# Canadian couple in our 40's with 2 kids wanting a slower pace of life??



## LeanneJ (Sep 1, 2014)

Hello all
My hubby and I are just starting our journey/ research on wanting to give up the rat race up here in Canada and move down south.
So looking for ANY/ALL suggestions,tips,or help.
I have always found that your best resource is speaking to people who have already done it.
THANK YOU😄😄😄


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Well for Mexico there are financial requirements to get a resident visa ..... or do the tourist turn around and cross the border every 180 day


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

The first issue is financial, because expecting to work in Mexico is not the best plan for anyone. If you have your financial needs already covered for the long haul...then go for it. I'd recommend reading Rolly Brook's site: My Life in Mexico first, for all the little details you'll want to know.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

[_QUOTE=LeanneJ;5107186]Hello all
My hubby and I are just starting our journey/ research on wanting to give up the rat race up here in Canada and move down south.
So looking for ANY/ALL suggestions,tips,or help.
I have always found that your best resource is speaking to people who have already done it.
THANK YOU[/QUOTE]_

Leanne:

Rat race? Alberta? Escape from a frenetic and demanding lifestyle in Western Canada in one´s 40s for life in Latin America? Have you ben to Mexico before for any length of time as a resident?e

More power to you to have that kind of financial security to be able to abandon the tundra and, I presume, a congested and urban part of of your province and good luck to you in your quest for a more laid back life which you may or may not find in Mexico according to where you settle here as there are many parts of Mexico where life can be frenetic and demanding in congested and challenging urban environments or, alternatively, often poverty stricken rural áreas where you had better have a good command of Spanish.

I think those of us who have lived here for some time might be more able to make suggestions if we are apprised of your goals more specifically:
* Do you seek a tropical, sub-tropical, pleasantly moderate and often coolish Highland or really high altitude sub-arctic environment? Beaches, deserts, alpine forests, jungles, plains? You can choosde among humid, often hot green tropical forests or splendid alpine forests some with occasional snpwfall or uninterrupted highland plains or beautiful but arid desert ambience? Mexico offers all of that plus.
* Urban or rural surroundings? Lots of expats congregated in an área who might share your language and/or values (whatever those values may be) or no or few foreigners thereabouts? Enticing and varied cultural activities, good restaurants featuring local or international fare, mountainous , desert or seaside living or all of those features combined? 
* Access to a national or international transportation hub for frequent visits within Mexico or abroad? 
* Mexico has outstanding health care in certain áreas; marginal to poor health care in other áreas.. You are relativey young but this will become more and more important as you age. Also, you have kids - what kind of schools do you seek if any? These are important fundamentals. 

Mexico is many things offering the largest urban conurbation in the Americas and isolated áreas where you can either escape urban congestionb or even live a hermit´s life - áreas which can be superficially inviting but, perhaps, a bit edgy for the uninitiated These are important choices all of us livinng here permanently have faced and some been pleased with our decisions while others have been disappointed and moved on to something else over time. 

We know from your post that you seek to escape the "ratrace" whatever that is but just what is it you seek. This beautiful but challenging country has much to offer and I wish you luck but what are some of your criteria for success in your upcoming adventure?

These are nit nitpicking questions and now may be the time to more clearly define your goals. We love and chose Mexico´s highlands in two very disparate áreas while others headed staright for the deserts or beaches - both deserted and primitive and in the middle of tourist oriented zones. Very different experiences. I´m sure you will hear from many who have lived here successfully for a time but- first- define more precisely what you seek for a lifestyle down here beyond escape from a "ratrace" which is an ill-defined goal. Many think they want to escape the "ratrace" and are out of here and back in from whence they came within a short time considerably wiser and often somewhat poorer financially if richer intellectually. 

Once again, good luck to you. You have certainly chosen one of yhe finest places on earth to live in my opinión.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Stress is self induced , you take yourself wherever you are. Why do you think that you will be in less of a rat race here? If you have to work and make a living you are in a rat race and Mexico is not different, actually you will have the added pressure of living in foreign culture you may not be familiar with and that may or may not fi your needs.

Many people here are retired so they are out of the rat race but if you are working it is up to you to manage your life and handle stress moving to a different environement is not stress free.


