Retirees, Other Americans Moving to Mexico
The U.S. State Department puts the figure from 600,000 to 1,000,000 according to Alfredo Corchado and Laurence Iliff of The Dallas Morning News.
“Analysts say the influx of Americans is fueled by such factors as a lower cost of living, more affordable housing, warm weather, a more relaxed pace of life and a different political atmosphere.
More than 76 million American baby boomers are expected to reach retirement age in the next 20 years, and 25 percent of them have no health insurance or savings, according to an AARP report. A significant number of those future retirees will likely be heading south, said Viviana Rojas, a researcher at the University of Texas in San Antonio.”
Maybe you too have watched your retiree friends make that jump from life in America to Mexico. They have reported to you, perhaps in visits back to the States, how much they love it there and plan to spend the rest of their days. You have been intrigued. “But me,” you ask yourself, “could I do it too?”
My wife and I found ourselves having to take an extremely early retirement due to a medical disability. I became afflicted with a neuromuscular disorder. We soon found ourselves unable to keep funding my illness in America. We found a country where we could afford it and moved there-Mexico.
However, I have to admit that though we knew that retirees had been moving and successfully living in Mexico for decades the thought was overwhelming. I mean, just how does one begin? How does one go about even starting?
Let’s face it, it is not like moving to Florida. We are talking another country, close as it is to America it is still foreign soil.
Expatriate wannabes often ask us how we managed our expatriation to Guanajuato. They want to know how we overcame the seemingly overwhelming logistics of deciding where to live, if it is affordable, if there is reasonable medical care, how to find housing, can Americans find work, what about visas, and will the culture shock be too great to handle?
All of these questions are legitimate and answers are obtainable if you are willing to do the homework. If I had to narrow it down to two things that are the most important in your quest to expatriate to Mexico, I would say this: research and make an exploratory visit to the city of your choice.
First, take all the time you need to research the city or cites which you are considering. Read everything you can get your hands on–and more–about the regions in which you might be interested.
The second thing is that once you have narrowed your options down to the cities that most interest you–visit them. Visit as many as you can afford.
This last suggestion, we have found, intimidates many with whom we have spoken about their expatriating dreams. If they are not well traveled, fluent in the language, or gutsy enough, this thought is a little overwhelming. We found ourselves in the same boat when we reached the point of research overload and it was time to go and have a look around. We were scared but determined.
What we decided to do is what we highly recommend to potential expats–go to language school. This is the perfect way in which to experience the culture. You can learn some of the language and see what the country is really like in a safe and controlled environment in the city in which you may want live. Attending a language school and staying with a local family, in the cities that you are considering as your new home, will have the following advantages: 1) You will get “three hots and a cot”. 2) You will stay with a family, carefully screened by most reputable schools, who knows the city from the inside out. 3) You will have the support of the local family and school in case you get into a jam. 4) You will be able to see and experience genuine Mexican living in a worry free environment.
You will get “three hots and a cot. We made our exploratory trip to Guanajuato on February 2003. In the school we attended, we arranged for a home stay with a local family. We had fine accommodations with an upper middle-class family. The family made took care of cleaning our room and making the bed just as in a hotel. In some cases, you can get them to do your laundry–for a small tip. They provide all our meals so we did not have to worry about finding restaurants three times a day in a strange and new place. You have the option of eating out if you warn the host family ahead of time.
The point is that all the arrangements for your needs are made through the school before you arrive. Most schools arrange to have you picked up at the airport when you arrive. This is, in my opinion, a worry-free proposition. All we had to do is show up at the Guanajuato airport to find someone waiting to take care of us in a country we knew little about and with our having little to no travel abroad experience.
You will stay with a family, carefully screened by most reputable schools, who knows the city from the inside out. This is the perfect setup! If you are thinking of expatriating to Mexico what better situation can you find but to be in the care and a Mexican family who knows the city–where to find a place to live, how to set up your utilities, which banks are the best, all the bus routes, moving services, handymen, maids to hire, etc. You cannot beat this!
We received a host family, when we came to language school, where the man was an influential lawyer in Guanajuato who knew everyone and anything you could conceive of needing in your expatriating adventure. This was perfect for us and this could work for you too. Networking with the locals is what will smooth your way in your desire to expatriate.
You will have the support of the local family and school in case you get into a jam. I was a nervous ninny at the thought of just booking a hotel and showing up in Guanajuato to do our exploratory mission. I mean, what did I know about traveling or living abroad? Nothing! My wife was experienced from her college days in Europe but I had zilch experience in foreign travel. So having this support system set up through a local language school who found us a wonderful family with whom to stay solved my anxiety.
One of the first things the “host family” did for us was to sit down with us over a meal and orient us to the city. We got verbal instruction about everything from street beggars and how to deal with them to places to avoid-The cantinas(bars).
The wonderful family then gave us a host of telephone numbers to call, home and cell, in the event we were on the street and go into trouble. Then came the personal tour of the city and of significant sites.
You will be able to see and experience genuine Mexican living in a worry free environment. What better way to see how life is in Mexico but to live with a Mexican family–You have virtually all your needs to taken care of, freeing you to explore with almost nothing to worry about. It truly was the most relaxing trip we have ever taken.
A final tip is to be sure and write some former students, listed on the school’s web sites, to see what their experiences were at the school. Get a consensus, if you can, from the former students. We did this and were surprised that some listed on the reference page of the school’s web sites were honest enough to mention deficiencies.
Go to any search engine online and type this phrase: Mexico Spanish Schools. This will give you a good start.
