Living in Mexico: Why Vallarta-Nayarit?
Our mid-life sabbatical goal could be summarized in two words: Go somewhere.
Somewhere…
- Warm;
- Near the sea;
- That shorts, T-shirt and flip-flops are sufficient and acceptable dress;
- That our family could easily visit;
- In a time zone similar to our friends, family and business associates, so that phone calls and regular Skype “video-visits” would be convenient;
- With a culture that “rocks”, rather than a culture that shocks (more on this later) and:
- Where we’d feel welcome and at home.
We got lucky, we discovered Vallarta-Nayarit and love living in Mexico! Like every country; there are numerous regions that are desirable and numerous that are less so. For us, Seattle trumps Omaha. Vancouver trumps Winnipeg. And of course, within each of these cities, there are better and lesser districts; West Side Vancouver mid-day, versus its Downtown East Side at night. It’s a personal preference thing.
We chose the Vallarta-Nayarit region of Mexico because, just like a well-chosen pair of shoes, we could tell that after a brief break-in period, we would be very happy with our choice for a long time. Within minutes of our new life and our new Boutique Inn, there are more than enough “home comfort” features, such as Starbucks, Walmart, Home Depot, Costco, you-name-it. More than enough Gringos to make navigating a new culture easy.
We’re now immersed in a new and exciting world. The pace is definitely slower, yet at the same time, it’s world-class, high-tech. Picture a guy riding a horse through town while texting (it happens). You get the concept. We have spent hours playing with the kids at the orphanage after a day on a friend’s yacht, cruising our beautiful Banderas Bay. I play road hockey with my fellow crazy Canadians, after a full day of helping others find their PEACE of paradise buying their Mexican home. Okay, I ducked out early so as to be on time for the first faceoff. I already admitted I was Canadian, didn’t I?
Was Canadian? Well, we’ll always be Canadian citizens, but I must admit that we now feel somewhat hyphenated. Canadian-Mexican is more like it. MexiCanadian? Living here since 2009 (and most definitely playing) here, we have adopted (have been adopted by?) a wonderful town in a wonderful region of a wonderful country.
We have adopted Vallarta Nayarit, in the sense that we now work to enhance the experience of our neighbors – nationals and ex-pats alike. At our boutique inn, Villa Amor Del Mar we (Cindy, mostly) are dedicated to introducing others to the amazing experiences that life here has to offer. In my role in Real Estate is helping others to realize their dream of a lifestyle similar to ours.
Vallarta-Nayarit has adopted us in the sense that we have found, after that initial break-in period, everything we need to live our dream here. The locals are among the most gracious people I have ever met. I am humbled by the prevailing manner of politeness and patience they have shown us. True, we have done our best to be “good guests in their home”, working to learn the language and nuances of the local culture. As they say, when in Rome… but our efforts to be good guests/neighbors have been rewarded tenfold, both by the locals and by the ex-pats who preceded us. We feel completely at home in our chosen town, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.
After dedicating ourselves to raising our kids and building our careers, we came to Vallarta-Nayarit for a “sabbatical”- for the well-earned rest of a lifetime. Now we feel that a good portion of the rest of our lifetimes will be enjoyed in our home away from home. We feel blessed, living in Mexico works for us… might it for you? Contact me at Chris@RemaxPlayaLaCruz.com.
Hasta la Proxima!
Chris
