New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018

Dear Dana, I live in San Miguel de Allende which would be too far for your husband to travel to on a daily basis. I know several German speaking people here, as well as 2 doctors that I wouldn't use. There's 2 international schools and a Waldorf and Montessori school.
However, rentals and real estate have gotten more and more expensive over the last few years. Tourists flock here every weekend making the Centro very overcrowded.  Traffic jams are what we deal with every weekend and holiday. That said, it's a lively fun place with many things to do and see.  All that I know about Irapuato is that it is the strawberry capitol.   León is convenient and has an Airport and a centro with  many stores and restaurants.   I would choose Quretaro myself because it's a growing city with many things to offer: schools, new housing, nice neighborhoods, good shopping, and safe. I am retired and don't have a car and many times I miss the benefits of a city over a small town. I'm sure you'll want to eat good German or Slovak food but it's impossible to find unless you have it shipped in, which is expensive. I go to Costco or Sam's Club to buy sausages or wursts  or salamis in Queretaro. My late husband was Czech and he couldn't live without those foods.
He was an engineer for Siemens and did international service, but wouldn't live anywhere that didn't have good hygiene and European food.  I recommend that you visit León and Irapuato first before making any decisions.  Good luck to you. Ronnie Treitler Mudrakova

I'm 69 and my husband is 65. We've both travelled and lived in different states in the US. We're seriously considering retiring to San Miguel de Allende permanently.

I'm a writer... been published many times in literary reviews and two anthologies. I'm self-publishing my memoir in a couple of months. I enjoy all the Arts, including literature, art, music, theater, movies and shopping.

My husband is an avid reader. He used to be into extreme sports (his whole life), but after repeated injuries particularly to his right leg, he opted for an above the knee amputation. He still gets around very well. He can tolerate walks/hikes and stairs, but not for long periods of time.

We're both in recovery: I have 27 years and my husband has 12 years.

Pam

Good Morning,

I'm not a new member, but it's been a long time since I've been here. After four years back in the US, I'm ready to check out Mexico as a possible place to settle. I'm interested in Coatepec, outside Xalapa, and will be visiting in May.

I spent a couple of year in Guatemala, in San Pedro la Laguna, on Lake Atitlán.

I´m an ESL teacher and have worked in Latin America and Africa. I speak Spanish at a proficient level.

Hi Paddy,

I am having same idea, to settle in Mexico. Have not been there for many years and will come over early June. I have also visited Guatemala many years ago and did spend some years in US on and off.
I am currently still in Australia and just getting my things here sorted.
I will be coming by myself and my Spanish is very basic, will learn when there.
Let me ask you a question.
What will you take with you when you move?
For you it's easier as US so to speak just next door.
I will have to sell my belongings here and am thinking what would be good to bring.
I want to travel light and am thinking to post a box of my personal things...not of great value, more sentimental once I am settled in a place.
I do speak English and German, have always been selfemployed and will have to find a new way.
I have a great love for music, food, arts and crafts and love learning new creative skills.
I like to find new friends...even long distance to stay in touch, exchange thoughts and possibilies.

What are your plans once you get there?

Cheers

Hi Louis,

Thanks for your response. We are thinking along the same lines, it seems. If I decide to move to Mexico, and it's still an if at this point, I will travel light and only take some things that have sentimental value. And you're right, it's a great advantage to live so close. I would put a few things in storage until I got my bearings.

What part(s) of Mexico are you looking at?

Sandra

Sorry, I realized I didn't answer your message fully. My plan once I get there is to see how the area feels. I've heard it's famous for coffee, flowers, and birds, so I plan to enjoy the flowers and birds while drinking coffee! I'd like to get a feel for the area by taking my time and doing a lot of breathing and being quiet. Does that make sense?

Hi Sandra,
nice to hear from you!

I am inviting you to my email***
hope to hear from you soon.

Cheers
Sicci

Hi Sandra,

makes all the sense to me. That is exactly what I am planning on doing.
I decided to start with San Miguel de Allende...just for a short time and then going to GTO.

I am seeing how I feel there and let it sink in for a while.
It could be too touristy in SMA, will see.

Are you interested in any of these places?

