# Life in Mexico: Not Always a Bed of Roses



## Longford (May 25, 2012)

One of the expat-living-in-Mexico blogs I enjoy reading from time-to-time is the one published by Terry Bahena ("Next Up: Mexico" Next Up: Mexico), who, before and just after she moved to Mexico ... contributed more frequently to this forum than she does now.  

Terry's a good writer and speaks from her heart. She allows readers to have a sneak-peak into her life. Unvarnished. Her experiences, generally, have been similar to those of many who've come before her, and certainly will be for many to follow. 

For me, having the opportunity to share her experiences, if only as an anonymous reader, a lurker, has been a source of strength and inspiration. 

Terry recently moved to a new town/city. The third in her and her husband's now year and a half quest for the right spot for them in Mexico. And as she moved she wrote about the past year and a half. 

Have a look at the path one expat has followed in Mexico, for better or worse ... only time will tell:

Next Up: Mexico: Reminiscing (spelling?) I mean thinking back...

Thank you, Terry!


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## Detailman (Aug 27, 2011)

Longford said:


> One of the expat-living-in-Mexico blogs I enjoy reading from time-to-time is the one published by Terry Bahena ("Next Up: Mexico" Next Up: Mexico), who, before and just after she moved to Mexico ... contributed more frequently to this forum than she does now.
> 
> Terry's a good writer and speaks from her heart. She allows readers to have a sneak-peak into her life. Unvarnished. Her experiences, generally, have been similar to those of many who've come before her, and certainly will be for many to follow.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the reference Longford. I really enjoyed her earlier posts and missed them. I read yesterday's post (toilet paper) and had some good laughs. I enjoy her down to earth style of writing. She writes from the heart.

Thank you again.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


Longford said:



One of the expat-living-in-Mexico blogs I enjoy reading from time-to-time is the one published by Terry Bahena ("Next Up: Mexico" Next Up: Mexico), who, before and just after she moved to Mexico ... contributed more frequently to this forum than she does now.  

Terry's a good writer and speaks from her heart. She allows readers to have a sneak-peak into her life. Unvarnished. Her experiences, generally, have been similar to those of many who've come before her, and certainly will be for many to follow. 

For me, having the opportunity to share her experiences, if only as an anonymous reader, a lurker, has been a source of strength and inspiration. 

Terry recently moved to a new town/city. The third in her and her husband's now year and a half quest for the right spot for them in Mexico. And as she moved she wrote about the past year and a half. 

Have a look at the path one expat has followed in Mexico, for better or worse ... only time will tell:

Next Up: Mexico: Reminiscing (spelling?) I mean thinking back...

Thank you, Terry!

Click to expand...

_I understand this syndrome. If things don´t gell in Playa Ventura, move to Rocky Point and if things don´t work out in Rocky Point, try Tucson or Montevideo or Quito or.perhaps, Fresno. Certainly one of those places will fill the bill but it never comes to pass. 

I spent one night in Terry´s beach cottage in Playa Ventura with the notion that we might like to consider buying an ocean front cottage in Southern Guerrero and, after even one night so close to a roaring, intimidating and constantly pounding Pacific Ocean, I could not wait to exit that end-of-the-road isolated village set in the outlaw outback of Guerrero a couple of hours south of Acapulco in the absolute middle of nowhere. Unless you are a monk trying to escape humainty, don´t even think of moving to this place combining solitude with incessantly noisy and violent surf. This place will drive you insane and there is no place to turn.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Hound Dog said:


> I understand this syndrome. If things don´t gell in Playa Ventura, move to Rocky Point and if things don´t work out in Rocky Point, try Tucson or Montevideo or Quito or.perhaps, Fresno. Certainly one of those places will fill the bill but it never comes to pass.


Sort of like moving to Lakeside, then to Chiapas ... after having lived so many other places. Searching for something and never having found it. Yes, for some ... it can be a very sad story. But for Terry and her husband, I think life's journey (the looking for the right place to live part) isn't as sad as we read in the remarks of some other people around here. I don't expect everyone to 'get it,' though. :amen:


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## buzzbar (Feb 9, 2013)

Longford said:


> Terry recently moved to a new town/city. The third in her and her husband's now year and a half quest for the right spot for them in Mexico.


Echoes of the ill fated venture into Mexico with his wife that one of our friends on this board reported recently, but this one is more drawn out? 

Maybe Terry HAS found the right spot now though, writing that her latest house is “the closest to home, climate wise, house wise, amenities wise.” But as a first time reader of her blog I can’t help wondering if she’ll eventually take up her husband’s offer of “when you decide you don’t like it here – we go back to the States” and her next move will indeed be back “home”. 

