July 22nd around 6:00PM I was on the plane from Mexico City heading back to Canada when something happened that basically captured what my entire experience in Mexico City was like.

So it started with an Italian salad dressing packet. The two people sitting beside me (I was in the middle) were local Mexican people that so far had been incredibly sweet and friendly people. Then there was a goddamn Italian salad dressing packet that appeared in the older gentleman's hands that was sitting to the left of me. He was trying to open it for his wife and struggled to open the darn thing because I guess the salad packet gods decided to screw with him that day. The young woman to my right was also trying to figure it out as well and after my attempts at opening the packet, I gave it back to him with resignation. However, I saw that I still had a knife on my little airplane table from eating and decided to try and saw my way through the salad packet. It was risky and probably weird, but I digress. Seeing that I was struggling, the girl beside me helped me stabilize the other side so I could put my strength into the knife. Obviously this very random story has a happy ending and the man got his salad packet opened. modern evening dresses

I tell this story to show the absolute support, teamwork and creativity that the Mexican people I have met have exhibited. Everybody I've had the pleasure of meeting in Mexico has given me a version of the Italian salad dressing packet to problem-solve, to push my boundaries and to explore beyond my beliefs and comfort zones. Me deciding not to give up on the problem reflected how many times that it was truly a "you get what you put out of it" experience. I got lost a dozen times, I got sick for two weeks, I lost my phone, but I had the best fucking time of my life because the people around me had some of the best attitudes despite even worse things happening to them. The young woman helping me reflected on the countless hours of dedication the people at AIESEC-ITAM, my teaching partner Guadalupe Aguilera , the other teachers and my host put in to supporting each other and being a constant motivation to one another. Each person I've met there had immense strength, warmth and kindness, they have become an inspiration and a reminder of truly good people in the world since the first day I met them.

I went to Mexico because I felt myself getting a little close-minded and timid about the world around me, politics/ media involved or not. However, it wasn't their responsibility to change my perceptions, it was mine. With this in mind, I wanted to come to Mexico with a blank canvas, ears ready to listen and eyes ready to see. What I found was that Mexico City is filled with innovators, hardworkers, kindness, diversity, history, tradition, modern art, depth to its people and community more complex than any one person, much less a politician, can put into words. Granted there are also many things to improve on -and what country doesn't have its problems?- but the next generation of Mexican people have been some of the most inspirational, intelligent, open-minded and mature people I have ever met. They will without a doubt bring their country to even greater heights.

Mexico you are my third favourite country (after Canada and China of course) and I will never forget what you've done for me, you have changed me more than you realize. For all my friends I've made in Mexico City, you'll ALWAYS have a friend in Canada <3