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Viewing 1 - 9 out of 18 Blogs.
Sean (Yolisto: Ontheloose) and Susan (Yolisto: susan) Randall wanted to enjoy life while young instead of waiting for a more traditional retirement age.
In April, they left their jobs in Victoria, B.C, for a 14-day trek to Chelem, complete with car trouble and border delays.
"We started thinking we were getting to the age where we had the energy and spirit to do it and spend the best years we can here," said Susan, 49.
"I quit a government job it took me nine years to get," said Sean, who turns 43 next month.
He served as a solid waste supervisor for the city. Sean says he is willing to use his expertise to address local trash problems if Mexican authorities are amenable.
"While working for the city, I also did sewage treatment. Before that I was a chef. Incoming and outgoing, I've got it all covered," he joked.
Susan had a good job as an account manager for a food manufacturing company. Her territory covered the entire 700 miles of Vancouver Island.
A less adventurous couple may have been discouraged before they even arrived. Their vehicle lost a tire in Corpus Christi, Texas, before they arrived at the Brownsville border crossing.
The Randalls hauled a trailer full of possessions, which created their next challenge. Getting into Mexico took nine hours. Susan said Mexican border patrol agents kept sending them back to the U.S.
"The U.S. customs people kept laughing at us," Sean said. "We finally bribed a guy there 1,000 pesos and had to pay a customs agent 6,000 pesos."
When an axle on the truck snapped in Veracruz, a trip scheduled for a few days got longer. Sean had stopped to help a man from Arizona who was traveling with his father because they also had car trouble. The strangers were able to direct the Randalls to a mechanic who could fix their axle.
They spent four days in Tihautlan, a village similar in size to Ticul.
"Their claim to fame is the largest statute of Jesus in the world," Sean said. "Actually, it was a little bit eerie. It is so big it looks like it can look all over the world."
The couple managed with only a few words of Spanish in this remote village.
"I could say 'cervesa' and 'por favor,'" Susan said. "The people were so amazing. The hotel was next door to a school and the kids were really curious about us. The kids wanted us to come downstairs and actually interviewed us."
Susan enjoys drawing and painting in acrylics but hasn't pursued her art much here. She volunteers for the Catholic church in Progreso by helping the soup kitchen and dropping off clothing for the needy. She hopes to get a charity drive started in Chelem.
"We're such over-consumers. I'd like to get rid of household stuff and clothes. I would drive around and pick things up to help," she said.
Sean stays busy helping other expats with plumbing and other fix-it jobs. He also helps friends find local workers who are honest and fair. The couple has purchased another house as an investment, and have become savvy about renovations.
"There's been some ups and downs in life, it's just in a different place," Susan said about living in Mexico. "It's all good, though. It takes about a year to settle down and get your legs. Your attitude changes down here. There's no competition."
Both Randalls have seen their Spanish improve in the past year. Sean said he does better if he has time to formulate words in his mind before speaking.
"Oh, man, it's way improved," Susan said about her language skills. "What's amazing is how willing the Mexicans are to help us. You wake up one day and realize you can speak some Spanish."
They enjoy both expat and Mexican friends, and their dog "Lucky Lou."
"We're loving it here. Absolutely love it," Susan said. "We really enjoy the community and country. I love that Mexico doesn't regulate it to death. It's very personally liberating here. We have freedom of choice." Beachbum conducts interviews with expatriates and collects their stories. Her column, Expat Profiles, can be found here on Yolisto.
The first time Kathy Carroll visited the Yucatan three years ago at Christmastime, she was smitten.
"I love being in a different culture, the weather, and I always wanted to live by the water, always," she said. "I never thought I could live by the water, and saw that down here, it was a possibility."
She saved and planned until she could return to rent a house for a month the following summer. Kathy registered for Spanish classes in Merida during that trip. The following summer, she returned for another month.
"In the summer of 2007, I decided I had to retire here. All I did was obsess about how I could retire down here," she recalled.
She sold her home and sold or gave away most of her possessions. A friend, who lives in Chuburna, flew to Delaware in July to help Kathy make the drive to Mexico.
Her initial plans were to live here a year before buying a house. But rising real estate prices prompted an earlier purchase.
"The prices kept going up on me and I got scared," she said.
Kathy will move into a three-bedroom beach house at the end of February. With seven brothers and sisters, and many friends, she expects to fill the house with visitors. Her chihuahua, "Xena, the Warrior Princess," will also have a new home.
