Doug Willey says he spent the first 50 years of his life doing what others expected of him.

Now it's his turn to live the life he chooses.

Doug and his wife Teresa (Yolisto:bchbums1981) moved to Chelem at the end of March but bought property here five years ago as a retirement home. The couple was looking at 15 years before they could quit work and live permanently in Mexico.

Their journey began after Teresa bought a trip to Mexico for her husband's birthday in 2000. That was the only way she could convince him to leave Delaware and visit the Yucatan, she said. They traveled to Akumal.

"After that first episode, I fell in love immediately with the water, the weather, the people and the food," Doug said. "It was so laid-back. No one was hassling anyone. We came back to Mexico eight times in two years, and that's when we decided we were going to buy a little piece of Mexico."

The Carribean was so expensive, the couple started looking at the Gulf Coast. They contacted Jim Mann at Mayan Living after researching property for months on the Internet. The first few houses they viewed needed too much work, said Doug.

"Either it was a hovel or out of our price range," he recalled. "But we didn't want to go back empty-handed."

The Willey's ended up buying a house they later traded for the one where they now reside, across the street from Sian Ka'an hotel and restaurant.

"It was solely for retirement, and we had 15 more years to go, but we had the bug and couldn't stand it," Teresa said.

They returned home. Doug, 55, went back to his job as a union construction worker. Teresa, 51, was a women's counselor for the state helping battered and abused women find a better life.

"I was a die-hard union man. If it wasn't made in the U.S.A., I didn't want it," Doug said.

But the lure of Mexico persisted. Teresa and Doug made lists of the pros and cons of living in the Yucatan earlier than originally planned. Both earned good money, and Teresa's benefits from her government job were a big consideration.

"I was very comfortable where I was," said Teresa. "I did not think the timing was right."

They decided to each request a month-long leave of absence from their jobs and headed to Mexico. Doug soon got a sales job with Occidental Resorts, which led the couple to life in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and, most recently, Belize. As the crime rate in San Pedro, Belize increased, the Willey's began looking towards Chelem.

Doug called his former real estate agent and asked if he needed help in the business.  He was hired to handle beach properties for the company. They have been busy renovating their three-bedroom home and helping other expatriates wade through the real estate process. 

Like many who move to the Yucatan, the local villagers have welcomed the foreigners. The couple has grown fond of Eduardo, a worker who has done much of the renovation on their house.

"Every day the local people amaze us with their kindness. On Mother's Day, Eduardo brought me a present. He also gives us all the gossip on all the other gringos," Teresa said with a grin.

They brought along Julio, a dog they adopted in Playa five years ago and call a "Mayan Doberman" because it has Doberman features but is quite short. They recently added a German Shepherd puppy to the family.

Their 26-year-old son and year-old granddaughter live in Ft. Lauderdale. A 24-year-old son is in Delaware and plans to visit soon.

Most of Teresa and Doug's spare time is spent working on the house. But Teresa makes time to walk the beach each day and read. She is an avid reader who is always looking to trade books with other expats.

Doug relishes living his life of choice ‑ swimming, snorkling, diving and wind-surfing.

"You couldn't get me out of here with a shotgun," he said. "All the people who have migrated here are real people, not plastic. This is a laid-back, peaceful life."

Tags: Expat Profiles