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Thoughts after a year living at Lake Chapala

  We are coming up on our one year anniversary of moving to the Lake Chapala area.  I thought you might like to hear my thoughts on living here – nowhere is perfect but we are happy and adjusting. Because the area has been an expat magnet for many years it seems to attract people who are new to México and are just “trying it out.”  That can be a bit frustrating as we overhear thoughtless comments or clueless interactions...

Love Letter to Mazatlán

There are so many things to love about Mazatlán… here are my thoughts as we prepare to move to México City.  The malecón …is an unbelievable and wonderful asset to the city.  I love getting up in the morning and getting out for a fast walk.  The view is incredible, and almost every day is sunny.  Even in the summer when you get out early you can enjoy your exercise like you never would in even the best gym!  I...

Tips on Moving to Mazatlan

Are you thinking about moving to Mazatlán, or are you going to spend some time here this winter to see what you think?  I thought you might like a few tips on how to make friends and find out what is going on.  I hope a few of these will make you feel comfortable in your new home right away. First, I would suggest you check out our Mazatlán Links page. Take your time looking around and you will soon...

Wallet stolen? What to do?

At Christmas time last year Paul had his pocket picked at the Cuernavaca bus station. It’s an all too common story, but the street near the bus station exit was under construction so they funneled exiting passengers through a narrow passage. While Paul trundled our suitcase he got bumped by someone and that was the moment. His wallet was in the front pocket of his Dockers style pants so you know those guys are good. In one of those “wish...

Eight years of fun in Mazatlán

Life here is less challenging than it was at first, and not just because we have better Spanish. For example the list of things that I buy in the US is getting smaller and smaller. You can now find organic food, decent peanut butter, and Keen sandals. Kindles and iPads make it easy to get any book you want. Netflix Mexico has pretty decent programming. You can even buy things on eBay and with the Estafeta connection have them shipped...

Dear LA Times: and another thing….

  • January 18, 2015
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  • Expat

A few weeks ago I wrote the post Sorry, LA Times, You’re Out Of Line and finished with this: After thinking about how far off she was in this article I started thinking about things I should tell her if she ever comes back to Mazatlán. So here goes, Tracy…on your next trip to Mazatlán don’t be surprised if: – you see piles of garbage on a street corner. Garbage is picked up three times a week here (and get...

Sorry, LA Times, You’re Out of Line

  • December 22, 2014
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  • Expat

Last week a friend shared a link on Facebook to a story about Mazatlán. She expressed how ugly and mean spirited the article was, and I headed right over to the LA Times to read it. I’ll just wait here for a minute while you go check it out – don’t worry it won’t take long. So now you’re back. What did you think? I was blown away by the pointlessness of the article. It seemed as though the only...

The Shame of House Hunters International

It’s our guilty pleasure, how about you? I love reading books about the expat experience but I also love to watch House Hunters International and see people look for a place to live in interesting locations around the globe. We have our DVR set up to record the show, and lately we’ve seen people move to Budapest, Sarajevo, Brussels, and Dublin. But we’ve been watching the show for ages and there are a few things that we see over and...

Mazatlán is just fine.

Unless you have been away from the news today you must know that  the head of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was taken into custody today in a joint Mexico/US effort.  He was apprehended in a condominium in the middle of the malecón, about halfway between Centro and the Golden Zone.  I went for a walk this morning after being woken by a few loud helicopters, but on the malecón the triathalon that was being held was the...

We’re here for good!

  • August 28, 2013
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  • Expat

  The visa process for expats is different in each area of México.  We had no idea before we moved here that the INM office here would be one of the many reasons that we love Mazatlán!  They are efficient and friendly. Here’s our recent experience.  We had held FM-3 visas for four years and FM-2 visas for two.  With the recent changes to immigration policy we decided to change to Residente Permanente, which gives us all rights and obligations...

Five years of the good life in Mazatlán

I remember our first visit to Mazatlán back in February of 2007.  We stayed at Casa de Leyendas, and were introduced to lots of people and activities through the generosity of owners Glenn and Sharon.  Practically as soon as we got home we started planning another exploratory trip. Mazatlán had really grabbed us, that’s for sure.  To make a long story short (go to the Monthly Archives at left if you want to read from the beginning) we bought a...

Tips for Moving to México

Are you one of the 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age every day? Yes, every day for the next 18 years 10,000 people in the US turn 65. Even if only 1% of those people consider México, that is 36,500 people per year. Are you one of them? Paul and I decided on México for retirement for a lot of reasons. We wanted an adventure. We wanted to learn a new language, learn about a different culture, and experience life...

The Expat Forum in México City

I’ve been home from the 1st National Forum on the North American Retiree Community: Expectations & Options for Living in Mexico since Sunday, so it’s high time I report out to all of you! Thursday evening we all gathered for cocktails at the hotel and got to know each other.  It was great to meet so many people who make México their home. There were people from Puerto Vallarta, Mérida, Los Cabos, La Paz, Ensenada, Mazatlán, Colima, Acapulco, Rosarito Beach, Ajijic,...

Expat Forum in Mexico City

I am leaving early in the morning Wednesday on my way to México City. Paul is staying home this time, as he still works part time and on Fridays helps out at the Luna Gallery. This Friday should be even more interesting as it is also the First Friday Art Walk, so there should be a lot of visitors to the gallery in the early evening. That ought to keep him out of trouble! I’m heading to Mexico City as...

How to be a successful expat….

-or- How to Move Away From Your Home Country and Not Want to Move Back in Six Months. People go on vacation every day and comment “Oh, I would so love to live here! Maybe someday!” That’s fine, but would you really? How would you do if you actually made the move to México? Here are my thoughts on what makes a successful expat. Know Yourself You know what you love and hate, what will irritate you and what you...