Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

These Americans all left the U.S. for Mexico—here's how they found their 'perfect location' and made it happen

These Americans all left the U.S. for Mexico—here's how they found their 'perfect location' and made it happen

Thinking of moving from the U.S. to Mexico? With about 1.5 million Americans living in Mexico, everybody does it differently. Here's how to make your expat dream a reality, according to retirees and entrepreneurs who have done it.

In 2006, after years of living paycheck to paycheck in California, I decided to move to Mexico. I was 50, and a prior vacation in the beautiful coastal town of Mazatlán had convinced me that an easier, happier and more affordable lifestyle was possible.

And I was right. Now, at 66, having spent the past 15 years in Mazatlán, I frequently get questions from people who want to make the leap, too.

There is no one way to make your expat dream a reality. With about 1.5 million Americans living in Mexico, everybody does it differently.

I’ve met and made friends with so many wonderful people who moved to Mexico. Here’s how they handled the most common challenges of relocating and created new chapters abroad:


Challenge #1: Making it happen


Tip: Buckle down and do the research.

Moving can be a dreadful process. It’s complicated, time-consuming and often expensive.

Some people are comfortable making spontaneous decisions, like my retired friend Glen Rogers, who bought a house a few days into her first trip to Mexico 20 years ago. But most of us will look for answers before we make the move.

Tranquil courtyards, patios and balconies beckon from inside beautiful colonial-era homes and haciendas in Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende, providing a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.


My advice? Do your due diligence. Reach out to experts, as well as people who’ve done it and have been living abroad for years. You may even want to consider using a relocation service that will guide you from start to finish.

Decide on a few primary sources of information so you don’t get bewildered by everything that’s out there. Ask every question, even if it seems silly or inconsequential. And if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. (A good example is the myth that there’s “free health care” in Mexico.)

The Pueblo Magico (“Magical Town”) of San Miguel de Allende is full of charming streets, picturesque buildings and a vibrant artist community.


I’ve found these three websites to consistently have helpful and up-to-date information:

1. Sonia Diaz Mexico: Offers in-person and virtual services and information about visas, taxes, vehicles, health insurance, moving, pets and more.

2. Dream Retirement in Mexico: Host Risa Morimoto investigates everything expats need to know about moving to Mexico in sophisticated, well-researched videos, podcasts, webinars and courses.

3. Best Mexico Movers: Long-time expats themselves, Chuck Bolotin and his wife have many years of experience helping people move from the U.S. and Canada to new homes all over Mexico.

Glen Rogers lives on $620 per month in San Miguel de Allende, where she bought a home for $160,000 in 2002.


Challenge #2: Finding the perfect location


Tip: Clarify what you want and value in life.

Mexico is a big country with lots of lifestyle options. Beach or mountains? House or apartment? Cosmopolitan city or small-town casual? These are just some of the decisions you’ll need to make when moving here.

Jan Davis found that living in an expat community was a priority. “For me, it’s important because of the tendency to attract out-of-the-ordinary people. San Miguel de Allende draws a lot of mild eccentrics — like me,” she tells me.

A bumpy dirt road led Holly Hunter and Dan Gair to Mayto Beach.


Holly Hunter and Dan Gair moved from Maine to Mexico. They spent a month exploring different towns within a two-hour distance limit from the airport, looking for a property in their price range that answered the question: “What would you do with your life if you had all the money you would ever need?”

A bumpy dirt road led them to Mayto Beach, which would become their next home and also where they would start Rancho Sol y Mar, a sustainability education center and resort.

Kerry Watson retired in her 40s after spending more than a decade going back and forth to different places in Mexico. When the time came, she asked friends who loved Mexico where she should go. The “overwhelming answer,” she recalls, was Chapala, Jalisco.

Chapala Lake in Jalisco, Mexico Arturo Peña Romano Medina

“I still remember the first time I crested the mountain pass towering over Lake Chapala,” she says. “I cried because it was so beautiful. I was immediately bonded to the town. It felt like I was coming home.”


Challenge #3: Navigating new cultures and customs


Tip: Go slow and be easy on yourself.

A slower pace of life is part of the deal; learning patience is a necessity.

Even if you really want to move to Mexico, it’s likely to still be a big step outside your comfort zone. Those who’ve done it, myself included, say that no matter how much you prepare, there will still be surprises, even years down the road.

