# Expats that move back to US?



## MaryQuilter (Jun 15, 2017)

If you moved to Mexico and then decided after some time to move back to your home country what was your reasoning? I'm wondering how many people make it the move and then move back.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Many simply miss their friends and family back in the old country. Others have some medical conditions that make good use of Medicare or hospice services.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

MaryQuilter said:


> If you moved to Mexico and then decided after some time to move back to your home country what was your reasoning? I'm wondering how many people make it the move and then move back.


The most common reasons I've heard from those who are doing so are family issues and health problems which they prefer dealing with in their home country.

Those are the reasons stated, but many people simply can't adjust comfortably to the cultural (and retail) differences. From the beginning of their expat experience, they have retained one foot in the old country and one in Mexico. They usually do an annual home visit/shopping expedition.

This is in no way meant to be critical of those who go "home". Some people's life experiences have made them more adaptable than others. Some didn't realize how emotionally tied they were to family and friends, and never should have tried to be expats. It's all about differences.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

I have a couple of friends who moved to Latin America, one Mexico and one Panama, intending it to be permanent. Both returned. For some people it just isn't what they expected or wanted. Lots of things affect people differently. If we have a choice about where to live, we should appreciate the flexibility. Many people have no choice.


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## StuckintheUS (Jun 1, 2017)

I'm not down there yet, but there are two things that would drive me back to the US. 
The noise and pollution.
If there really is no place to have quiet without being in the middle of nowhere, that would be a deal-breaker. 
People keep telling me that "everybody smokes like a chimney". If there's no clean air anywhere...

I keep wondering though, if it's as bad as all of that, why are people moving there?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

StuckintheUS said:


> I'm not down there yet, but there are two things that would drive me back to the US.
> The noise and pollution.
> If there really is no place to have quiet without being in the middle of nowhere, that would be a deal-breaker.
> People keep telling me that "everybody smokes like a chimney". If there's no clean air anywhere...
> ...


I am not a fan of noise, and, in many ways, Mexican culture seems to thrive on it. However, I live on a small street in the middle of Mexico City and am rarely bothered by noise, except when one of my neighbors decides to have a party, which is not that often. The fact that my apartment doesn't face the street probably helps too. Yes, the city is polluted, but it hasn't affected my health or enjoyment of life. In fact, today the sky is a deep blue accented with fluffy white clouds, and according to an app I have named Aire CDMX, the air quality today has been "buena".

I don't find that everybody smokes like a chimney and have hardly any friends who smoke, be they Mexican or expats. In fact, for some years now Mexico City has had pretty tough anti-smoking regulations on the books that don't allow smoking inside restaurants and other places of business. Of course, I have no idea if that is true in other parts of the country.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Skies are blue in the Lake Chapala area. "no smoking" signs are in most establishments.
I live on a residential street where there are no noisy venues.
However, you have to be picky about choosing your spot.......some folks found themselves within earshot of nightclubs that really go for the volume.
Isn't that true in most countries?


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## MaryQuilter (Jun 15, 2017)

I haven't noticed a lot of smoking in establishments, which is where it would bother me. I have no problem with people choosing to smoke, but I hate when smokers throw their butts on the ground. I'm guessing this happens as much as or not more than in the US. As for noise, I have noticed there is a lot of blaring music at stores and bars. I've also read about people buying condos and then other condos in the complex will have temporary renters who will party loudly into the night. Something to think about before purchasing a property.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

MaryQuilter said:


> I haven't noticed a lot of smoking in establishments, which is where it would bother me. I have no problem with people choosing to smoke, but I hate when smokers throw their butts on the ground. I'm guessing this happens as much as or not more than in the US. As for noise, I have noticed there is a lot of blaring music at stores and bars. I've also read about people buying condos and then other condos in the complex will have temporary renters who will party loudly into the night. Something to think about before purchasing a property.


I would never buy a condo, no matter how nice or how good a buy. Reason: OTHER PEOPLE. You have little on no control over who lives above, below or next door. Management can vary in its level of service. 

My advice to anyone making the big move to Mexico (or anywhere) is: RENT for at least six months. Yes, this involves more work and disruption, but home ownership is much like marriage: easy to get into but painful to get out of.
In some years and areas of Mexico, it can take years to sell property.

Welcome, and good luck!


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

joaquinx said:


> Many simply miss their friends and family back in the old country. Others have some medical conditions that make good use of Medicare or hospice services.


I agree strongly with both reasons.The last I heard, the U.S. Embassy advice for any Americans with a serious medical condition was to get back to the U.S. as quickly as possible.

Mexico has caring doctors, but the best ones are U.S. trained. Mexico just doesn't have the resources to get the mot up-to-dste medical care Americans even in rural areas expect.


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> Mexico has caring doctors, but the best ones are U.S. trained. Mexico just doesn't have the resources to get the mot up-to-dste medical care Americans even in rural areas expect.


The US trains very good doctors. In Mexico the University of Guadalajara is an excellent medical school as well as UNAM. Many doctors also go to schools in Spain. And, yes, many doctors do intern in the US or Canada. 

Hospital Angeles system has some of the best physical plants in this hemisphere. I am judging this on personal experience. 

I would suggest that Mexico has more rural medical treatment doctors and centers than rural US. Although I do not live in a rural area, I have a Centro de Salud across the street from where I live that is open seven days a week and sometimes into the night. It is more of a wellness clinic but they treat mostly infections and seasonal illnesses. They offer prenatal care and some dentistry. It is free or at at low cost. I was on a penicillin series for an pre-op and I brought in the penicillin for the nurse to use and was charged 5 pesos for the service.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Odd that a person living in Thailand would be telling us residents of Mexico about the poor medical care here.