I will enjoy following her journey and thank you for sharing the link Longford.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


Longford said:



Sort of like moving to Lakeside, then to Chiapas ... after having lived so many other places. Searching for something and never having found it. Yes, for some ... it can be a very sad story. But for Terry and her husband, I think life's journey (the looking for the right place to live part) isn't as sad as we read in the remarks of some other people around here. I don't expect everyone to 'get it,' though. :amen:

Click to expand...

_Are you saying "Amen" to your own comment? Priceless evidence of mindless self-indulgence.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Moving around until you find the right spot is one way to go, but IMO, it's tiring, expensive and usually not as useful as doing your research in the library and on the web before starting out.
We did, agonizingly, and had to eliminate places where the climate wouldn't work or other issues didn't fit our retirement dream (or perhaps fantasy) As it was, we moved once, anyway. Both the altitude and the attitude didn't suit us. We're settled now and all is well.

My take on that one piece of her blog is that I'd take bets on their moving back NOB before five years is up. Wishing her luck in finding that special place.


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## terrybahena (Oct 3, 2011)

Thanx Longford for the nice comments. I do have fun with my blog. I kinda forget people (besides my older sister & one of my daughters) read it. It started out and continues to be an online diary where I just write about how I feel. 

I have no idea when or if we'll move back to the states. The only reason would be to be closer to our daughters. My husband has a 16 yr old, and mine are 20 & 28, but what if I become a Grandma...& I kind of already am with my older daughter engaged to a man with a 5 year old. It would be really nice to sell the house in Guerrero and buy something else in Mexico, and go back & forth but we'll see. We have renters down there right now, and have had some inquires for purchase from some Mexican Nationals from Mexico City wanting a vacation home, so again we'll see.

Yes at times this is an emotional journey living in Mexico; but I wouldn't change it for anything! I experienced so much and am forever changed. Right now Baja (south of Ensenada) has a good climate/environment and is close for kids to visit. Yes moving 3 times in a year & a half is alot, but we had to do more than look at it online or read about it. I needed to live in the tropics and the desert to find out it wasn't for me ha ha!! But we have met so many people and had such a good time, can't wait to see what's next! We are young 50 somethings with only as much stuff as we can fit in the truck and the trailer, and -for now- Mexico is our oyster. My hubby is Mexican which helps alot (sometimes) and we've both been all over Mexico. So not sure we have a goal beyond having an adventure. 

I've traveled around the world, mostly for work, sometimes for play, but my heart was always in Mexico. When I finished treatment for breast cancer I was scared...so I bought the house in Guerrero (yes fear logic) - not wanting to look back at my life with regret for not following my heart. I met my husband a few months later- in the US- and 2 years later we moved down to Playa Ventura. He knew I wouldn't last in that tiny fishing village in the tropics, but understood I needed to try it. Sonora had been his choice, the desert, so we picked Baja together. When all the kids are older, or maybe sooner, we may return to Michoacan, where his family is, but like I keep saying...we'll see. 

This is week 3 here and we're getting settled; looks like I'm gonna be a volunteer dog walker for the local dog rescue! Oh and the beach is amazing here, we got a new puppy for Sam our big lab, so we all walk the beach every day. Life is soooo good. VIVA!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Longford we did not move from Chapala to Chiapas but chose to live in both. All my married life I have has a place to escape to , so we always lived in two places. Nothing new to us. I cannot live in one place, just me. We have not intention of moving from either Chiapas or Chapala that is the way I wanted to live and that is the way we live..not looking to move to another place, we are happy where we are.
Playa Ventura has some pluses but we are too old to live in a remote place, I guess you had to go there to realize it...It is a beautiful area and an area we enjoyed but we did live in such a place in the past and as the ocean pounded I recalled wanting the ocean to be quiet for a while , I had a falsh back when we stayed in Playa Ventura. Something I had forgotten but it came back back in a hurry.


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## gosouth (Mar 5, 2013)

I have found Terry's blog very informative, honest and even funny at times. Thank you for telling me about your blog. I give her so much credit going as remote as she did down south, I knew I did not want to do that other than visiting (my husband is from that state). 

We had been looking at Puerto Penasco before focusing on Ensenada because of the milder climate from where we currently are living on the east side of Washington state (desert like with snow in the winter). We also want to be close enough to the border but not too close so the kids can easily visit.

I hope to meet Terry in Ensenada in the future.


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