She learned about the Yucatan after her friend and colleague from the University of Delaware, Sue Davis, bought a house in Chuburna. The friends were avid runners who got together every Sunday morning for exercise. Kathy finally accepted an invitation from Sue to visit Mexico.
Kathy, 62, said the adjustment from 37 years working as a school psychologist to retirement was seamless. Because she worked in education, Kathy got to test retirement each year on summer break.
"Some people who have to work a regular job don't get that break in the summer. Education is so intense that without the break you would burn out," she said. "I had a chance to practice retirement, and find things to do to stay busy."
Born in Iowa, Kathy attended grad school at the University of Minnesota. She worked in the student counseling center and taught an introduction to psychology class at Moorhead College before moving to Delaware with her ex-husband 27 years ago when he got a job as the track and field coach at the University of Delaware. It was there that Kathy earned her PhD. She spent 15 years counseling children with behavioral and emotional problems, and finished up her career at the high school level.
She divorced four years ago. When her father died recently there was nothing holding Kathy in the United States.
"I would never have had the opportunity to come down here and be able to do things without checking in with other people's lives," she said about being single again after 29 years of marriage. The couple didn't have children.
"I was foot-loose and fancy-free. I didn't have the older generation to worry about. I was able to come down here without any qualms."
Kathy still exercises. She can be seen walking on the beach road most days. She usually stops to chat with people along the way.
"I have such a social life here. I socialize a lot more," she said.
Kathy also continues to take Spanish lessons in Merida and has become friends with local families in Chuburna. She watches soap operas and is reading a book in Spanish to speed along her quest to be bilingual.
"I've always wanted to learn. One of the reasons I'm here is to learn from the people." Beachbum conducts interviews with expatriates and collects their stories. Her column, Expat Profiles, can be found here on Yolisto.
Hi all. A friend suggested I post this so others can add to the list. Thought it would be fun. Disclaimer: I stole this idea from a blogger who lives in Cancun.
THINGS I NEVER DID BEFORE MOVING TO MEXICO
*Check shoes for scorpions before putting them on *Pay three pesos for toilet paper at a public restroom *Wash dishes in cold water *Shovel sand *Dig up plants from the side of the road *Wear rubber flip-flops every day *Buy unrefrigerated eggs by weight *Buy beer in quart bottles *Eat shark *Allow geckos to live in the house *Wash windows weekly *Use bathrooms without toilet seats *Put toilet paper in a wastebasket after use *Taste habenero chilis (Way hot) *Get excited over finding sweet pickle relish and chunky peanut butter *Buy coconut pie from the trunk of a car *Buy fish from the trunk of a car *Buy dirt *Make jokes in Spanish *Eat black beans *Feed street dogs *Sleep in a hammock *Fish right outside my front door *Go everywhere without make-up *Drive the wrong way on a one-way street *Drink a mojito *Buy drugs without a prescription *Have a bodega *Deal with rust on everything *Wash sheets by hand *Dance until 3 a.m. *Take an ice chest to the grocery store *Sew curtains by hand *Live without a dresser, sofa or TV *Watch dolphins swim past my house *Put kerosene in the mop water *Not know what day it is, regularly *Find false teeth on the beach *Take siestas *Cook with bottled water *Build fences *Make new friends over the Internet *Shop at the prison *Consider sweating normal *Buy fabric in meters, not yards *Eat cheviche *Stay at a motel that rents by the hour *Never use left turn signal on a highway *Buy homemade charcol at someone's house *Wait for iguanas to cross the road *Pay a bribe to police *See a firefly
After George and Marla (Yolisto: nueveninos) Kostis lost all their belongings in a house fire in southwestern Ontario in 2007, they realized the tragedy could become an opportunity.
??We spent about three months being absolutely devastated, and then started thinking that nothing says we had to rebuild in Canada,? Marla said.
The couple considered a half dozen foreign countries before narrowing down their search to Panama and Mexico. Mexico soon moved to the top of the list because of political unrest in Panama.
The couple arrived in Progreso last February on a cruise ship to explore the housing market. A real estate agent who was scheduled to meet them never showed up. They ended up renting a home in Progreso while they searched the area for property.
??I talked to a Mexican insurance agent and she gave me information that steered me away from Chelem and Chuburna because of erosion. She said we couldn't get insurance there,? George said. ??One place a the top of our list was Yucalpeten but I had crossed it off because it was so close to Chelem.?
