Hello from sunny Mexico

[dixonge]

If it were up to Nords and ERD50 you would think that I was either still at work or in the poorhouse. I guess that's what I get for doing the 'transparency' thing in my old 'insane emergency RE plan' thread.

Hey, at least I'm *some* sort of example.

Just a quick update. The wifey and I quit our jobs in March of last year, spent six months homeless and living in our SUV (fortunately we were towing a pop-up camper) *heh* We saw most of the major national parks in the U.S. and lots of friends and family, and then returned to our home base to spend the holidays with my parents and brother.

In February we moved to Mexico and have been living here rent-free, taking care of a very nice home and some pets. We're getting lots of sun and taking nice walks and losing weight. In August we'll live rent-free in a yoga retreat in Puerto Escondido and then move on to either Merida and/or Belize.

We have been what I call 'semi-retired' for over a year now. The money expenditures were a bit higher than we would have liked while driving around the states last year, but have settled down *very* nicely here in Chapala. We have done the occasional freelance work for extra income, and are about to add a few ebooks into the mix.

For lots of updates and pictures you can check out our blog (in my profile).

Adios!

 

[audreyh1]

¡Qué bueno! ¡Disfrútenlo! Gracias por decirnos tus novedades.

 

[obgyn65]

Great. Thanks for the update.

 

[MichaelB]

When do expect to know if Merida or Belize is the choice?

 

[Bestwifeever]

House-sitting sounds like a perfect gig for you two, Dixonge--I imagine plenty of people are looking for someone to keep an eye on things for them. Try not to enjoy it too much .

 

[Free To Canoe]

One person's poorhouse is another's adventure of a lifetime.
You example shows what is possible.

Thanks for posting and continue to enjoy!

 

[dixonge]

When do expect to know if Merida or Belize is the choice?

Hopefully by August! We lined up our current assignment only one month ahead of time and flew in and took a taxi directly to the house. If we don't find a house by then we can still visit Merida but having a home base let's us stay and play longer.

House-sitting sounds like a perfect gig for you two, Dixonge--I imagine plenty of people are looking for someone to keep an eye on things for them. Try not to enjoy it too much .

I will have to agree, perfect! Enjoyment is contagious though

 

[Onward]

Thanks for the interesting update.

 

[Koogie]

Can anyone supply his blog address ? Love to read it but it doesnt show up on his profile ( at least in the android app)

 

[MichaelB]

Can anyone supply his blog address ? Love to read it but it doesnt show up on his profile ( at least in the android app)

This is it Vagabondians

 

[Koogie]

This is it Vagabondians

Thanks !

 

[haha]

This is it Vagabondians

That dog in the first photo has to be the best fed Mexican dog I have ever seen.

Ha

 

[Nords]

If it were up to Nords and ERD50 you would think that I was either still at work or in the poorhouse. I guess that's what I get for doing the 'transparency' thing in my old 'insane emergency RE plan' thread.

Hey, at least you had the wisdom to declare it "insane" and the guts to deal with the consequences of your actions... and then to post about it on the board.

Blogger e-books seem to be pretty hot these days.
E-junkie Shopping Cart for selling downloads & tangible goods

 

[dixonge]

Hey, at least you had the wisdom to declare it "insane" and the guts to deal with the consequences of your actions... and then to post about it on the board.

Blogger e-books seem to be pretty hot these days.
E-junkie Shopping Cart for selling downloads & tangible goods

Funny you should mention that - we just started working on book #1 and already have a basic concept for books 2 and 3! Book 1 - We sold everything, quit our jobs and ran away from home (not the actual title) - Book 2 - Six Months in a Pop-up Camper - Book 3 - Six Months in Mexico (working titles)

I'll be sure to post whenever we get those on Amazon

 

[MichaelB]

That dog in the first photo has to be the best fed Mexican dog I have ever seen.

Ha

No kidding!

Funny you should mention that - we just started working on book #1 and already have a basic concept for books 2 and 3! Book 1 - We sold everything, quit our jobs and ran away from home (not the actual title) - Book 2 - Six Months in a Pop-up Camper - Book 3 - Six Months in Mexico (working titles)

I'll be sure to post whenever we get those on Amazon

Good luck with your projects. Nice avatar, too.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

dixonge,

I remember your story. Nobody can say you don't have guts.

Your path is my Plan C.

Nice blog! I will follow it.

Take care.

 

[ronin]

Puerto Escondido is very nice. Do you surf?

