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Of all the words that I could use to describe myself, brave isn't at the top of that list. Add a travel companion to the mix, the bravery hidden deep within comes out. On the weekend of December 5th, my sister & I traveled to Mexico City for a post-birthday trip. From the moment of the Mezcal negroni at dinner on the night we arrived, I knew the next four days would be a leap into the unknown. Despite all the fears for our safety, an eye opening experience was in the offing. As the first day went by, we explored as much of the city as possible with the Roma Norte neighborhood as our base. The day took us to the home of Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera with its blue walls and color on every inch of the building, to the Art Deco wonder that is the Palacio de Bellas Artes and walking into the heartbeat of the city, the Plaza Zocalo. We ended the day seeing luchadors flying through the air as the crowd at the Arena Mexico roared on with applause. Saturday morning was a late start and after the bustle of the city, we found ourselves in a quieter patch of the city, the Bosque de Chapultpec. The museum tells Mexico's story vividly from the Spanish conquest to the Mexican Revolution and the modern day history of the country, all in a castle that overlooks their Central Park. The National Anthropology Museum brought every indigenous people to life as we spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the exhibits. But, the coup d'grace of the trip came Sunday morning. As we ventured an hour outside of the city, one could see hot air balloons in the distance. The sun rose and the dozen of us in the balloon saw the sun rise of Tenochtitlan, with a panoramic view of the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Upon landing, the Balloonist's prayer was said and a bottle of sparkling rose opened for a toast at 8 in the morning. But the day wasn't done yet as after a visit to an artisanal village, it was time to climb the pyramid of the sun itself. I was out of breath sweating and legs shaking at every stop. When I reached the bottom of the pyramid, my sister said, "Oswald, you've accomplished something". As I looked around the pyramids, she was right. As I looked out to the sunset on Monday evening flying back to New York, I realized that this trip and all its unknowns were conquered. And that in and of itself is something that I'll always be proud of.