The insurance factor was vital. After losing a home to fire, the Kostis's wanted to make sure they were fully insured on any future home.
They discovered the agent's information was false, and began looking west of Progreso. The family moved into their Chelem home on the beach in April with their 4-year-old son, Kelton. Eight other children between 18-28 years old live in Canada.
??It's very serene here,? Marla said. ??I like waking up in the morning, opening my eyes and looking at the water. It's an instant calm when I wake up.?
The move has been good for George, also. He suffered serious head injuries in an automobile accident in 1997 that left him in a coma for two weeks. When he regained consciousness, George had to relearn all basic activities. He still suffers short-term memory problems.
??George is so much better here,? his wife said. ??His doctors said he should always spend winters somewhere warm.?
George has taken on woodworking projects during renovations of the family's beach house but has to be careful.
??I have poor judgment skills. I cut myself on a regular basis,? he said. ??I also lost my sense of smell. Half the time it's not really there, and I don't have much of a sense of taste. With the spicy food, it's nice to be down here.?
After the accident, George, 50, was forced to leave his job as a correctional officer. He had lost the ability to react quickly to an emergency situation. But he sees the accident as ??a blessing.?
The couple is devoted to Kelton, who is mentally gifted beyond their expectations. They tried for five years to have another child before Marla became pregnant. George enjoys watching Kelton grow and learn, something he missed with his older children because of his work schedule.
??It was a labor of love to get him,? George said about his youngest child.
Kelton will be home-schooled. He is an avid reader who enjoys computers. The toddler can explain the different operating systems used in computing or grab an atlas and offer an impromptu geography lesson.
??Kelton reads almost as fast as Marla does. He doesn't play, he learns,? said George.
His wife agreed.
??Kelton's books are not children's book, they are reference books. He would spend all day on the computer if we didn't make him go outside. His main interest is anything he can read,? she said.
Marla, 48, was the administrator of a nursing home in Ontario. She is an avid scrapbooking fan who had a room added to her home to house her supplies. She will open the space to others who want to learn or use the myriad of specialized tools she brought to Mexico, including more than 200 sets of stamps, a dry embossing machine, 48 different colors of ink, die cutters, etc.
??I'll do whatever people want. I can provide the area and show people how to do things,? she said.
Marla also plans to improve her Spanish to better communicate.
??I have high school Spanish and can get by. I think it's very rude to go to a country and not learn the language. And, I definitely want Kelton to learn.?
George simply wants to enjoy time with his son and the Mexican culture.
??I like the warmth and the Mexicans themselves. They are hard workers and they are all ?? baring the language barrier ?? friendly and helpful.? Beachbum conducts interviews with expatriates and collects their stories. Her column, Expat Profiles, can be found here on Yolisto.
Hello, fellow Yolisters! I have posted a photo of the toys your generous donations provided for the kids in Chelem this Christmas. The gifts will be delivered by Santa tonight and I hope to have some pictures of happy faces to add in the next day or two.
In one week, we collected 10,880 pesos! That's not counting the toys that were purchased by some of you and added to the stack. I am proud and thankful for the kind expats who have chosen to give back to this community we call home. You have truly demonstrated the true meaning of Christmas.
These gifts will go to children who probably wouldn't otherwise receive anything this year. A local family who knows all their neighbors will direct Santa to the neediest neighborhoods.
A special thanks to LegalBlonde (Nan) and beachstarz (Star) for help with shopping and making 200 bags of candy that will also be distributed. And, of course, Santa (Sarge, aka Rick). You guys are the best.
I saved receipts and will be happy to scan and send them to anyone who asks. We bought small gifts for the two local women who are helping and will use the remaining $20 to buy beer for Santa. He'll need a drink after all those Ho-Ho-Hos.
Feliz Navidad
Bob and Donna Teel have discovered Mexicans are very accepting of those who have special needs, a pleasant surprise after moving to the Yucatan six months ago.
The couple relocated here from Atlanta with their 26-year-old son, Eric, who has Down Syndrome. Eric has the mental capacity of a 5- or-6-year-old child, Donna said, and was routinely ignored when the family lived in the U.S. The locals, however, consider Eric an angel and shower him with attention.
Before they retired, the couple moved to Florida to care for Bob's ailing parents. They bought a farm outside of Gainesville and raised 101 goats for five years.
??We did not make a lot of money but we worked awfully hard,? Donna said. ??We rescued a horse, pot-bellied pigs, cats and dogs.?
