#2 MEXICO

My first time in Mexico was in the early 90s when my parents took me on a day trip to Ciudad Juarez from El Paso, Texas. I was not particularly impressed with the scruffy-looking border town filled with vendors selling pez and chiclets. Little did I know then that my parents would move to Mexico City after I graduated from High School, giving me countless opportunities to revisit the country and discover how much it has to offer.

One of my brightest highlights of Mexico is the summer I spent in Guaymas, Sonora, interning with Conservation International on biodiversity conservation in the Gulf of California. Then, there's always the breathtaking pyramids of Teotihuacán, Monte Albán, Palenque and El Tajín, not to mention the mummies of Guanajuato. But, of course, I'll also never forget the little old lady in Oaxaca who made the best tacos ever from a tiny street cart or the many delicious Michelin-starred restaurants in Mexico City. As you can probably tell, my favorite parts of Mexico tend to be archaeology and food, so rather than try to sum up 20-something years of my favorite experiences in the country with words, I'll just let the pictures do the talking from here on out.