I am new here. Won't be retiring for another 15 years but plan to go to Playas De Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada, or anywhere in between to see how life is over there. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I am 4th Generation on my mom's side here, but my dad says we have Family in Juarez Mexico, that's where his mom (My Grandmother) was from. His Parents past away many years ago so he doesn't know them (His Family). I do not speak Spanish, but I do understand much of it. I am hoping to learn more and have great conversations with people when I get there. My wife and I still work, but are getting closer to the day we will not. Hope Mexico is good for us, even if we only stay for 6 months at a time. Or if we enjoy it, maybe longer.

Hi my name is Lorenzo I lived in the Bay Area for 52 of my 55 years.. I was depored like 2 years ago .. I guess im not the exact definiton of an expat..With out getting into a debate about deportation  ..This has been a blessing...I speak spanish like a person who has lived his whole life in the USA and stiil shed
a tear when i hear the National anthem  of the good old U.S OF A..

Hello! My name is Ksenia, I am from Russia but currently live in Bangkok. This summer I am going to move to Mexico city because of my work.

I have one common question, and I hope that you can help me with advice
How dangerous it is lo live there for a foreigner?

Thanks a lot

p.s. And I would love to find some new friends from there, for sure

Ksenia Shvedova wrote:

Hello! My name is Ksenia, I am from Russia but currently live in Bangkok. This summer I am going to move to Mexico city because of my work.

I have one common question, and I hope that you can help me with advice
How dangerous it is lo live there for a foreigner?

Thanks a lot

p.s. And I would love to find some new friends from there, for sure

Hi Ksenia,

Mexico city is probably no more dangerous than any big city. Generally speaking Mexico is not biased against foreigners. Many of those who did get into trouble got into trouble for the same reasons they would get into trouble anywhere, doing things that were risky. If you lead an observant, careful life you should be fine, if you like to go to bars late and want to have access to drugs you will not..

I need to add that it is a very big city and getting around can take a very long time. It also has a tendency to attract robbers in some areas, and it is prone to earthquakes. But on the positive side it is a beautiful old city, rich with museums and history.

Hey Martin1415,
tried to contact you before, but have not heard nothing of you?
Am in Australia atm, coming to Mexico June.
Same needs and wants as far as friends and support go and I would love to hear from you how you find it.
So...maybe get in touch?
Cheers
Louis

Greetings Julien and Forum members,

I have accepted a call as Rector to St. Paul's Anglican Church in San Miguel de Allende, having served as a priest in the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles since 1983, (where I will remain canonically resident). I relocate to SMA in June 2018.

I have had long sabbatical stints in Spain and Argentina, served for 12 years as volunteer VP of Foundation Cristosal, a human rights organization in El Salvador, and have traveled widely in Latin America.

I spent two years as an ex-pat in the Republic of Turkey, and do not anticipate too many challenges in my probably-permanent relocation to Mexico.

¡Hola todos y todas!
George

Hello Everyone! My husband and I just moved to Queretaro in the Colonial Highlands of Mexico in January. We've done pretty well so far with renting a house, buying furniture, a car, and the crazy driving here. We did a lot of research before we came to this area, but nothing beats actually experiencing it. We traveled the world looking for "the place" and this was it!   

We have a dog, love wine, food, photography and animals. If anyone has any recommendations on how to get mail and packages delivered south of the border, we'd love to hear about it. Also, we have not had time to research health insurance yet. We have our temporary visas, and this is the next thing on our "to-do" list.

We would love to get to know people in the area, but also around Mexico. We plan to travel a bit in the country if we can find a dogsitter, or dog-friendly hotel. We would love to hear back from you all!

HI 2doggirl!

My husband and I also just moved to Mexico in January. We have a dog, also love wine and food, and he likes cycling. We would love to hear more about your area, and maybe share some ideas.

When we bought our car here, we got insurance through MAPFRE. A month later we were rear-ended. The adjuster came out, got the money from the uninsured driver, and now we are waiting for the parts to make our car look new again. It's been over a month, but according to our neighbor, that's not unusual. It might be 2-3 months before the parts arrive. Oh well.

