A Little Luck, a Little Fate, and Mexico City

An ofrenda in Coyoacán, with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera among the marigolds. November 2022.

Do you ever feel like things have a way of coming together when they’re meant to? That’s how this trip to Mexico City feels.

We’ve talked about visiting during Día de Muertos for years. One year, we arrived for a wedding just days after the festivities had ended, when decorations and ofrendas still filled the city. We’ve wanted to experience the celebration ever since, but with other trips already planned for this year, it seemed unlikely. Then, in early October, everything started falling into place.

The spark was Austin TV. I discovered their music and was immediately moved to tears. Any time a band gives me chills like that, they go straight to the top of my must-see-live list. So I looked up their tour schedule and saw they would be playing in Mexico City for five nights in a row, right over Día de Muertos. Here was a chance to do both. I bought the tickets immediately because I knew the shows would sell out (and they did).

But we had a problem. It was already early October, and almost every hotel we looked at was booked. Direct flights for two cost at least $3,000. Flights with connections were only a little cheaper. Buying the concert tickets felt impulsive, and I was ready to accept that the trip might not happen after all. Maybe my ticket purchase was really a donation to the band.

Then Brandon found an insane flight deal on a third-party site with mixed reviews. And it was direct! We were skeptical, but the deal was too good to pass up. The tickets took two days to arrive, and we'd pretty much accepted that it might not work out. Then, lo and behold, they came through! We confirmed in the airline's own app that they were real. We felt so lucky.

So the planning began: where to stay, where to eat and drink, which Día de Muertos events to commit to. Booking special activities, like a visit to San Andrés Mixquic, was a challenge because so little was still available. I almost skipped it in favor of something closer. I was also worried about the traffic and the prospect of six hours or more of driving after a full day of activities. I was psyching myself out, and in that moment, had decided not to book it.

Then we visited a coffee shop and market we love and happened to sit right next to a tour guide, a Mexico City native and an artist. He was planning a trip for a group and walking through every detail of his itinerary. His main event was a visit to Mixquic, the very thing I had almost cut. It felt like one of those strange coincidences that comes along just when you need a little push. After more searching, I finally found an available guide and booked the trip. I already can't believe I almost didn't.

I’ve had so much fun preparing for this trip and immersing myself in Mexican folk music, especially “La Llorona” and “La Bruja.” I thrifted my La Catrina dress at a vintage store in Raleigh, and I knew it was the one the moment I saw it. It has white shapes down the front that look a lot like a rib cage. I imagine it will be perfect for dressing up as La Catrina for the Día de Muertos parade, which falls on Halloween this year. I’ve heard people go all out that day, and I’ve wanted to be La Catrina in Mexico City for a long time. I cannot contain my excitement.

But what draws me most to Día de Muertos is its relationship with death. In my experience, death is something people in the U.S. often avoid talking about. I'm moved by the idea of remembering and honoring loved ones with sadness, love, and joy all at once. I hope this trip changes the way I view death and deepens my connection to my own ancestors, many of whom I know very little about.

The truth is, I’ve also been fascinated by death since I was a little girl. Not in the sense that I want to die, but in the sense that I think about it often. It motivates me to live, to be present and to enjoy my life precisely because I’m always aware that it will all end. It sounds intense and morbid, but I’ve always been wired this way. It must be the Scorpio in me.

And then there's Austin TV. Their music is largely instrumental, yet it carries so much emotion. After my first full listen, I learned that their new album, Ma, grew out of the grief of two band members who had lost their mothers in the past year. It made sense that their music had moved me to tears before I even knew the story behind it. The fact that they'll be performing during Día de Muertos could not be more perfect. I'm going to need a lot of tissues.

Just a few days until Mexico City. After all the unexpected turns that brought us here, I can't wait to see what the trip itself has in store.