I continue to cycle back through my go-to cities (Mexico City, Bogotá, Denver, etc.) and I wonder if it’s worth writing about them on this website. My life in these familiar places is just like that of anyone else: generally tied more to daily routines driven by survival than exploration or discovery. If I stay long enough in any of these places (which I easily could, they are very comfortable), it feels as though I would get sucked into a conventional life there – like everyone else. It feels like I’m circling around the gravity of a whirlpool that could easily drag me in.
To escape that pull, I regularly migrate. Each new change in location revitalizes what could easily devolve to routine and stagnation; at least that has been the strategy. Because didn’t I leave the United States in 2015 to escape that whirlpool?
People get trapped for decades in that whirlpool. All of a sudden you look up, you’re old, tired and out of time. Nevertheless, here I am, trapped in whirlpool and running out of time. I keep swimming but I’m not going anywhere.
I returned to Mexico City for a week in early January and was able to catch the celebration for King’s day, which is a Christian holiday celebrating the three kings who visited Jesus. The tradition is to eat these cakes that have little toys hidden in them. Those who receive a particular toy (don’t swallow it!) win a small prize.
