What I Ate In Mexico | #LAWM

Mexico is known for its food, although what we commonly think of as Mexican food in the United States is actually Tex-Mex and it varies some south of the border.  Did you know that tacos are considered at late night snack and not readily available all day? Me either.

I didn't eat at a ton of  restuarants while in Orizaba, but most of the ones I tried were good. My friend Rakia probably made the best Mexican dishes I had while there. Most of the meals I ate were prepared by me, at home. I ate lots of avocados, beans, rice, tortillas, and fresh produce.

My time there was great for maintaining my pescatarian diet. I decided to eliminate "land meats" from my diet last year after ongoing struggles with ovarian cysts and fibroids. I've been pescatarian before for short periods of time, and I'm proud to say, I've  maintained it for over a year now.

I thought eating in Mexico was going to be a struggle because Mexicans love their meat, but surprisingly, living there actually improved my diet. Because of the dearth and cheapness of fresh produce everywhere, I increased my fruit and veggie intake and actually ate less seafood.

One thing I loved about food in Mexico is that the fruits, veggies, and herbs were much more flavorful there than in the United States. I don't know if any of the food I ate there was organic, but I do know it was grown locally and offered in a rawer (i.e. with roots attached) form. It's easier to eat more produce when you can taste the freshness.

I shopped weekly at my neighborhood produce stand and went to the grocery store about once a month. There was also a larger market nearby called Cerritos that I used to frequent. Cerritos is good for buying bulk dry goods, but since I lived alone I didn't need to restock often.

For the most part I kept my meals simple, only using a few main ingredients. I'll definitely be sharing more of my minimalist eating strategies in my forthcoming ebook, The Lazy Minimalist.

I mentioned earlier that I changed my diet to help improve issues with ovarian cysts and fibroids.  After having two periods in one month last June (2017), I knew I needed to make changes and decided to revisit pescatarianism. I also made waist-beads with my intentions for wellness that I wear and tried yoni steaming a couple of times. I do believe though, changing my diet has been most effective. 

When I got back to the states I had a new ultrasound and I'm happy to report there were no significant changes in my cysts and fibroids.  My cycle has also become lighter. 

I do believe that what we eat has a direct effect on our health and I will continue my current diet as long as it's working for me.  

While there, my friend Rakia also decided to become pescatarian for health reasons. She is a great cook and below is one of the dishes she made. I told her she needs to open up a restaurant in Orizaba. I'm happy to say she's still pescatarian 7 months later!

My Minimalist Summer 2017: Mexico City & Puebla (Video)

This was my second time visiting Mexico City. The purpose of my second visit to Mexico was to check out potential locations to live. It was really just a pit stop, but my friend Lani was visiting Mexico for the first time, so we did some of the touristy stuff. Lani's flight was delayed and she did not arrive until the second day, so the first day I went to visit Elyse of Keen & Ready, a black expat who has been living in the city for over a year now. Elyse was actually the person who informed me about black folks living in Orizaba. 

The morning after Lani arrived, we went downtown to the zocalo and visited the National Palace, Cathedral, Templo Mayor, and Palacio de Bellas Artes. That evening we left for Puebla. This was my first time here and I really enjoyed the city except for the cold and rain. The churches were beautiful and the outdoor market was nice to walk through. We also visited the ruins of Cholula, which is a smaller city about 30 minutes outside of Puebla. 

Lani left early to go back to Mexico City and check out some other attractions before flying back to the States and I chilled in Puebla for a couple more days before heading to Veracruz. Check out the video below. 

Why I Decided to Move to Mexico | #LAWM

Why Mexico?

It's really simple: I love Mexico! When I first visited Mexico in 2013, people thought I was crazy for spending three weeks alone backpacking through Mexico. I heard all the stereotypes and dangers of traveling as a solo woman and to Mexico on top of that. Maybe I was (am) crazy, but I'm going to do what I want regardless. Plus at the time, my friend Sylva had already been living in Mexico for five months as a solo black woman and she was doing just fine. 

Sidenote: Initially, I really wanted to go back to the Philippines, but when that wasn't working out, I knew I would go back to Mexico without a doubt. 

At the time, I was going through another major life transition and it was the beginning of my minimalist journey. Two of the values I chose for myself during this transition were travel and adventure. I wanted to see if I could travel alone and survive. Clearly I did, and I really learned a lot about myself including the depth of my strength and independence. Also, that I could live with only a backpack of things for three weeks, it was a true minimalist challenge!

So Mexico immediately found a place in my heart and I knew I would return there many times in the future. Mexico is magical. That's a fact and what better place to dig deeper into my own personal magic than the Pueblos Magicos capital of the world. 

After deciding this was my new home, I returned this July, seeing the cities of Puebla, Veracruz, and Orizaba. I had never been to any of these cities and had never even heard of Orizaba until I learned two black American women were living there. I arranged to visit them before flying back to the States and really liked the chill vibe of the city and the fact black folks were out there in the middle of Mexico.

I was also interested in the Afro-Mexican presence in the state of Veracruz. Veracruz along with the state of Guerrero, are home to the largest black Mexican communities in the country. I first learned about Afro-Mexicans back in 2006 while in graduate school. There was an exhibit on Yanga at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago and I was just as excited as I was in 1998, when watching Dance With Me and learning there were black folks in Cuba. It began my interest in the Diaspora and I studied Afro-Latino identity in college. I have a bachelor's in Anthropology and Latin American Studies. I have not had a chance to investigate yet, but I did learn some things about their history while in Veracruz port and I want to do some more exploring before I leave in April. 

Finally, Mexico has a low cost of living where the American dollar stretches far.  I am also mastering my Spanish. Even though I am having my struggles here in Orizaba, I'm glad to be here and have this experience.