Dreaming Since I Was Sixteen

The first commercial flight I ever took was to Puerto Vallarta with my mom. We had come out of some really hard times, and when she was able to afford it, she booked us on a flight to Mexico. We stayed in a small hotel right on the beach, we didn’t drink the water or use the ice, and the ocean was scary for a girl who had never seen it before. Neither of us spoke Spanish and most of the hotel employees didn’t speak much English. I remember drinking warm Coca-Cola out of a bottle, being suspicious of the food we were eating and was a bit taken aback that all of the tv stations were in Spanish. In spite of that, my love for Mexico started on that trip and I have thought about living south of the border most of my adult life. I have traveled to the typical tourist hot spots many times, but now Michael and I are making forays into lesser known destinations to see if one of them is our heart home. We have a pretty good idea where we may end up, but we both believe we need to immerse ourselves in an area of interest, ideally for 2-6 weeks, in places that are in our top 3-5 locations before we make a decision. The reasons for doing this are myriad.  Think about where you live now—you have a favorite grocery store and a place you like to get your gas. You know how dependable the Wi-Fi is. You like your cell phone carrier. You know when the electricity goes out that the company who provides your service will fix it in a timely manner. You don’t worry that your debit card isn’t going to work. You know where to get cash and that cash will be available when you need it. Now, take those things, put yourself in a foreign country where your native tongue is not the primary language spoken, and you can imagine how uneasy that environment might make you feel. Go there. Rent an apartment, a condo, a house. Stay away from resorts. Shop at the local grocery store. Check out that farmer’s market. Rely on public transportation. Talk to neighbors, store personnel and realtors. Eat at restaurants that locals go to. Marinate in that environment. Listen to your gut. If it feels right, keep it on your dreaming list. If not, cross it off and look forward to your next adventure! As Michael says, you either succeed or you learn. And if you can learn in a gorgeous place, why would you not?

Back to that young girl on her first trip via airplane to another country. She still loves Mexico and now is more than happy to get in the water, consume local food and have a drink or three with ice in it. She learns a few more Spanish words on every trip. And honestly? That TV never gets turned on. There’s a big world out there and her goal is to see as much of it as possible! So, sit with yourself and your expat dreams, make plans to visit those places that seem to resonate with you, and manifest the future that you want!