Our Move to Mexico Part 2: the FAQ

Moving to a different country in the middle of a Global Pandemic warrants a lot of questions. Especially when said Pandemic makes it nearly impossible to say goodbye or move in a typical manner. Today I am sharing the most frequently asked questions I have gotten about our move. Get some popcorn & dive in for a little over-sharing.

— Move to Mexico FAQ—

A coconut from our backyard. I spent 20 minutes with a chisel & hammer trying to get it open.

What was your decision making process like Pros and cons list?

I mostly answered this in my previous post. But this was something we have wanted to do for a long time and after expecting it to come to fruition in Mexico City we opted for the beach and jungle life instead. Would still love to spend time in Mexico City.

How did you choose the location?

Mike and I have been coming here once or twice a year the 10-ish years that we have been together. His parents live in Puerto Vallarta which is about an hour away from our town. Each time we have visited them we make a point to come drive out and visit this quiet beach town to get a different taste of vacation.

Mario’s first trip was at three months old and he has continued to come down each year with us. So there is a level of comfort & familiarity with town and life here.

From a work perspective we appreciated the fact that we had access to an international airport just about an hour away and with that we we could fly direct in four hours to Portland, LA and other cities where work or family are.

Are you planning to come back when schools reopen? How long are you living there?

We are planning to be here for this school year and next. Mario is in a lovely school, making friends and in person three days a week. Vaccine has just begun to roll out here so fingers crossed they are full time next school year.

We want to put down some roots here, invest in the community and in this life for our family. My best way to explain it is that we are taking a ‘gap year’ or two (?) from Portland and are grateful for the opportunity to do so. In about a year from now we will re assess and then determine where and how we want to approach the future. We plan to make this town and Mexico a part of our lives forever though really. Coming back here as often as possible in future years but keeping Portland as a home base too.

How you figured out housing situ and schools?

The town has a great reputation for being a wonderful place for young families. There is a good size expat community of families from around the world and this is definitely something that intrigued us.

From a housing situation our town has a lot of family homes available either thru AirBnB or other rental sites and there are wonderful family homes available for purchase too. Both at affordable rates compared to the US markets we are used to.

As for school, there are actually quite a few schools in operation right now both in our town and the nearby outskirts. Some are more Montessori or Waldorf, while the one we chose is definitely on the traditional side. We knew the Montessori and Waldorf option was abundant in Portland and liked the idea of Mario being in an environment for his first years of schooling to be as traditional and similar to what school at our neighborhood public school would be like when he eventually returns. Plus after nearly a full year of pandemic life we knew he could benefit from the structure and focus of the traditional classroom setting. He still gets non traditional benefits like a full day in an outdoor palapa on the ocean for science, art and gym classes. While also being on the school grounds the other days of the week for reading, creative writing and math. In person school has been amazing to say the least and we are really happy with the school.

Are you working from there?

Yes as I covered in this post I am now self employed with my professional focus being on creative strategy, content development & consulting. Send your briefs!

What did you research before you left what kind of documents did you need?

With my inlaws already living down here we had a great blueprint for how to make life work down here. As I mentioned above Americans can receive a tourist visa that lasts for six months so we are on that track right now. Planning to return to Portland in June for the summer.

What was the paperwork like?

When crossing the border you receive an immigration paper that allows you to stay legally in the country for six months. That is it. As I mention above we plan to go back in June as that is when our six months is up. If Mike or I travel back to the states or out of country for work or any there business then when we cross back into Mexico the clock starts again on our six months.

What go to meal do you make since the grocery stores there are so different?

Grocery stores are actually not that different at all. Our town is quite small so I drive about 40 minutes over to the Costco or La Comer which is just like the grocery stores at home. I get my almond milk, flax seeds, pastas, cheeses, frozen chicken nuggets alongside tortillas, salsas and all the other normal things.

We actually have a farmers market weekly where I stock up on most of our produce and fresh bread and sometimes artisan cheeses like Manchego, Gouda and Chihuaha.

I finally made a good batch of rice yesterday and made one of our main comfort foods from home three times yesterday between lunch and dinner.

Hardest thing you had to let go of?

City comforts like my weekly visits to Providore for delicious bread, meats, castelvetrano olives and cheeses. And drop in/ on demand daycare at my moms house! Spoiled by both I know.

But in reality I never have felt like I was ‘letting go’. We had plans from the start to come home for Summer. That was a non-negotiable for me in this move. I love Portland in the summertime, I love our house for entertaining. We love our family and friends and the daisies that show up for Fourth of July with their long necks and stick around all month long begging to be picked and thrown into wacky arrangements in every vase or glass bottle that we find.

We have however had a unique experience that only foreigners, in any country, can have. Adjusting & sometimes stumbling with cultural norms and customs with neighbors, business associates & the like. It has been a great learning experience.

Did you drive the whole way? Was it safe?

Yes you can read about our road trip here.

When can we visit?

We are working on making our casita situations as comfortable, hospitable and welcoming as we can. The priority right now is the main house which we hope to move into by May. In the mean time we can recommend beautiful airbnb and boutique hotels if you are up for traveling this way.

That covers nearly everything. Happy to share more and chat more in the comments below

xx Ly