I will grant that Mexico does not have bleeding edge medical technology, but everything else is to be found here, costs far less, and gives you better access to physicians with more personal attention. Like joaquinx, all of this is based on recent personal experience in both countries.

6 years ago my wife had a rare form of cancer and the only possible treatment was with high intensity proton beam radiation, one of those bleeding edge technologies which did not exist in Mexico at that time (it does now). She was fortunate to be accepted into Massachusetts General's foreign patient program and was given a half million dollar treatment free of charge. Thanks to them, she is sitting here today trying to figure out how to get our 5 week old baby to take a nap. So, believe me, I am no hater of the US medicine community; but outside of that miraculous opportunity we were given, I have been far more impressed with Mexican medical care.

Also, if you don't have decent medical insurance in the US, you are basically toast, or bankrupt, or both -- again, barring the phenomenal good fortune that we had, which I don't count on ever happening again. In Mexico you have a number of options for affordable care without having to hope for a miracle offer.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

One of the neuro surgeon here studied in India, the heart specialist studied in Spain, my gastro studied in France, doctors in Mexico study in many differnt countries and the UNAM and University of Guadalajara have very good reputations . I know that I was told in France that Guadalajara had very good eye doctors. The US or Canada are not the only countries were good doctors come from.

I have taken a few people in rural medical centers in Chiapas and that is a scary place to go..

My last one was a couple of months ago, an indigenous woman was saying she had problems breathing, had a pain in the chest and stomach.. The center in the village had no medecine so she refused to go, I drove her with the rest of the family to a larger mestizo town.. there the doctor checked her out. Asked her in a range from 1 to 10 what was her pain level. she said 10, the doctor said, you are lying ..go and see a specialist in San Cristobal tomorrow... I could not believe the scene.. then she went to a local curandero and had no money the next day to go to San Cristobal.. a 30 pesos ride.. and no money for a doctor..
With her sister in law we took her to another doctor and she had to have a gallblader removed...

That is what you get in some rural aeas.. no place I would eve go but sometimes you do no have a choice. 

In Larrainzar I was told they had a very good hospital. a friend of a worker went there to get his gallblader removed and they removed his spleen by accident.. that took care of the pain and of the man..Good hospital lousy surgeon..

This said we hhad some great doctors in Guadaljara, in Mexico or anywhere else it helps to hhave a good insurrance and or money. Being white does not hurt either..


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## Ajijic Lady (Jan 19, 2009)

We lived in MX full-time 2008-2012. We sold our home and moved back to the US to help care for an elderly parent (mi suegro). 

He passed away in late 2015 and we decided to move back to MX and moved into our new house earlier this year. 

We did not feel as happy and comfortable in the US after living in MX for those five years and I doubt we will ever go back to the US other than for visits. 

We purposely bought a home here that is one level and has a guest casita, in case we need in-home help later in our lives.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Ajijic Lady said:


> We lived in MX full-time 2008-2012. We sold our home and moved back to the US to help care for an elderly parent (mi suegro).
> 
> He passed away in late 2015 and we decided to move back to MX and moved into our new house earlier this year.
> 
> ...


This sounds just like our story except for a small change in the dates -- 2009-2014 in Mexico and 2014-2017 in the US. We moved there to care for an ill family member that has now passed away and now we are back.
We were never comfortable in the US either and couldn't be happier to be back in Mexico.


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## Ajijic Lady (Jan 19, 2009)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> I agree strongly with both reasons.The last I heard, the U.S. Embassy advice for any Americans with a serious medical condition was to get back to the U.S. as quickly as possible.
> 
> Mexico has caring doctors, but the best ones are U.S. trained. Mexico just doesn't have the resources to get the mot up-to-dste medical care Americans even in rural areas expect.


I never heard of the US Embassy giving medical advice :rolleyes2:

My orthopedic surgeon in Guadalajara who has weekly hours at an Ajijic office, trained at the Cleveland Clinic, which is renowned as one of the best ortho training hospitals in the world. 

When my husband took the DVD and written report (in English) from a Guadalajara cardiologist back to the US, his US cardiologist was impressed with the depth of the report, its conclusions and treatment plan. 

We use our US health care when we visit back in the US and when I tell a doctor in the US that we live near Guadalajara, about 75% of them tell me they either trained in Guadalajara or went to seminars there. None of them ever stated any concerns over our being treated by Mexican doctors.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

...all of the above prompts me to cite the World Health Organization's ranking of countries' medical care and cost. The U.S. is number one in cost; number 27 in quality of care delivered. The French are number one in quality with other European countries close.

The third leading cost of hospital death in the U.S. is "medical error".

All in all, I'll stay right here if I need hospitalization. At least I can afford it.


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## MaryQuilter (Jun 15, 2017)

Ajijic Lady said:


> We lived in MX full-time 2008-2012. We sold our home and moved back to the US to help care for an elderly parent (mi suegro).
> 
> He passed away in late 2015 and we decided to move back to MX and moved into our new house earlier this year.
> 
> ...



That is good planning! We plan on a one story also.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I think errors in hospital is a leading cause of death in general.. I had a boyfriend in France who was a cardiologist and he was scared to death of hospital, he always told me do not have any procedure done unless your life depends on it... He used to tell me lots of people died from stupic mistakes.. and that was in France the number 1 country for care....


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