When Bob's parents passed, he and Donna moved to one of the many retirement communities in Florida.
??We couldn't stand it. All the people talked about was what the weather was like, where they came from, their aches and pains and what they were going to eat that night,? Donna said. ??I told Bob, 'I've got another adventure in me.' He said, 'Let's look at Mexico.'?
The Teels knew they enjoyed the Spanish culture after living in Paraguay for a year in the early 1990s. Bob's father had made a trip to South America in 1918 and related fond memories of the journey. The couple took a year off work and recreated that trek, living in Asuncion, Paraguay, an ancient but modern city.
Like many expats, the Teels started with an online search and found the Merida area was affordable. Bob wanted to live on the beach so the focus turned to Progreso, Chelem and Chuburna. The couple rented a house sight-unseen and began preparing for the move.
??We had a house full of antiques that had been in the family for years and it hurt to let some of that go but there was also a sense of relief,? said Donna. ??It's a case of do you own possessions or do they own you??
Bob had to part with a family gun collection, some of which were used in the Civil War.
??I sold it and it was painful,? he said. ??I sold it to a collector. We had lugged them around forever.?
After a visit to their six grandchildren, Bob and Donna arrived in Chuburna in June, just three months after they began the Internet search. They are here to stay.
??We have no intention of going back to the states,? Bob said.
The couple has been married 16 years but known each other for 30. Bob earned master's degrees in speech pathology and mental retardation. He taught speech pathology at West Carolina University for five years. He later worked at a hospital, ran a hearing aid plant and formed a rehabilitation company.
Donna became an administrator in the health care field after raising her children.
??I found out I had a brain,? she joked.
Bob said the information he scoured in four Mexico guidebooks was mostly false.
??Nothing in them was correct. They were horribly wrong on prices. This area is more expensive and the food is highly exaggerated. I found Yucatan food to be fairly simple,? he said. ??But the Yucatan people are so nice to Eric, and so kind to him, that it more than outweighs the inconveniences.?
Bob and Donna are hoping to find Angelican church services in English to practice their faith and receive communion.
??All my life I've gone where I can have communion. It's very important to me and that's something I need to do,? said Donna.
In the meantime, the Teels enjoy meeting friends and spending time with Eric.
??We have no desire to work to possess things,? Donna said. ??We just want to be comfortable, enjoy Eric and each other." Beachbum conducts interviews with expatriates and collects their stories. Her column, Expat Profiles, can be found here on Yolisto.
When Bill Dudley (Yolisto: Hopper) suffered heart problems two years ago, he and his wife Theresa (Yolisto: pattycake) decided to get serious about plans to retire in Mexico.
Bill had a clogged artery and needed a stent to repair the damage in June, 2006. At the time of the angina attack, Bill's employer medical insurance had just lapsed and he was seeking new coverage.
??It pissed us off. One stent and three days in the hospital cost $95,000,? Bill said.
The couple negotiated to get the bills reduced but medical expenses took a hefty chunk from their life savings.
??We decided if we were going to make a move we better start researching it,? said Bill.
??The cost of living with medical and utilities was a factor. We realized that we were in the downside of our lives,? Theresa said.
The couple had visited various parts of Mexico many times during their 33 years of marriage with an ultimate goal to live here someday. As they looked at Alcapulco and Matzalan, the housing prices grew out of reach.
??We talked about Mexico all our married life but never looked in the Yucatan,? Theresa said.
Once the couple discovered the Gulf Coast, they acted quickly. They researched the level of medical care in Merida, along with housing possibilities on the beach.
The Dudleys made a five-day trip to the Yucatan 18 months ago but left without finding a suitable home.
??We saw one house on the beach where the water was lapping on the sea wall,? Theresa said. ??That spooked us.?
After returning to Montague, Texas, the couple began corresponding via e-mail with Kaye Kirkes on Merida Insider. Kaye lives in Oklahoma and the new friends had much in common. Kaye recommended the Realtor who helped her purchase her beach home in Chuburna.
The Realtor not only found a little one-bedroom house for the Dudleys, he sold them a beachfront lot where they are building a home. The small house was sold to finance the 2,500 square foot project on the main road leading into Chelem.
??We sent the money and a power of attorney here for the little house on the beach and the land. We bought both within three months. The minute I bought this lot (Theresa) started designing the house," Bill said.
