I left my home in Mexico City to chase the American dream in New York City. The demanding hustle culture was unsustainable.

"Leaving Mexico City, the place I grew up, wasn't impulsive. It was calculated - shaped by ambition and the stubborn belief that opportunity still lives somewhere else. I headed to New York City in 2020, hoping to prove myself on what I thought was the world's biggest stage. I enrolled in law school, eager to work hard and prove myself."

"I was born and raised in Mexico City. It was the only home I'd ever known, which made leaving both harder and more necessary than I expected. Mexico City gave me everything: a vibrant social life, deep friendships, culture that felt alive in every neighborhood, and food that made you want to stay at the table for hours. My days were rich with spontaneity. My nights felt endless in the best way."

"Growing up there also meant learning to coexist with things that slowly wear you down. News alerts about violence became routine. Conversations casually referenced kidnappings the way others might discuss traffic. Certain neighborhoods, roads, or situations were simply off-limits. Everyone knew it, and no one questioned it. Over time, crime made my future feel fragile. When you're born somewhere, you learn to accept these things as normal. But that doesn't mean they don't accumulate."

I left Mexico City for New York City in 2020 with calculated ambition and a belief that opportunity existed elsewhere. I enrolled in law school and pushed myself to work hard and prove myself on what I thought was the world's biggest stage. New York required relentless effort and demanded everything until daily life shifted from ambition to survival. After two years I left the city, having learned about the cost of chasing the American dream. Growing up in Mexico City involved rich social life and culture but also normalized violence and risk. I did not want a life built around constant risk calculation.

Read at Business Insider