It’s been a whirlwind of activity, experiences and new faces. Arrival in Mexico City or better known as the #CDMX went just about as smooth as I could have imagined or hoped for. I brought in the new year with several others from the #RemoteYear Meraki group at a roof-top party in the heart of the city. Champagne toasts to the year ahead, dancing, meeting my fellow travelers and learning a little about the local new-year traditions were high-points.
Las doce uvas de la suerte, “The twelve grapes of luck”
“The tradition consists of eating a grape with each bell strike at midnight of December 31. According to the tradition, that leads to a year of prosperity. In some areas, it is believed that the tradition wards away witches and general evil, although this “magic” is treated like an old heritage, and in modern days it’s viewed as a cultural tradition to welcome the new year.”
– Wikipedia
Meeting the Meraki Group
At this point (about 2 weeks in) I feel like I’ve at least met most of the 80 other Remote Year attendees that will be living and traveling with me for the whole of 2017. It’s a diverse group that encompasses multiple countries and a multitude of jobs and skills. The ‘Meraki’ group that I’m traveling with is the largest that Remote Year has launched.
We’ve talked a lot in both large and small groups abut what our goals and aspirations for the year are. The answers are as varied as the number of members in our group. We’ve also talked about the highs and lows so far…of this, it takes a bit of thought for me to answer.
HIGHS AND LOWS
My highs and lows thus far haven’t been of great leaps or bounds. I feel like I’ve been on a pretty even keel for the most part. If I had to pick a particular low; it would likely be the feelings I experienced on the flight here. As always, when I take off via plane the first 45 seconds of actually pulling the wheels off the ground are invigorating to me. Then I generally take a deep breath of anticipation for the adventure ahead and a smile appears on my face.
This flight was a bit different in the fact that after my 45 invigorating seconds of takeoff, I then suddenly began to question myself; “What am I doing?” The multitude of questions that ran through my head were a bit disturbing…wondering the ‘why’ of choosing to accept this experience. It wasn’t doubt in traveling; it was doubt in the how I’m traveling. Why did I choose to commit to an entire year with total strangers? Who was I doing this for? Me? Or was I trying to make a statement of being something ‘more’? I truly questioned my intentions of making this trip and I think I’m still having some doubts about why I’m here.
I guess that time and experience will show me the truth of the choice I’ve made.