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## LeanneJ (Sep 1, 2014)

Thank you for you reply, yes I guess rat race is not the ideal term to use....we are just beginning our journey or search of where we want to be.yes we have been to Mexico on many occasions but to only the resorts and just day trips to outer lying areas,so I'm sure we have no idea of what real Mexico is like. That's why we are just starting this journey 4-5 yrs ahead of where we want to be.
I am hoping to educate myself as much as possible before making a decision as to where to be,that was the main reason for joining the forum.
I really appreciate all the advise and honesty hopefully that people will give us,and not think of us as some idiots who just want to pack it all in and be somewhere where it's warmer&#55357;&#56836;&#55357;&#56836;


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

LeanneJ said:


> Thank you for you reply, yes I guess rat race is not the ideal term to use....we are just beginning our journey or search of where we want to be.yes we have been to Mexico on many occasions but to only the resorts and just day trips to outer lying areas,so I'm sure we have no idea of what real Mexico is like. That's why we are just starting this journey 4-5 yrs ahead of where we want to be.
> I am hoping to educate myself as much as possible before making a decision as to where to be,that was the main reason for joining the forum.
> I really appreciate all the advise and honesty hopefully that people will give us,and not think of us as some idiots who just want to pack it all in and be somewhere where it's warmer&#55357;&#56836;&#55357;&#56836;


Welcome to the Mexico Forum. :welcome: It seems to me you're approaching the possibility of a move to a warmer climate ... intelligently. Good for you. don't be put-off by the directness of many of us; it's the nature of online forums.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Welcome to the forum. You are approaching this possible move intelligently by gathering information before leaping.

So: the highlands near Lake Chapala, where I choose to live. A mild climate with highs in the 80's; lows above freezing. Sometimes described as "eternal spring". A bit of a exaggeration, but it will do.

San Miguel Allende was where we started our Mexico life. "Puebla Magica" because of the rich supply of historic buildings. A varied cultural life available. Educational opportunities available. A somewhat pricey place to live, however, and not convenient to major airports. The up to 7000ft. elevation tends to produce cold winters. Some air pollution problems. Distance to beaches: far far away, unless you fly.

After several years there, we found that Ajijic was a better fit for health reasons. Milder climate; clearer air. A large number of English speaking retirees, so if you're much younger, you may not find much social life in your age group, but that may be slowly changing. Very convenient to international airport and good health care facilities.
Guadalajara is a huge city, so shopping covers just about anything you need.
Distance to beaches: around four hours, driving.
Hope this helps a bit.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

lagoloo said:


> San Miguel Allende was where we started our Mexico life. "Puebla Magica" because of the rich supply of historic buildings. A varied cultural life available. Educational opportunities available. A somewhat pricey place to live, however, and not convenient to major airports. The up to 7000ft. elevation tends to produce cold winters. Some air pollution problems. Distance to beaches: far far away, unless you fly.


Yes, there are choices in the Central Highlands. :amen: SMA being one. The Lakeside communities another. And there are others (I think I'd personally enjoy Zacatecas or Aguascalientes). On the issue of airports, SMA is served by _two_ international airports: Leon and Queretaro. I'm recalling that the airport near Leon is less than 1.5 hours away by car and Queretaro is just over an hour, maybe less depending upon the driver. 

Living close to Guadalajara does offer the big city conveniences, and drawbacks. But I think the plusses do outweigh the minuses. The "big city" experience for folks in San Miguel de Allende, who don't want to travel too far would be Leon, which is big enough for many people.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I didn't know that Queretaro had become an International airport by now. The difference between the airport in Leon and the one in Guadalajara is that a long and winding road with blind curves and often two lanes lies between SMA and Leon, whereas it's an easier drive between the Chapala lakeside area and Guadalajara.
Sorry to nitpick, but I remember well that road to Leon, especially late at night. No gracias.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

lagoloo said:


> I didn't know that Queretaro had become an International airport by now. The difference between the airport in Leon and the one in Guadalajara is that a long and winding road with blind curves and often two lanes lies between SMA and Leon, whereas it's an easier drive between the Chapala lakeside area and Guadalajara.
> Sorry to nitpick, but I remember well that road to Leon, especially late at night. No gracias.


