I get quite a few email inquiries from people who read my blog and are thinking about moving here.
They frequently ask about retirement, especially about retirement in Mexico;
What is the cost of living there?
Where is a good area to buy a house?
Can I get Velveeta Cheese there?
Do I really need to speak Spanish?
What do you do all day?
The cost of living is so dependent upon your needs, desires, and ability to adjust and adapt.
What I can live on may be completely different from what you can live on, and isn't it all subjective based on what your cost of living was where you came from...
And don't we all adjust to the amount of income we have...
Why do you ask me where is a good place to buy a house? Again, my needs, desires, likes, dislikes, etc are going to be so different from yours. I always tell people - plan to rent for a year before you decide; First to see if you still want to live here, and Second so you can get a feel for the community and decide for yourself if and where you want to settle in.
Velveeta Cheese - Is really just asking about familiar food things; sure there are a lot of familiar food items available here. But isn't part of the adventure of moving to a foreign country to breathe in the change, to become more than you were...You can probably get Velveeta here, but whay would you want to ... You can find quite a variety of USofA familiar products, but not quite so many convenience type things, premade things. So learn to make your own bisquick and pie crust mix. Drink Te Negro instead of Lipton, cut up your own carrot sticks, etc. You can buy chicken or porks chops on styrofoam trays, not all meat is sold hanging in open air markets, but that is where you get the freshest stuff!
Yes, you really need to speak spanish. Sure there are a lot of expats here that don't speak spanish. They manage. They have mostly other expat friends, and maybe a few mexican friends that have english. They can't have a conversation at the grocery store or park, they can't order their own gas for delivery, they can't call the phone company to complain that their service isn't working, they can't ...
What do we do all day? Depends on the day - Depends on your energy level - Depends on your interests - Depends on your ability to speak the language - Depends on your daring - Depends on you!
I love being here. Tom struggles sometimes. I'm more adaptable. He's a stickler for the way things should be. I had some spanish coming in, it's better now, but still not excellent. He had none, although he is now taking a class. I enjoy and for the most part appreciate the differences. He has a hard time sometimes with the logic of some of the differences. We struggle sometimes with the 24/7 togetherness. Tom had been retired a few years before we moved, I was still working. Now, we're together alot. In my opinion Couples really need outside interests with independent things to do.
It's a huge endeavor to move anywhere, but especially to a foreign country. It's a liberating experience. It's interesting to get a perspective on the USofA from other than inside the USofA.
Here in Merida we hear stories frequently of how the USofA is looked upon with great favor and appreciation. It has a lot more to do with the actions and kindness of individuals than through the actions of our government. A lot of USofA citizens come down to offer aid, support, assistance, and to provide opportunities. It's wonderful and heartwarming to hear the stories from elders in the small villages of how some group of USofA'ers came and built a school, or offered up medical care, or taught some agriculture, or did something that was received, appreciated, and remembered for many years...
OK, I'm starting to ramble, time to climb down and get to work - I am redesigning and rebuilding a garden that has been trampled and trodden by puppy and chickens.
And Now - Time for gratuitous puppy pictures
Techie on Sept 28, 2008
Techie on Jan 9, 2009
Yep, it is the same basket. And No, I could not get her inside to sit down!