hadn’t been for them; I would have most likely gone back to the hotel before dark, out of fear. I would have missed this amazing show; I would likely have been too nervous to stand in the square by myself to watch it. I ended up spending a lot of time with Enrique and Syd – we went to the 5 flags amusement park, visited Teotihuacán pyramids, and I even went to Acapulco with Enrique after Syd headed back to Vancouver.

Probably the best decision I made in Mexico City was following strangers off a bus – seems counter-intuitive, but I can’t imagine what the first two weeks of my trip would have been like if I hadn’t risked it, put myself out there and followed my gut to make new friends. Viva México. 

That Time I'm Going To Go To Vegas

After carefully thinking it over (for like 20 seconds), I decided to sign up for Bloggers in Sin City - a wicked blog 'unconference' in Vegas. I went in 2010 and had a blast, I'm hoping this time I'll get to spend more time with some of the people I briefly met that year, and make new, amazing friends.

Our Scavenger Hunt Team 2010

My life has changed a lot since that time - 2 years ago I was working as a waitress, working towards my CELTA and had just moved back home with my mom for a few months. I had no idea what I was going to do "with the rest of my life" and BiSC came at a great time, right while I was trying to figure out if I was strong enough to venture to a new country on my own for a year. 

Over the year I learned to relax, breathe, let things happen the way they will but change the things you want and are able to, and also to reach out. Reach for things that seem impossible, or things that you never thought you'd do. Get out of your comfort zone. Get real with yourself. 

All these ideas, I saw the peak of in Vegas and were solidified over the next year. I wouldn't say BiSC gave me the courage, or gave me the strength but it certainly gave me some knowledge. It made me see that I COULD go by myself  somewhere where I didn't know anyone, meet new people and have an amazing time.

Myself, Allie and Jenny - posing with the bartender

Also, there will be glitter and guitars filled with booze; zumba dancing, pole dancing, table dancing; martinis, wine and whiskey; cheese, desserts and buffets - SO many buffets; glitter, sequins and puffy paint; shop-talk, life-talk, blog-talk, drunk-talk, food-talk, wanderlust-talk; and most importantly, there will be friendship. And did I mention GLITTER??

Mandy and I, on the way to the Skyy Vodka Mixer

There are still 8 spots left (registration almost sold out the very first day - I was starting to get worried after half an hour! But luckily for you, it calmed down a bit and there are a few spaces available!) and every one who signs up by February 15th has the chance to win their registration fee back - thanks to Paper’d, (a brand new iPhone app designed by the lovely ladies at Shatterboxx). 

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up, and we'll see you in May!