From Mexico, Nancy Huynh blogs on what she’s learned about working as a global journalist from assisting me on our Mexico reporting trip. Don’t let anyone tell you this work is glamouous, says Nancy! –Mary Stucky

Nancy Huynh: I am officially exhausted. Field reporting is much more difficult than I had anticipated. On one day, with multiple destinations, we took four different trains, two different buses, a cab and a stretch of walking. We encountered gridlock traffic, stopped trains, building numbers that don’t go in numerical order, and clueless cab drivers.

Just one example: Friday, we had to call a taxi to make it to an appointment. The taxi never showed up so we hailed a maroon and gold city cab, having already lost 20 minutes. And then we were stuck in Mexico City’s famous traffic. The meter was ticking when Paulina and I realized that we had written down two different addresses (we were meeting Mary at the interview). About fifteen minutes later, we were still in the cab when the driver told us he didn’t know where either address was. We jumped out of the cab and speed-walked down the sidewalk, weaving through people and street vendors. We found that one of the addresses didn’t exist and then raced, 20 minutes late, to the other building, exhausted and flustered before the interview had even begun.

No, I have not seen the sites that Mexico is known for. Journalists are not tourists. But I have interviewed influential people about fascinating issues. I have learned how the city has become Americanized – the streets are lined with Starbucks, Burger Kings and Pizza Huts. The old-fashioned open-air markets aren’t as bustling as they used to be because of the “McDonaldization” that is taking place all over the city. Though I am now completely exhausted, I have gained valuable experience in the field that made the rough days totally worth it.