More things I miss about Mexico when I’m not there

How often bash you spell to Mexico and observe thing caller astir it? 

Mexico is simply a vibe that is hard to specify successful a fewer words. Sometimes I miss a peculiar authorities oregon a tiny formation municipality wherever I met chill people. Sometimes, it’s the taqueria by my hotel. The surf travel wherever I fell disconnected my board. The vendor who gave maine a discount connected a volcanic stone bracelet aft I spoke to him successful Spanish. But mostly, it’s the feeling I get erstwhile I’m immersed successful Mexican culture. 

Immersing yourself successful Mexican civilization tin beryllium an intoxicating experience. (Ministry of Culture)

After I came location from Mexico successful aboriginal 2025, I kept reasoning astir the differences I’ve noticed betwixt the parts of Mexico I visited and wherever I unrecorded successful Canada. 

I’ve been to Mexico truthful overmuch that I see myself a part-time local. A antheral betwixt 2 worlds. And since my archetypal nonfiction connected this taxable generated a batch of readers sending successful their fantastic perspectives connected Mexico, I thought wherefore not support the speech going?

Neighborhood hubs that consciousness similar a location distant from home

Taco stands are much than conscionable a provender stop: They’re a societal hub for communities, too. (TasteAtlas)

In Canada, the imagination for astir entrepreneurs who unfastened a café oregon a edifice is to franchise. More measurement evidently means much profits. But the occupation with that is prime control. One franchisee mightiness bash your paper and conception justice, portion different mightiness neglect a elemental wellness inspection test. 

From McDonald’s to Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King, and Tim Horton’s, you can’t spell to immoderate vicinity successful Montreal without seeing astatine slightest a fistful of franchises. There’s lone 1 Italian cafe successful my country that has proven to beryllium a unsocial vicinity hub. And that made maine deliberation of each the cafes and taquerías I’ve been to successful Mexico. 

When I was successful Playa Del Carmen, I encountered truthful galore large cafes and restaurants that I adjacent wrote a portion connected it past year. Mexico City, arsenic I’ve learned connected a nutrient tour, is similar a batch of places successful Mexico – afloat of section nutrient stalls, vibrant cafes and markets that merchantability conscionable astir everything you could perchance need. 

I’ve been to six Mexican States (and counting!), and everyplace I’ve gone has had capable cafés and restaurants to take from that disagree from each other. But, these places are besides valued for their ambiance. You conscionable friends astatine these section vicinity hubs. You tin enactment remotely. You adjacent spell connected dates, play paper games, and ticker sports. They’re places that cognize you by sanction oregon look and there’s comfortableness successful that. It’s much than conscionable a transactional exchange. 

Practicing my Spanish each day

“Oye, what we request is to hablar español each day.” (Brooke Cagle/Unsplash)

When I’m not talking to my Mexican mom, household members, oregon my Latin American friends connected WhatsApp, I talk mostly English successful Canada. Every clip I instrumentality from Mexico, it takes maine immoderate clip to readjust to my mean routine. A portion of that is mistakenly saying “buenos dias” to my coworkers erstwhile I meant to accidental “good morning” oregon “hola, que pedo wey?” to friends erstwhile I meant to accidental “hey, what’s up, bro?” 

But eventually, I commencement reasoning successful English oregon French again. Naturally, it gets harder to support that astir fluent Spanish level I achieved. For years, I’ve been taking 1 measurement guardant and 2 steps backmost successful my Spanish journey. 

I consciousness person to my Mexican household whenever I’m speaking successful their autochthonal tongue. It’s besides empowering to get by successful Mexico without speaking English. Taxi drivers and vendors astatine markets are much apt to respect you and little apt to rip you off. I’ve gotten discounts, befriended locals, and adjacent astir got offered a occupation erstwhile successful Puerto Escondido (if lone I had a legit inheritance arsenic a bartender). 

Communicating successful Spanish backmost location conscionable isn’t the same. Even though Canada has welcomed plentifulness of radical from Mexico and Latin America successful the past decade, it’s a impermanent hole for the information I’m not successful a Mexico City nutrient stall eating tacos and talking astir the Nations League. 

Watching sports with Mexican Commentators

The past clip I was successful Mexico, it happened to beryllium the NFL playoffs. And arsenic I’ve watched a fewer games astatine bars and with my uncles, I was reminded of however overmuch much amusive nonrecreational sports are with Mexican commentators. 

On that trip, I besides watched a fewer shot matches, arsenic I bash whenever I’m successful Mexico. I crook into a bigger shot instrumentality than I americium astatine home. Over the years, I’ve cheered connected Pumas, Pachuca and Club América erstwhile Guillermo Ochoa was there. 

I don’t cognize if it’s conscionable me, but Mexican commentators look much invested successful the result of sports than American and Canadian analysts. Even if you’re not a sports fan, you consciousness their vigor leap done the surface and get sucked into the emotions of the crippled similar they are. 

National pridefulness successful holidays

There’s thing astir the mode that Mexicans emotion Mexico that you can’t assistance but autumn successful emotion with. (Crisanta Espinoza Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)

I’ll ne'er hide my archetypal week successful Oaxaca. Not due to the fact that it was my archetypal clip experiencing its civilization and food, but due to the fact that I besides happened to onshore determination connected Valentine’s Day weekend. 

In Canada, Valentine’s Day is an excuse for radical to bring flowers and chocolates to their important other. But successful Oaxaca, it was besides a large excuse to observe emotion for everyone. From the Cupid signage everyplace successful Oaxaca’s downtown halfway to the thoroughfare parties successful the Zocalo, emotion was successful the aerial whether you were azygous oregon married. 

If you besides instrumentality into relationship Christmas, Day of the Dead, and Carnaval (particularly if you’re successful Mazatlán oregon Veracruz), I’ve learned implicit the years that Mexicans are nary strangers to dancing each night. But it’s besides absorbing to enactment that Mexico has 5000 different accepted holidays and events celebrated each year. 

That makes Mexico a small spot much wholesome and fun. Since being successful Mexico for Day of the Dead is inactive connected my bucket list, there’s nary telling however galore different holidays I’ll adhd to that database successful the coming years. 

What bash you miss astir Mexico? 

Knowing that it whitethorn beryllium a portion until I instrumentality to Mexico, I daydream astir the small and large things I miss astir being successful my 2nd home. 

Is determination thing other astir Mexico you deliberation we should’ve included connected this list? Let america cognize successful the comments below!

Ian Ostroff is an indie author, journalist, and copywriter from Montreal, Canada. You tin find his enactment successful assorted outlets, including Map Happy and The Suburban. When he’s not writing, you tin find Ian astatine the gym, a café, oregon anyplace wrong Mexico visiting household and friends.