 

[warrentalbot]

Glenn, we love to follow you guys and learn about your experiences. We'll be in Mexico by the end of the year and are watching closely your experience to see where to stay for 6 months or so. With luck we'll be able to connect in person for a few cervezas and great discussion.

Good luck on the next house-sitting gig and enjoy living your dream.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Very cool! Thanks for the update!

 

[Surewhitey]

We're back in Cali for a visit, but here's my 2 cents...Belize over Merida...unless it's Belize City (kind of dirty). Merida we visited a few months ago and thought it was a bit on the dirty side too. Just a big city with a very small center that we didn't think much of. Had a couple good meals, though.

Other cities we've visited is Guanajuato, Queretaro, San Cristobal de las Casas; of these, the last was our favorite, but all were nice. VERY green in the south of Mexico. We live(d) in Playa del Carmen and like the beaches and exploring the coast all the way down to Belize.

Took a visit to Caye Caulker and then a bus ride (adventure) from Belize City back to Corozal...Belize is a very green place to visit if you stay away from B.C.

If you are into snorkeling, you must go half-way from Costa Maya and Xcalak...very remote with untouched reef. Almaplena (on Google Maps, but not on satellite view)is a good landmark...put in there and swim out and north. Way cool...

Enjoy!

 

[dixonge]

Glenn, we love to follow you guys and learn about your experiences. We'll be in Mexico by the end of the year and are watching closely your experience to see where to stay for 6 months or so. With luck we'll be able to connect in person for a few cervezas and great discussion.

Good luck on the next house-sitting gig and enjoy living your dream.

Warren - that's funny, we love following YOU guys! LOL

Would absolutely LOVE to chat over cervezas some day. We'll be somewhere between Guatemala and Cancun by the end of the year. We definitely need to keep in touch!

 

[dixonge]

Puerto Escondido is very nice. Do you surf?

Unfortunately, no. I did see where there is a surf competition in August - we hope to attend!

 

[dixonge]

Other cities we've visited is Guanajuato, Queretaro, San Cristobal de las Casas; of these, the last was our favorite, but all were nice. VERY green in the south of Mexico. We live(d) in Playa del Carmen and like the beaches and exploring the coast all the way down to Belize.

We love Guanajuato and will be visiting there again in early July. I've been reading/seeing a lot about San Cristobal lately too, definitely on our map!

 

[dixonge]

I can't believe it's been six months! An update is due (if you haven't been following the blog).

So in July we took a bus and visited several places across Mexico - Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City, Acapulco, Puerto Escondido. We stayed at least two nights in each location. After landing in Puerto, we made a discovery. We've lived our entire lives in Texas with scorching and humid summers, so we anticipated that we would have no problems adapting to a city on the beach in Mexico.

Uh......NO!

We were miserable, 24/7. Well, ok - maybe not every single hour of the day, but it was rather stifling. And this may be something you won't get in a travel guide book so you might want to make a note. Here is where we miscalculated. While we did indeed live in a similar climate in Texas, we also lived in a culture and society which valued a complete and invasive technological solution to all problems. The fact is that we spent the vast majority of our time in closed spaces which were air conditioned and heated to maintain maximum comfort. All housing, all businesses, all offices, all transportation. Living like this does most definitely *NOT* condition you to the prevailing climate!

In contrast, Mexico does not have any such pervasive climate solutions. Air conditioners are available in hotels if you pay a bit more, but even the rare vehicle (usually a bus) that has A/C is unlikely to use it. The same can be said for heat (more on that in a minute).

So, after a few days we toured our Yoga retreat where we were scheduled to return to in August and housesit. Unfortunately it received a direct hit from a hurricane and the damage still showed. Repairs had been made and it was basically functional but it was no longer the beautiful oasis we had imagined. Additionally, the only room available was open-air with mosquito netting which partially blocked any airflow the ceiling fan may have provided. To make things worse, it was a full 30-minute drive to town for any sort of groceries.

So, we reluctantly bailed out and moved on. A few days later we found ourselves in mild, sunny San Cristobal de las Casas. On July 22 I posted this on Facebook "might stay here another couple of weeks! Really cool town..." We're still here! lol

We've met lots of new friends, most of whom passed through to other places. We are now booked for a flight to Cancun on January 15th. We plan to explore Merida briefly then meet up with friends in Playa del Carmen. After that, some old friends are flying to Belize for diving and we'll spend time with them there for at least 10 days. And after that?

Who knows? Most likely south, but there are also possibilities for Cuba, and even a possible trip to return home to the States for a brief visit, assuming we can get a good price on tickets. And then south. Costa Rica is calling...