Theresa used her experience as a design drafter to draw the plans for her dream home.
??I had my basic lay-out in my head. Every room has a view of the beach and I wanted to keep the air flow. I wanted an open look,? she said.
During most of the Dudleys' marriage, Theresa, 60, was a stay-at-home mother to their four children. Their oldest son is a dentist, another son works in computer programming and their daughter is a veterinary assistant and animal caretaker. The couple lost a son in an auto accident.
Bill, 62, worked as a fiber optic inspector when the children were small, traveling all over the country. He also worked as a mechanic/welder for a contractor that performed work for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission on top-secret projects near Las Vegas. The past 10 years were spent as the general manager for a oil drilling manufacturing firm.
Until his heart trouble, Bill was also an avid pilot. He and Theresa flew many times to Mexico to take clothing and food to various orphanages. They also took many trips within the U.S. He gave up his airplane and pilot's license to avoid huge insurance costs related to his health problems.
??Dudley Airlines was better than any other airline. I could smoke on my airline,? Theresa joked.
Theresa and Bill are in Mexico until December to finalize the details on their house. Once back in Texas, their property will go on the market, and they will began preparing for a permanent move to Chelem. They hope to become full time residents by June.
??I have been totally surprised at the number of expats and thrilled at how friendly they are,? said Teresa. ??I like this area. I feel like we're going to fit right in here because these are not upper crust people.?
She will continue drawing and designing on the computer. Theresa has illustrated a childrens' book that was published and sells unique designs at zazzle.com/pattycake.
Bill plans to fish and buy a motorcyle to explore the area.
"We decided to do something exciting as old people," Bill said. Beachbum conducts interviews with expatriates and collects their stories. Her column, Expat Profiles, can be found here on Yolisto.
Dave (Yolisto: Pyro) Leist is going to be fine. He is balancing rocks on the beach.
Joan Paci worried that her husband couldn't unwind from a hectic life in California when the couple first arrived in Chuburna a month ago.
??When I knew he was going to be all right was when he started balancing rocks,? she said. ??It's a good sign when he can balance rocks. It shows an inner peace.?
The transition from being on-call via cell phones, pagers and emergency radio equipment to days of leisure wasn't easy. Dave recently watched the progress of three major fires in Southern California through a live video feed, knowing he would be in the midst of the action if he was still on the job. But, slowly, he is letting go.
??The first couple of weeks I was always thinking I had to go somewhere or had a meeting,? Dave said. ??I finally got to the point where I don't need to do anything except figure out what kind of shorts I'm going to wear today.?
In fact, the couple spent part of a recent morning watching birds perch on sticks prevelant on the shoreline here.
??We spent a half hour watching the pecking order of the birds,? Joan said. ??It's fascinating to watch the whole psychology of things. There really is a pecking order.?
They also monitor a pet crab who lives on the beach, and devote time trying to entice it out of the sand so it can be photographed.
Dave, 60, and Joan, 57, visited the Yucatan one year ago, spending a week on the beach.
??We were very nostalgic when we got home. It was enough to make us realize we needed to come here for a long time,? said Joan.
This trip, the couple will stay a year. They loaded up their two cats and spent three months in Texas enroute. They plan to explore the rest of the Yucatan, Belize and Puerto Rico.
??We are here until September. After that, we haven't discussed what we're going to do. We're not tied into anything. We're like gypsies,? Dave said.
He grew up in Monterrey, Calif. where the water temperature runs about 55 degrees and fog is common.
??We moved down for the climate and love the ocean. I spent my entire life (in Monterrey) and this is a great big world,? he said.
Joan was a postal worker in New Jersey who got tired of the freezing winters. She moved to California where she met Dave in 1990 while working for the California highway department, driving a dump truck and backhoe. The couple met at an accident scene.
Joan creates intricate knitted lace doilies and beaded jewelry. Recently, Joan started making mats and belts from plastic bags that are cut into strips and knitted together. She managed a knitting store in the states. Joan also designed Venitian glass jewelry that has been sold all over the country.
Dave is an avid photographer who has taken more than 1,000 photos since arriving in the Yucatan.
"I grab the camera and go for a walk. I really like doing that," he said.
Joan calls the Mexico experience "making memories."
"It's our turn and we're going to take it. I don't particularly miss anything. Maybe I miss my friends but I can talk to them on the phone," she said.
In the meantime, Dave adds to the number of rock sculptures on the beach.