I think the international flights into QRO originate in Dallas and Houston on American and United, respectively. As for Leon, I don't fly late-night or overnight if I can help it but I've made the trip in daylight and I haven't found it challenging. But if I were to make the trip at night I'd be taken to the airport (or in the opposite direction, from the airport) by a driver.  But, yes, it's easier/quicker to get from Chapala to the GDL airport. But most of us are/were accustomed to traveling an hour or more to get to an airport "back home" so I'm not certain the travel time comparison is an important consideration.  Having a "way out" is important in times of trouble (health, etc.), however.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

The Guadalajara airport is exactly 30 minutes from our home in Chapala, and can be driven to at any time of day or night, with just a bit more caution at night to avoid the occasional cow on the road.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

We thought that being closed to an International airport was important, but actually for us it makes very littl difference since the only way to go home is via Mexico City since I will not fly through the US... The best spot for us would have been to move to Mexico City if we wanted a direct flight. Being close to an airport is nice but in 13 years I may have gone home 3 or 4 times and there was no emergency so we just fly to Mexcico City or take a bus there.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

[_QUOTE=LeanneJ;5117745]Thank you for you reply, yes I guess rat race is not the ideal term to use....we are just beginning our journey or search of where we want to be.yes we have been to Mexico on many occasions but to only the resorts and just day trips to outer lying areas,so I'm sure we have no idea of what real Mexico is like. That's why we are just starting this journey 4-5 yrs ahead of where we want to be. I am hoping to educate myself as much as possible before making a decision as to where to be,that was the main reason for joining the forum.
I really appreciate all the advise and honesty hopefully that people will give us,and not think of us as some idiots who just want to pack it all in and be somewhere where it's warmer[/QUOTE]_

I can assure you LeanneJ, no one on this fórum will think you and your family idiots for pre-planning a move to a warmer climate at a later date down the road. One of the important functions of this fórum is to encourage inquiries such as yours and my intitial response to you was meant to be constructive, not judgmental nor presumptious. More potential immigrants to Mexico should consider the ramifications of such a move to a place as different as Mexico from Alberta and your inquiry at this point is welcome. I hope you get some good leads on fun and interesting places to settle. I´ll try to do my part once I am more familiar with what your goals are and my wife and I have traveled extensively in Mexico, especially in the Southern states. 

Remember that movie of a few years ago, _INSOMNIA_, with Al Pacino and Robin Williams? This remake of the older Swedish movie, _INSOMNIA_, supposedly, in this incarnation, took place in Alaska but it was actually filmed in Alberta and the opening scenes as Pacino and his colleague from the LAPD flew over the spectacular mountains of Alberta (standing in for Alaska), blew my mind. What an extraordinarily beautiful place Alberta is - at least in the mountains. This Alabama boy who always thought of much of Alberta as a semi-frozen plain, was blown away to the point that I bought the DVD just to view those opening scenes at my liesure. The rest of the movie was also highly entertaining and one of Robin Williams´ great dramatic performances. If you haven´t seen it, buy the DVD just for those shots over the Alberta mountains. How can you leave such a place?

Speaking of frozen plains, a good friend of mine living at Lake Chapala is from Manitoba and one of his favorite jokes is explaining to this southern boy one of the great assets of living in Manitoba. I´ve never been to Canada except for a weekend in Vancouver but, according to him, Manitoba is so flat and treeless that if your dog runs way and gets lost you can spot him up to 100 kilometers away.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Leanne, you've mentioned that you have two children but not their ages. By the time you move down here, will you need to consider their schooling? That's something to be factored into where you decide to settle in Mexico.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I would be interested in knowing how they expect to support themselves ..........


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

chicois8 said:


> I would be interested in knowing how they expect to support themselves ..........


Maybe they're independently wealthy . . . .


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> Maybe they're independently wealthy . . . .


Or maybe it is none of our business. 

Our job is to make sure people are aware of the visa income restrictions and the option of visitor permit(s).


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## Playaboy (Apr 11, 2014)

Is it important for you to live around other expats?

Leanne, most of the posters giving advice on this board are old enough to be your parents and finished raising their families decades ago. I don't believe there are many expats with children working and living Lakeside. It is a retirement area. 

Take a look at the resort areas. There are usually younger, working, expats with families in those areas. I knew many when I lived on the Riviera Maya.

If you did come lakeside, your children would easily get adopted and have at least a dozen sets of new grandparents to spoil them.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Or maybe it is none of our business.
> 
> Our job is to make sure people are aware of the visa income restrictions and the option of visitor permit(s).