Holly Hunter and Dan Gair


You learn to expect that you’re going to make mistakes, and the only way to learn and move forward is exactly that: Learn and move forward — with humility and a good sense of humor.

“I continue to adapt and sometimes be baffled by things,” says Linda Laino, who has lived in San Miguel de Allende for 10 years. “Be prepared for nothing to go your way.”

“I try to never forget I’m a guest in this beautiful country and to have respect for the customs and way of life, however inconvenient they are at times,” she adds.

As they were preparing to move to Mexico, Cat Calhoun and her partner realized that “fear was not a sustainable fuel source” for the day-to-day tasks they needed to take care of.

Shopping for fresh produce in the local market is a fun and inexpensive way to stock your pantry. Practice Spanish and get to know the local community!


“We deliberately shifted our focus from ‘running away’ to ‘moving toward,’” she tells me. “We became excited about learning Spanish, immersing ourselves into a new culture, living on less and having more time to enjoy each other’s company, create art and travel.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Unelected PM of the UK holds an emergency meeting because a candidate got voted in… which he says is a threat to democracy…
Farmers break through police barriers in Brussels.
Ukraine Arrests Father-Son Duo In Lockbit Cybercrime Bust
US Offers $15 Million For Info On Leaders Of Cybercrime Group Lockbit
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
Alexei Navalny: UK sanctions Russian prison chiefs after activist's death
German economy is in 'troubled waters' - ministry
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Tucker Carlson says Boris Johnson wants "a million dollars, in Bitcoin or cash, from Tucker Carlson to talk about Ukraine.
Russia is rebuilding capacity to destabilize European countries, new UK report warns
EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ
Von der Leyen’s 2nd-term pitch: More military might, less climate talk
EU Investigates TikTok for Child Safety Concerns
EU Launches Probe Into TikTok Over Child Protection Under Digital Content Law
EU and UK Announce Joint Effort on Migration
Ministers Confirm Proposal to Prohibit Mobile Phone Usage in English Schools
Avdiivka - Symbol Of Ukrainian Resistance Now In Control Of Russian Troops
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
"Historic Step": Zelensky Signs Security Pact With Germany
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
Tucker Carlson grocery shopping in Russia. This is so interesting.
France and Germany Struggle to Align on European Defense Strategy
‘A lot higher than we expected’: Russian arms production worries Europe’s war planners
Greece Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage and Adoption Rights
Russia "Very Close" To Creating Cancer Vaccines, Says Vladimir Putin
Hungarian Foreign Minister: Europeans will lose Europe, the Union's policy must change drastically
Microsoft says it caught hackers from China, Russia and Iran using its AI tools
US Rejects Putin's Ceasefire Offer in Ukraine
The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke and Self-Protection Strategies
A Londoner has been arrested for expressing his Christian beliefs.
Chinese Women Favor AI Boyfriends Over Humans
Greece must address role in migrant vessel disaster that killed 600: Amnesty
Google pledges 25 million euros to boost AI skills in Europe
Hungarian President Katalin Novák Steps Down Amid Pardon Controversy
Activist crashes Hillary Clinton's speech, calls her a 'war criminal.'
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Trudeau reacts to Putin's mention of Canadian Parliament applauding a former Ukrainian Nazi in his interview with Tucker Carlson.
The Spanish police blocked the farmers protest. So the farmers went out and moved the police car out of the way.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander
Tucker Carlson's interview with Vladimir Putin raises EU concerns
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
Russia's Economy Expands by 3.6% Due to Increased Military Spending
Ukraine MPs Vote To Permit Use Of Dead Soldiers' Sperm
German Princess Becomes First Aristocrat To Pose Naked On Playboy Cover
UK’s King Charles III diagnosed with cancer
EU's Ursula von der Leyen Confronts Farmer Protests Amid Land Policy Debates
Distinguishing Between Harmful AI Media and Positive AI-Generated Content: A Crucial Challenge for the EU
Tucker Carlson explains why he interviewed Putin
Dutch farmers are still protesting in the Netherlands against the government, following the World Economic Forum's call for 'owning nothing.'
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stands up for European farmers and says, 'Brussels is suffocating European farmers.
×