Tiffany

Hi Epicurean Expats,
well done!
What a lovely post.
Sadly I can not answer any of your questions as I am in the process of coming to Mexico in early June.
I have also done the travel and I am still looking for the SPOT for myself,lol.
I would be very interested to hear what made you choose your location and also it would be intersting to know which other areas in Mexico you looked at that didn't suit you and why?

I am coming on my own and like you guys, would love to make new contacts/friends anywhere in Mexico.
I would love to check out different regions to find my place.
I have been doing house/dogsitting before and have excellent references...so who knows perhaps this could be interesting for all of us.

I like the same things as you do, in addition, I really LOVE music and good company and I am very excited to soon be on my way.
It would be lovely, if you would share some of your experiences since you made the move and I invite you to contact me on my email [email protected]

Cheers
Louis

Hi am Judith from Kenya and looking for any nanny or baby sitting job in Mexico am 22 yrs hoping to get a good employ currently am in kenya

Hi Sheila,

You might check out HelpX. It's a good site to find housing in exchange for work.

Sandra

Hola, everyone! I am John, and my spouse Bill and I moved to Chapala/Ajijic in May 2017, after having attended a Focus on Mexico program in February.  For those that want a quick and thorough intro to the Lake Chapala area specifically, and many of the ins and outs of moving to Mexico, I strongly recommend focusonmexico.com/ .  We drove down from Virginia in 4 days, along with two small dogs, in our Subaru Outback with a skybox atop.  We left about 30 plastic crates of misc goods at the border in Laredo, TX, and ultimately had a moving company bring them down from there (we mistakenly thought we would make several periodic drives back to retrieve them)  Bad idea!  We are retired, have spent most of 2017 furnishing and renovating (small projects) our Mexican home (which we bought on a return trip to Chapala in March, 2017).  Now we look forward to some travel around Mexico to get to know this wonderful country better.  We love the people, the weather and the fact that it's so easy to meet and make new friends here.

Hi Kids.

I have just purchased a tiny casita in Santa Clara, a tiny fishing village a few hours from Merida.   I intend to spend winters there, and summers in my beloved Alaska.

I can't live without Amazon.  I assume I can get a p.o. box in Merida.  My question is, will they accept parcels, say from Amazon, and hold them there for me?

Thanks, Robb

AKtoMexico wrote:

Hi Kids.

I have just purchased a tiny casita in Santa Clara, a tiny fishing village a few hours from Merida.   I intend to spend winters there, and summers in my beloved Alaska.

I can't live without Amazon.  I assume I can get a p.o. box in Merida.  My question is, will they accept parcels, say from Amazon, and hold them there for me?

Thanks, Robb

I'm not sure Amazon does P.O. boxes. I would check with Amazon Mx.

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in relocating from Austin, TX to Cancun, Mexico in the very near future. I'm already researching and applying for jobs. I've lived a lot of places in the states, including Cleveland, Ohio, Seattle, Washington, Chicago, Illinois, so I'm no stranger to relocating.

I'm just starting to learn Spanish, and French for the job I'm currently in the running for. I've also been doing heavy reading on cost of living, lifestyle, and real-estate. I hope to purchase a house.

I'm excited to be here and look forward to meeting US expats!

My wife and I are in the initial stages of planning a relocation from the Austin/San Antonio area to quite possibly San Luis Potosí or Lake Chapala area. She is Hispanic and is a fluent In Spanish (at least the Texas version of Spanish) and is retired. I still need to figure out how to earn some extra income from wherever we decide to go.

We have scheduled an exploratory trip to SLP and Lake Chapala in the middle of May. Hoping to find some expats to have dinner with and listen to your experiences of living there. My wife is in need of nudging - she is a bit apprehensive about living outside of the US.

Looking forward to meeting you and hearing your story.

Jeff

Hey All!

New to the forum. I am 31 years old and have been living outside of the US now for 2.5 years. At the beginning of 2016 we moved down to Belize for a year. In January of 2017 we moved to San Miguel de Allende and have been here since. We love SMA and with our businesses set up we are starting to look to travel all around Mexico and enjoy its beauty. We recently just visited Puebla and a friend suggested this site for new and great ideas!

Hello!

