Hola! Let’s talk about a city that was actually never on my radar, but turned out to be one of the most interesting locations I’ve been to — and one that I tell everyone to put on their Wander-List immediately.

Mexico City!

Now I grew up about 30 minutes from the border (as my good friend Daniel Gilbert will tell you), so I thought I knew what Mexico was all about. In fact, my friends and I used to go on “field trips” to go to the bars and clubs south of the border because you could drink at only 18 years old. (Full disclosure, I actually stayed sober the whole time since I didn’t drink until I was 21. And one time my underage friend lost her I.D. and couldn’t get back over — but that’s a story for another time). Anywhoooo — Tijuana is not exactly a glamorous international travel destination. So my experience with Mexico was a bit jaded.

Luckily some friends found some cheap flights to Mexico City for the week leading up to NYE, so we booked it, and said adios to the U.S. to ring in the new year. I made my trip even cheaper by flying on Interjet and Volaris Air and flying in and out of Tijuana since *Daniel Gilbert voice* “I grew up 30 minutes from the border.” Think of them as the Spirit Airlines of Mexico — safe, but not luxurious. You will pay for everything additional. (Bags, etc.)

And to my surprise — the trip was incredible! Mexico City is so vibrant and bustling with amazing energy, beautiful and interesting art and architecture. It’s really a metropolis dropped on ancient Mayan grounds. I put together a list of my favorite things that we did in Mexico City to help you plan your next trip:.

Chapultepec Castle – 

This is a really beautiful castle that overlooks the city. The line to get up there is LONG (like, could be over an hour. If you get there early it should be shorter.) But worth it in my opinion. Just bring sunscreen and water for the wait.

After exploring the castle back down and wandering the park and markets, you can walk to the Anthropology Museum which is really cool, and outside of that there is this giant pole that these guys climb to the top of then basically jump off with ropes around their ankles and swing around (OK, I think I’ve found my dream men) — It’s insane.

Balmori Roofbar – 

Mezcal me maybe? If you’re a fan of the smoky liquor made of agave — you’ll love this cool rooftop bar in Roma. (BTW. Definitely stay in Roma if you can. It’s a hip, fun part of town with tons of walkable bars, restaurants, etc.)

A popular phrase about mezcal  is “Para todo mal, mezcal, y para todo bien, también.”  — “For everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good as well.” Which pretty accurately describes how our night went.

Xochimilco Trajineras – 

This would have been my favorite thing that we did if I wasn’t super hungover for it. It’s these wooden boats that you rent and they push you along using a stick. There are mariachi bands floating along playing music, and boats that you can order food from. It’s also BYOB so you can buy beer or whatever else and bring it on with you. Just a cool, very Mexican experience.

(P.S. There is a super creepy replica of the Island of the Dolls — which is this area filled with old, decrepit baby dolls. I have no idea what the significance is, but you can get out and take pictures for your next Halloween card. << #MAKEHALLOWEENCARDSATHING2021).

Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan – 

For this we woke up early and took a bus, which takes about an hour — But it’s definitely a must-do. You can climb (it’s really a walk, but it’s up stairs) to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun for an awesome view, and the Mayans believed that you could actually soak in the sun’s energy by raising your hands to the sky.

Afterward definitely head to La Gruta, a restaurant in a cave with the best food (and margaritas) we had the entire time we were there. Truly I think it was the margaritas that actually gave me all my energy that day.

Zocalo/Centro Historico – 

This is a bustling city center surrounding the Palacio De Bellas Artes. Go inside to see some amazing art by Diego Rivera and other artists. BUT if you want this super cool view of the building, you should actually go to Sears across the street, go up to the washer and dryer department and you can take pics out the window. #NotAllWhoLaunderAreLost (There’s also a little patio cafe one floor below that, but the line was long and we didn’t want to wait.)

Frida Kahlo Museum – The Blue House  –

The Frida Kahlo Museum is in her old house that she shared with Diego Rivera — her story is incredibly interesting and will make you feel like a badass bitch just having been in her home. Get your tickets online beforehand because we almost didn’t get to go since it sold out! In fact, shoutout to our friend David who got up early and stood (Laid? Maybe slept? In line to get us tickets for our last day.)

Walk around Centro de Coyoacan afterward for food, crafts, and a bag of crickets that you can dare your friends to eat.

Lucha Libre –

This is nacho average wrestling match! Pump up the adrenaline by heading to one of the three arenas in Mexico City that host theatrical very very real and not at all rehearsed luchas multiple times a week. Colonia Doctores is the largest, Arena Coliseo is an older arena in Colonia Cuauhtemoc, and Arena Naucalpan is the smallest. Grab your tickets on Ticketmaster and be sure to bring cash for cerveza or tequila, snacks, and your very own mask to get the full experience.

And that’s exactly how you can have a hola(t) of fun in Mexico City!