If Leanne and her husband will need to look for work in Mexico, they might need advice about how to go about it.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

There are two or three bilingual schools at Lake side and there are several expat´s children going there so they areexpat s with young children at Lakeside, I guess Playaboy is not part of that goup.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> If Leanne and her husband will need to look for work in Mexico, they might need advice about how to go about it.


True, but we don't need to know "how they expect to support themselves".


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Nowadays many people can work on line so there is way more flexibility or where one can live.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

citlali said:


> Nowadays many people can work on line so there is way more flexibility or where one can live.


Yes, I think there are many less than retirement aged expats living in Mexico and earning income working online for clients/companies outside of Mexico.

Tax and other legal questions are raised when an expat 1) becomes a Mexican citizen, or 2) resides in Mexico full-time, or 3) resides in Mexico for 180 out of 360 days a year. There are international standards for reporting worldwide income, from all sources. I'm not an accountant and don't profess to understand/know the regulations, but I think all too many expats in Mexico are also unaware of the requirements of the laws in 1) their "home" country, and 2) in Mexico. If I were in the shoes of many of these people I'd be consulting with an accountant in Mexico who is experienced in international and Mexican tax law.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I think one of the main things to consider is climate, since you have it with you 24/7/365. Mexico has lots of choices, so there is a place for every taste: hot; really really hot; sometimes hot; mild mostly; and downright chilly for a few months. We originally wanted to live at the beach, but after checking it out.......we're living in the cooler mountains.
Not sorry.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

lagoloo said:


> I think one of the main things to consider is climate, since you have it with you 24/7/365. Mexico has lots of choices, so there is a place for every taste: hot; really really hot; sometimes hot; mild mostly; and downright chilly for a few months. We originally wanted to live at the beach, but after checking it out.......we're living in the cooler mountains.
> Not sorry.


Many expats who want to move to Mexico have only spent short time periods in the country. Who doesn't enjoy a week or two at the beach? We all do, probably. But vacationing someplace for two weeks a year is a lot different than living in an apartment or house in the same place year-round. The blush can quickly fade from the rose. 

From most places in the country a visit to a beach is only 4-6 hours away by bus ride, so living in a more moderate climate area doesn't preclude the occassional coastal visit. 

The reason seasoned Mexicophiles almost always recommend that someone live in a town/city/colonia for a year or two before buying a place or planting deep roots is because none of us really knows whether we'll like where we've moved ... until we've lived there for a while. Maybe the church bells of San Miguel de Allende or the overnight barking roof-top dogs obstruct a good night's sleep. A late-night disco a half mile away may play music so loud you can hear it in your bedroom, as if it's coming from downstairs ... and you toss and turn all night and stress-out over it. Or maybe there's a tire repair shop nearby, sending-out never-ending noise. The neighbors may be obnoxious and toss trash into the yard or street. etc., etc. Water pressure might be bad and cut-off frequently, requiring you to flush the toilet with buckets of water you keep in the ready. There are a hundred things which can and do go wrong, for some of us.

For many expats, the Mexico they discover when they move to the country ... turns-out to be the Mexico they'd like to avoid. And back home it is for them, or they move to someplace else in Mexico than their first stop. Some people are successful with their first choice, that I know.

Anyhow, it's a big decision and the only way we know if it's right for us is to start the journey.


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## Playaboy (Apr 11, 2014)

citlali said:


> There are two or three bilingual schools at Lake side and there are several expat´s children going there so they areexpat s with young children at Lakeside, I guess Playaboy is not part of that goup.


I did not know that. I haven't met any expat working families lakeside, yet.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I do not know about the families but I have seen the kids at school so the families have to be somewhere. The majority of the kids are Mexicans but they are foreign kids as well. Obviously the parents are not a very small minority of the population who is retired but they are some younger expats around.
Unless you have to pick up kids or go to events there you just would not know.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

I have run into younger families in Chapala grocery stores; expats with fluently bilingual children. I have no idea if they are working or not, but assume that they may be.


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## badanthont (Sep 21, 2014)

I have lived in P.V. for the past 3 years and can tell you that if you don't like high humidity (honestly its not one of my faves either) stay away from the coastal areas. 8 months of the year its really nice but june to the middle of october its quite humid. Just my 2 cents.


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