My husband and I are visiting San Miguel de Allende Mexico for the month of February 2019. Not sure what is the best way - Toronto Canada - Mexico City or Querétaro International Airport? Then what? We've been to Mexico before but only to the tourist areas on the beach. Suggestions? I also need some dental work, root canal and crown done on a molar. Anyone on this forum had same work done in San Miguel de Allende? References?

M & P

First off to get to SMA here is a great article on every way to get there from the airports and which airport to fly into [link moderated].

As for dental work, we use Carlos but he is in San Luis Potosi about 2 hours away from SMA. He is amazing cheaper than anything in the states and does a great job.

Michele and Paul wrote:

Hello!

My husband and I are visiting San Miguel de Allende Mexico for the month of February 2019. Not sure what is the best way - Toronto Canada - Mexico City or Querétaro International Airport? Then what? We've been to Mexico before but only to the tourist areas on the beach. Suggestions? I also need some dental work, root canal and crown done on a molar. Anyone on this forum had same work done in San Miguel de Allende? References?

M & P

I should have included doctor Carlos's contact information.
Dr Carlos's contact information -
+5214441915125

My wife had two pull some teeth due to an unlucky experience with braces and retainer. He created a permanent false bridge, 4 fillings, and 4 root canals and said the experience was wonderful. (As much as 4 root canals and 4 fillings can be)

Hi all, headed to Puerto Morelos tomorrow for a week for so. We're making it part vacation, part exploratory trip to see if it's a place we might eventually like to relocate. Like the fact it seems to have good food and good music for a small town. Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

I didn't get the link for the travel info. Also, could you include the dentist clinic name. Thank you!

Hi all guys , italian chef here landing at Guadalajara Mexico on 10 May . I hope to see you all soon while enjoying life in there ciao, Paolo

Hello,

I am from Mexico, I am living in Mexico city, Im 34 years old and I am work for Chemical company.
I am going to move Netherlands soon, so I will be an expat there. I am looking for a responsible and honest people to rent my apartment in Mexico.

Thanks.

Martha Georgina Garcia wrote:

Hello,

I am from Mexico, I am living in Mexico city, Im 34 years old and I am work for Chemical company.
I am going to move Netherlands soon, so I will be an expat there. I am looking for a responsible and honest people to rent my apartment in Mexico.

Thanks.

try posting under housing in at the top of the page. The forum does not do requests or ads, but the top of the page has areas that do. thanks  Martha.

I'm looking a buying land in sabancuy Mexico. Any advice out there? Thanks

Seanwestwood wrote:

I'm looking a buying land in sabancuy Mexico. Any advice out there? Thanks

There have been issues, so look for a reliable real estate contact. You can start by contacting an agent on this forum, look under handy tools at the top of the page. It might be better to choose an agent not specific to that area due to potential bias related to sales.

My husband and I will be in SMA the month of July with the hopes of moving there permanently. In going on different sites about the move, we saw many suggestions to get a book called "The Best How To Book on Moving to Mexico." Look it up on Amazon.

Anyhow, we got it and it's excellent. It covers everything, including an intensive chapter about health care.

Pam & John

Looking at condos in Rosarito,  I'm from Lexington,  Ky.

Hi Lois and Sandra,

I too am checking out different towns in Mexico.   I have been to SMA and it is a lovely town -- it is in fact now recommended by Conde Naste as the number one city in the world to visit, so....that means a lot of tourists.   On the plus side, You will have a better selection of goods/services you are used to here than some other places in Mexico.  Your friends and family will probably want to come visit you which could be a plus.  A minus is higher costs and the crowds can spoil it a little.  But I went for a walk early one morning and just a few blocks away from the centre was feeling much more comfortable and peaceful.

I've also visited Guanajuato and found it very vibrant, a university town.  I've been to Chapala but it was almost 20 years ago.  I remember how much I loved the weather and the vistas over the lake.  I will probably go back to see what it is like now.  Very Convenient to access Chapala from the States.  Also planning to visit Patzcuaro and Oaxaca.  Possibly the Pacific coast.  I've heard that Xalapa is lovely so I may need to visit there as well.  Maybe I will do a language class in each place.     Would be fun to cross paths with you one of these days!