"This is a very different way of life from what we're used to," Dave said. "We don't have an agenda. Every day is different." Beachbum conducts interviews with expatriates and collects their stories. Her column, Expat Profiles, can be found here on Yolisto.
A few short months ago, Gary (Yolisto: Papaw007) and Nancy Draper thought it was impossible to retire and move to their house in Mexico.
But after a visit in April and a meeting with their financial advisor when they returned home to Monticello, Indiana, the couple decided to make the leap.
The Drapers wasted no time. They listed their home and began packing. Despite the depressed housing market in the U.S., their house sold in six weeks. While waiting for escrow to close, the couple bought a 6-by-12-foot cargo trailer, held several yard sales, decided what to bring and what to leave behind. ??We packed up and moved down like the Clampetts,? Gary said. ??We sold everything else or gave it to friends and family.? They arrived three weeks ago, racing Hurricane Ike across Texas. Nancy and Gary are just beginning to feel like permanent residents. ??It's starting to sink in that this is our new life and not just a vacation,? Gary said. Nancy began eyeing early retirement after two deaths in her family. Her brother and sister-in-law both died of cancer just months apart. ??It makes you sit back and re-evaluate life and what's important,? she said. ??Life is very precious and it can get away from you.? Nancy is quite familiar with life and death. She has been a registered nurse since 1993, most recently working as an intensive care nurse in a 358-bed hospital in Indiana. Gary retired as the plant superintendent for a bearing factory after 31 years on the job. He started with the company right out of college and stayed to make a career out of the opportunity. ??We knew we couldn't retire in the states and live well. One good thing about the company I worked for is that it's one of the few remaining companies that still offer a pension plan and a 401K match,? he said. The Drapers first came to the Yucatan in January, 2007, after exploring Panama as a possible retirement site. ??We stayed in Merida and fell in love almost immediately,? said Nancy. ??The people were so friendly and so laid back.? The climate was also a plus. After enduring Indiana winters, the couple wanted a warm environment for their retirement years. They had spent many vacations in St. Maarten but property there was not affordable. ??We always had in the back of our minds we would be expats somewhere. We like to travel to different places and different cultures,? Gary said. On that first visit they found their current home in Chuburna and began remodeling. They have made several trips since to oversee improvements. Now they are ready to embark on a rooftop addition and final renovations. ??Once we get the house done and the big projects done, then it will be time to really relax, see what's around and take day trips,? Nancy said. ??I want to see out-of-the-way things...not tourist areas. This is my country now. And, I want to learn Spanish.? Once she learns the language, Nancy could volunteer at one of the local hospitals. She also wants to begin a clean-up project to rid the neighborhoods of trash. Both Drapers enjoy golf, and look forward to playing at nearby courses. Gary likes to fish and is looking for a boat to buy. They also are getting re-acquainted with ??Tito,? a street dog they adopted in the Spring. ??I think my blood pressure has gone down 10 points by moving here,? Gary said while describing his new life as ??muy tranquilo.? He frequently turns to his wife while relaxing on the terrace with a snack or beverage. ??This is a tough life,? he jokes. ??Do you think they'd take me back at my old job?? Beachbum conducts interviews with expatriates and collects their stories. Her column, Expat Profiles, can be found here on Yolisto.
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The couple had visited the Yucatan when a relative owned a house here and decided to purchase a place of their own on the beach.. 
Kathy returned to her job as a high school psychologist in northern Delaware to begin plotting how she could retire early and make the move to Mexico.
??Back in the early 70s, we had a foreign exchange student living with us. She'd say that when we retired we should move to Merida because it is very beautiful there. That was always in the back of my mind,? Marla said. ??George always wanted to live on a beach. I always wanted to live where it was warm. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking of Merida." 
??We do find the people here kinder. There are more gentle people here,? Donna said. 
The rising cost of living in Texas, where the Dudleys live on 17 acres of land in a home they built themselves, was also a concern.
In the short time since Dave and Joan arrived in Mexico, they have learned to feel at ease. Dave retired in April from the California Office of Emergency Management. He previously spent 30 years with the federal fire department where he earned the rank of chief. 
??When we went home last April, Nancy said why don't we just retire and move down,? Gary recalled. ??I didn't think there was any way we could retire at 55. I sat down and made up a Mexican budget using stuff from friends here, on MI and Yolisto. We called our financial planner, went over investments, pensions and income from selling our house, and he said 'you're fine. You can do it.'?
