Since we are back in the United States, I thought it would be interesting to do some interviews with people who are living or have lived in Mexico. This is the first of a four part series where we contacted a number of people and asked what it is like moving to Mexico.
What prompted you to move to Mexico?
I came to Mexico because I have loved the country for over 40 years and wanted to live in this culture.
Barbara Eckrote from Babs of San Miguel.blogspot
It is hard to underestimate the experience of living in a culture you love.
We were originally just coming to Mexico for one winter to escape our cold Alberta, Canada winter. We fell in love with the area that we live in now and decided to retire early and move here. I guess the main reason was the weather.
Brenda from Brenda and Roy Going to Mexico
One of the advantages of Mexico is the ability to retire for less than you can in other countries. When we were in Durango the winters were cold, but nothing like Canada. However, the houses were all made to stay cool, so it seemed pretty cold even thought it wasn’t that bad.
My husband is Mexican, and we always planned to live in Mexico for at?least a few years. We’ve been here almost 5 years.
RiverGirl from River Girl
When we were in Mexico we met quite a few people who had moved there with their Mexican spouse. Marrying someone from Mexico can make it easier to adjust in some way. On the other hand you don’t necessarily get to go through culture shock together
I had taken my first vacation to Cancun, Mexico with a group of friends and upon my return I could not get Mexico off the brain. During a discussion with a friend I made an off handed comment about how I should just move to Mexico. His response was that I couldn’t do it and that I wouldn’t do it so I thought to myself, “Why not?”. I promptly decided to move to Mexico for 3 months as a sort of “trial run” and when I returned back home, I decided I would pay off my debts, network, do more research, learn Spanish and wait for the right time and opportunity to move back for the long haul. The time and opportunity showed up and I’ve been living in Cancun, Mexico for the last 5-1/2 years.
Elizabeth from Mexico “Way”
So basically Elizabeth moved to Mexico on a dare. 🙂 Well it makes for a great story.
We had spent a lot of time in Mexico and knew we liked it. Thought it would be fun. And mostly it is!
Rosana Hart from Mexico with Heart
One common theme I see with people who have moved to Mexico permanently is that they spent a lot of time there ahead deciding to move. This is probably a wise move.
I fell in love with a girl from Xalapa on-line. Her brother introduced us, and after 4 months I decided to move to Xalapa to see if things would work out for us. (We’re now married and have a daughter).
John Bokma from Johnbokma / MexIT
Nothing like love to encourage you to move countries. I have a friend who did something similar, but in the end he and his girlfriend moved back to the US.
Cheap living and agreeable women.
Michael Dickson from La vida bougainvillea
When we were in Mexico it seemed odd what was cheap. Things that we thought would be expensive were very inexpensive–like healthcare. Things that we thought would be cheap were expensive–like fruits and vegetables. I guess some might depend on where you live–Durango doesn’t grow a lot of their own food. Some of the fruit we were buying was actually imported from the US.
Poor health and financial pressures…
Jim and Mindy from Jim and Mindy in Rural Veracruz
The financial advantage of living in Mexico can be tremendous–especially if you can find a rural area and learn to take advantage of the things that are inexpensive in Mexico. Jim and MIndy seem to have done this well.
A thousand things. The immediate cause was retirement and the ability to do so. First among other things was a complete disgust with a lifetime of U.S. imperialism and the increase of fascism and militarization inside the United States itself. Secondarily Mexico attracts through the warmth of its people and what I perceive as a much healthier social atmosphere.
Lynn DeWeese-Parkinson from Tijuana Bible
In Mexico where we were at it was routine to find military roadblocks with soldiers armed with machine guns. I have seen less militarization in the US than in Mexico, but perhaps I was living in a place with an unusual amount of military activity. I would agree that many components of Mexican society seem to be healthier than in the US.
My wife’s a sociology grad student and is writing her PhD dissertation on “How Tequila became Mexico’s national drink”. Her research naturally led us to Jalisco, Mexico, home of Tequila and also the place we met 10 years ago when I was studying as part of my undergraduate degree in Spanish. We thought we’d only be there for a year but managed to extend the stay after she won various grants and scholarships.
Gwyn Fisher from Gwyn’s Blog
This has got to the be the most unique reason I’ve ever heard for someone to move to Mexico! That is quite a dissertation topic. My topic seems quite boring after reading yours.
There was no single precipitating factor, because the move was a natural progression for me. When people ask why I moved to Mexico, my response is “Because I could.”
Jennifer J. Rose from Staring at Strangers
I’ve been to Mexico twice but didn’t spend enough time or travel extensively enough to know if I would like it or not. That’s why I’m hoping USCIS will approve our petition.
If not, well, it looks like I could be a part of any future interviews. We take it one day at a time at the moment! lol
Sorry I neglected to send an email back to you with our comments….you said you needed it for Wednesday and I thought LAST Wednesday!
Anyway, a very informative post, thanks!
You say, “many components of Mexican society seem to be healthier than in the US.” Name one . . . or two.
I am glad your back! I was tire of reading the same stuff over and over again!!!… Welcome back and please update your blog more often! Its good reading!
@Michael – When we were there it was very common to see a father out with his kids–much more common than in the US. There also seemed to be a greater involvement of grandparents in their children’s lives. People didn’t seem to be a reliant on the government to take care of them as what I see in the US and it appeared that there were far fewer lawsuits than in the US–probably because you can’t sue for “pain and suffering”.
Mexico definitely has its downsides, but these were some of the areas that I noticed and thought “I wish the US was more like that!”
I Love Durango Mexico , my mom is from there and my dad from Jalisco , every summer since I was 3 I have spend it in Durango when I graduated from high school I decided to move there. I was back in the states for maybe a year and know I live in Tijuana . I work in San Diego. Although TJ is not as beautiful as Durango . I love MEXICO .
We made a calculated move based on the fact that I had reached the highest level of fluency I could attain while living in a country that doesn’t speak Spanish and the Yucatan Peninsula has some of the best cave diving in the world. It was a nice middle ground, 50% my reason for being here and 50% my husband’s. It’s just worked out.
Now hubby wants to move to Thailand next… all I can think is- yeah there’s cave diving, but I haven’t spent 2/3 of my life learning Thai!!!
Re: “many components of Mexican society seem to be healthier than in the US.”
Uncontroversial – the food. We eat much more fresh products and much less canned, frozen, prepared. We eat lower on the food chain, more beans, rice and corn, less meat. We eat more things grown closer, fewer things shipped from far away. We mostly buy in the open air street market and eat seasonally.
Somewhat controversial perhaps – walking down the street. First we do a lot more walking here, partly because of the weather but mostly I think because things are set up for walking and more people do more of it. Second, virtually everyone speaks to you on the street, at least a simple “buenos dias” or “buenos tardes.” People seem much more courteous. It is hard to do anything without inquiries about one’s family, etc.
Perhaps more controversial – respect seems more important. One shows it and receives it. A young woman I work with (volunteer on my part) asked if I preferred to be addressed as “tu” or “usted.” Because I am 40 years older than she, she felt uncomfortable addressing me as “tu” without my permission. Even young “punks,” “emos” and “darkos” here tend to be more polite than adults in the north.
Quite controversial probably – Mexico has a constitutional provision forbidding the stationing of foreign troops on its soil and forbidding the stationing of Mexican troops on foreign soil. It constitutionally forbids the sickness of invasion and imperialism.
I know that is 4 and not 2 things, but it is hard to stop at even 4 – I agree with the 2 above as well.