# Hello Everyone! Or should I say, Hola!?



## Jeffykins (Feb 19, 2010)

As the title states, Hello!

Everyone always says that their dream is to take off and live in a tropical paradise, right? Of course! Who wouldn't dream that!? The difference here is that a small, passionate, dedicated handful of individuals actually do it! 

I want to be one of those individuals! And my girlfriend does too! What a coincidence, right!? Haha!

We are an incredibly ambitious young couple from Denver, Colorado with big hopes of a permanent, tropical, coastal relocation. We've considered many, MANY different locales to call home, and have found that paradise is not so easily attained. One of our top competitors at this point in debate is the Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico. Particularly the stretch of turquoise Caribbean coastline between Majahual and Xcalak. 

My goal with this post is to hopefully obtain from the lucky expats here who have "made it" so to speak, any advice, experiences, questions, comments, concerns, connections, or any general input on traveling and adventuring abroad! 

I know to many, this may sound like an expensive and bold venture to undertake, but to give you a better grasp on our expectations, I'll tell you a little more about our character and the kind of life we desire. Ideally, we're looking for somewhere that has a tropical climate, lush vegetation, small population, low cost of living, with relatively easy ocean access(ie:15-20min bicycle ride) and most importantly, somewhere that's safe. Obviously, we're not likely to find somewhere that perfectly fits our picturesque mold we've created in our island-fever ravaged minds. But, we are willing to give up modern ammenities for a much simpler life, which, in my opinion, can drastically cut the costs of relocating to anywhere. And not only are we willing to do this, we WANT to. I mean no tv, no car, no internet, no nightclubs, the whole nine yards. We'd much rather watch the waves lap against the sand than any "Everyone Loves Someone" sitcom. 

We realize that running away from it all, never having to work another day in our life and becoming tequila swigging beach bums isn't very realistic. And because of this, albeit sad realization, we are more than expecting to work in order to survive. Employment is a very large aspect in any of our location considerations(yes, I rhymed that on purpose), and we are eager to discover what opportunites may present themselves to us! If you are possibly looking for one, or two good looking people, :eyebrows: to work for your business in paradise, PLEASE do not hesitate to send me a message!  I am a 24 year old male, with a background in mechanics, welding and fabrication, lusting for an education in scuba diving! She, a 31 year old Hungarian goddess! I kid you not, you should see this girl! With a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies. Both of us are intelligent, extremely outgoing and charasmatic, polite, self-starters who are INCREDIBLY MOTIVATED to make this dream a reality! And we are both learing Spanish! Haha!

I suppose if you've made it this far through my rant I should thank you for reading. I know it wasn't the most riveting tale you've ever read, but hopefully it sparked up a memory for you to share with us and everyone else, or a suggestion on how to succeed in the journey ahead of us! 

Thanks again!


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

The biggest flaw I see in your plan is the difficulty of finding work and getting permission to do it. I don't know the area you're looking at, but Mexico tends to be protective of its labor force and doesn't readily give work permits to foreigners unless they have skills that aren't generally available. Trying to work without a permit is likely to get you deported.

I did almost exactly what you describe at age 29, but I did it by going to work for Club Med. Please don't think I'm making fun of you, because I felt exactly as you do and was equally determined. That was the best (really only) way I could find to get myself to the right locations and have a job. There was no TV, no car, plenty of turquoise water and waves. Plus a night club and lots of fun, interesting international friends. I don't know what it's like now, but at the time the job included transportation, room and board, medical coverage, and many other freebies. And yes, I learned scuba diving ... at no cost! The salary was modest, but it was all disposable income.

Even though it wasn't a permanent solution and involved moving several times during those years, it was the beginning for me what became a lifetime of living and working abroad. So you might want to look into something similar, at least to start.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

That is excellent advice, Makaloco. Jeffykins should also realize that few can afford to live right on the beach, that hurricanes visit the east coast, the summer half of the year can be unbearably hot and humid, good medical care is important at any age, and that his skills are common in Mexico and not likely to win him a working visa which, by the way, requires that they each prove that they have foreign income of about $1000-$1300 USD per month, in order to get a visa in the first place.


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## texasjack (Sep 16, 2008)

Can't help you much. I waited until retirement to find paradise. But I really like your style and admire your goals. Very best of luck, my friend!


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## f3drivr (Nov 18, 2008)

Maybe you should try to find seasonal work so you could spend 6 months a year in Mexico like tree planting or something.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_[ Particularly the stretch of turquoise Caribbean coastline between Majahual and Xcalak. _

We are somewhat familiar with the coastal stretch between Xcalak and Majahual having at one time even considered buying property there and living there at least part of each year but opting for the Chiapas Highlands in the summer. We opted out of any notion of owning property in that area even seasonally whether adjacent to either community and I would be happy to discuss our reasons with you and others who might be considering moving to that coast. First of all, however, I would like to hear your reasons for designating that area as a desirable place to live and seek employment which latter effort would likely prove a diffiicult task (to say the least) for a number of reasons. However, nothing ventured nothing gained so who knows? 

We were attracted to that area back in 2004 because of its remoteness at that time which I think may be a motivating factor for you as well. We are retirees and are not motivated by the same goals as are you folks so I do not presume to have any insights into your choice of a place to live and seek employment but would simply like to hear your reasons for choosing that specific coastal area over the many coastal regions offered by Mexico as places to settle and, perhaps, earn a living.


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## conklinwh (Dec 19, 2009)

There are two key things that you need get resolved.
1st, before you commit to anywhere you need stay there for at least 6 months if not a full year to experience all seasons. You certainly need do this before purchasing.
2nd, it will be much easier for you to have a company sponsor you before moving rather than go through the very difficult process of getting permission to work.
I would pick a few larger cities near the coast, such as Merida, and research which foreign companies operate there. Not the Yucatan but others could be PV, Mazatlan, Ixtapa/Zihua, Acapulco. I'd then pursue those companies for jobs. You could be a pretty cheap expat if you negotiated away some of the normal perqs in order to test the living environment.
If one of you can get a job, then you can pursue the FM3 that could enable the other to start a business. We have found through friends that with the right legal assistance that getting permission to open a business and hire locals much easier that getting permission to work.


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