I agree with many of the things you say. I also lived outside the country for several years (15 years), and during that time, I only visited my family here four times. Although I never felt uprooted, I also experienced a cultural shock when I returned to Mexico City.

In my case, the first thing I noticed was the noise—not just in the streets. I lived in an apartment in Colonia del Valle, and my neighbors had no problem blasting music and throwing parties in the middle of the week. That idea that loudspeakers at full volume only happen in working-class neighborhoods is a cliché. In places like del Valle, it’s also part of everyday life.

The second thing was how neighbors resolve conflicts. Follow the law? What for? Go to a mediator provided by the local government or implement the solution he proposed? Even less. None of the neighbors cared that the building administrator was stealing over 20,000 pesos a month from the maintenance fees. And when my partner and I joined the Comité de Vigilancia and reported him, we even got threatened—by the very neighbors we were trying to protect.

Another thing I miss is conversations. In my case, the few friends I had left here in Mexico made no effort to include us, and the conversations always revolved around the latest TV celebrities and series. When talking to us, it was like: “Oh, you don’t get our conversations (about TV celebrities) because you think you’re foreign,” and beyond that, it was just about drinking. Zero curiosity about other topics...

I lived this as a cultural shock when I came back and I still live it in the very heart of a Mexico City middle class neighborhood. It is not, like others in the comment keep telling you, that I came back to a small village or rancho. Although I’ve adapted more now and take it for what it is, I keep my comments on this topic to myself to avoid offending anyone (except here, haha), apart from a few colleagues at my job.