This is a huge step, but one which we feel drawn to make for many reasons, some as yet unknown. First and foremost as you stated there has been a shift in my consciousness and an awakening of my spirituality over the last several years. A questioning of “What is my life’s purpose path? And am I on the right track?” I have some very strong beliefs about why we are here and what lies beyond. I am more in tune with my intuition, with God’s voice, and with His messengers, the angels and archangels. The answers are available to us, if we just ask and then take the time to pay attention and to listen. Time is such a precious commodity in this hectic, crazy “have more, do more world.”

Why Mexico? Practically speaking, it’s more affordable than the US. Health insurance, housing, medical care etc. are getting cost prohibitive. When we started reading about affordable places to go when one is tired of the “rat-race,” many sources pointed to places in Mexico. Keith has been teasing me for many years that he wanted to move to Mexico and grow tomatoes! I would visualize a remote, secluded hut in a sunny area and would laugh! Well, we visited one of the areas highlighted in our research in February. I wanted a winter break, Keith wanted to check out an area south of Guadalajara, the Lake Chapala area. When we got to the town of Ajijic, I said, “I could see myself living here.” But never for a moment thought it would be so soon. A realtor we met told us we would know if we “caught the bug.” I think we were infected before leaving! When we got home I thought things would settle down and the memory would fade, but just the opposite happened and we found ourselves dreaming and planning; reassessing our lives, our goals, etc. Keith had been doing engineering contract work for 4 years and was getting a little burnt out. Last fall his contract ended and he didn’t really want to find another gig. That’s what really started the whole wheel in motion. In order to live here, he would have to continue to do what he had been doing for 25 years and that didn’t feel like a good fit anymore. Although I love many aspects of my career, the physical toll is evident after 13 years. What would I like to do with my days if I didn’t have Carefree?? I started to dream and wonder. And here we are…

The climate where we are going is supposed to be second best in the world! I don’t mind saying that’s a big draw for me. I’m not fond of our weather here in NE. The long, dark, cold winters and the hot, humid summers just don’t suit me. Guadalajara is in a mountainous area so the temperatures are moderate. Many homes do not have heat or AC, they are not needed. The air is dry and clean. The lake is huge, although sadly, not swimmable. Conservation efforts are in the works, but they are about 50 years behind the US.

The Mexican people where we visited are lovely; helpful and friendly. It reminded me of how my Dad used to describe how things were here 40 - 50 years ago. People weren’t afraid to help a stranger in need and that kind of thing. Learning about a new culture, meeting new people, learning Spanish, and having a new adventure round out the picture. The area we are going to has had expatriates for about 45 years. We are not breaking new ground by any means. It’s not “resort-y” like Cancun and many of the coastal areas. Yet, quite comfortable appearing (remember we’ve only spent two weeks!) in it’s services, English newspapers, restaurants, and such. It has been discovered and that many people can’t be wrong!