# At what age?



## ffejcat62 (Sep 9, 2016)

Hello, was wondering at what age you all made the move to Mexico. I'm 54 and will be moving to Chihuahua in June. I'm extremely excited and can't wait to start our new life. I plan on just relaxing and exploring for 6 months to a year, then maybe looking for something to do, probably teach English online or possibly at home to fellow Chihuahuaneese. What have others done with their time in Mexico?


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I retired in Mexico at 54.. learned Spanish then got involved with artisans, moved for 6 or 7 months a year to Chiapas and got involved with indigenous communities .. Had lots of fun, learned a whole lot and continue learning 17 years later.


----------



## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

55 here. Taught English and lived off a small pension until SS kicked in. I never regretted my move a single day.


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I've lived here for almost ten years (yikes - hard to believe!), making the move when I turned 62, which made me eligible for early retirement from US Social Security. I had been an English teacher in the US (and elsewhere) for many years, so I supplemented my pension income by teaching private English classes. After a second small pension kicked in, I mostly gave up the teaching, but I still take on editing and translating jobs from time to time. A lot of my spare time is taken up with my photography, and I also enjoy visiting museums and going to the movies. Mexico City is known for its plethora of museums and galleries, and at least in my neighborhood, there are a couple of theaters that show good foreign and Mexican films.


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I moved to Mexico 9 years ago at age 48. Unfortunately, we (it's a "we" now because I married a Mexican lady a couple years after moving) had to move to the US for 3.5 years due to an illness in my family. But that time has come to a conclusion and I am sitting here awaiting my flight tomorrow to return to living full time in Mexico! 

My wife is already down in Mexico since she is 9 months pregnant and we couldn't have her flying too close to her due date. I had to stay behind a bit to wrap up the closing on the townhouse we had bought but that's all over now. They have just moved up the due date 2 weeks so it looks like I'll be arriving in the nick of time!

The time back in the US really showed me that Mexico is the place for me and drove home Thomas Wolfe's maxim that you can't go home again... but it's never too late to start a new adventure!


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

I was 62 when I signed up for the Peace Corps. They sent me to Mexico for a two year commitment. By the end of the first year, I knew I was never going back.


----------



## ffejcat62 (Sep 9, 2016)

It is so cool to hear all your stories. Most of my friends here in the states think I'm crazy trying to retire at 54 and move to a different country, and I think they are crazy for not  Keep the stories coming.


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Nothing crazy about it. Be prepared for topes in your roads but a great adventure in general! And after all, if you don't like it......you're not under a life sentence to stay.


----------



## Rammstein (Jun 18, 2016)

I moved here when I was 47. Quit my job, sold everything, and my cat and I came here to live. That was in 1997 and I have not worked a day since.


----------



## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

60 ..... lived off an IRA until SS. State pension kicked in at 65. Beem here 12 years now


----------



## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Rammstein said:


> I moved here when I was 47. Quit my job, sold everything, and my cat and I came here to live. That was in 1997 and I have not worked a day since.


This is so interesting. I quit my small consulting business, sold everything that didn't fit into a VW Golf and headed south with my cat. Never looked back.


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

joaquinx said:


> This is so interesting. I quit my small consulting business, sold everything that didn't fit into a VW Golf and headed south with my cat. Never looked back.


A succinct success story! Had you ever spent time in Mexico before moving here?


----------



## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> A succinct success story! Had you ever spent time in Mexico before moving here?


Came to Mexico after I finished up at the university and vowed that, one day, I would live here. Dreams do come true!


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

A thank you to ffejcat62 for starting this thread; it has been very interesting!

It's nice to read the stories of people whose posts I've been reading in some cases for as long as nearly 10 years. Some of the stories I was aware of, some not. 
It has also been fun to hear stories of newer arrivals.

Hats off to ffejcat62 for a great thread launch!

op2:


----------



## ffejcat62 (Sep 9, 2016)

Gracias


----------



## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

My wife and I moved here in 2012, when I was 56. She actually has dual citizenship so that simplified things for us. I am still working as a consultant for a software company. I work from my home and make occasional business trips back to the U.S. 

I may take early retirement in a couple of years and start drawing my SS, or I may keep working but at a bit slower pace. The thing is, by living in Mexico, I have options. That is the best feeling of all.


----------



## mr_manny (Nov 22, 2013)

dwwhiteside said:


> I may take early retirement in a couple of years and start drawing my SS, or I may keep working but at a bit slower pace. The thing is, by living in Mexico, I have options. That is the best feeling of all.


Mexico gave me/us the option to retire at 50 

Married my wife after 20yrs, sold everything and moved down in time to receive the Buenvenida from Patricia in 2015.

First day could have gone better, arrived in PV without most of our luggage (thanks Alaskan).

My cousin met us at the airport and handed me the keys to our recently purchased Tacoma.
My wife, 3 puppies and I jumped in and drove to our new rental in the country.
Rental had roaches, so we ended up spending our 1st night in the Tacoma (sooo glad I got an extended cab).

The decision to move was an easy one after I lost my Dad (most of my family never left Jalisco).

Truly Blessed we have the opportunity to enjoy each day...spoiling our puppies and most recently Bantam Chickens along the way


----------



## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

I came to Mexico (Mazatlán) on an FMM for the first time in the fall of '14, age 35. I have my own transcription business so I can work anywhere in the world there is internet. Mexico felt like a comfortable old shoe; I had no major culture shock. It helps that I studied Spanish when I was younger and had strong language skills. I spent two winters in Maz and knew that I wanted to live in Mexico, but not in Maz. I went to Mérida in February of '16 to check it out and the area seemed so much more stable and with better infrastructure than Maz, more of a place to build a life. I decided that after spending six months to a year in Europe, I would return to Mexico on a RT to try life there long-term.

Fast forward to the late summer of '16, so about six months after my trip to Mérida, and I got asked to come to the Mérida area to housesit for the '17 summer. I moved the proverbial hell and high water to get myself back here on a RT. My RT was approved based on both proof of sufficient investments and of having a stable income source. I packed what I could into my pickup and headed here.

I'm 38 now and am pretty sure this is it for me. I really don't see myself returning to Canada because I have an infinitely better quality of life here for what it costs me to scrape by in Canada. I wouldn't be able to retire in Canada until I'm at least 65, but my financial planner thinks that if I can finish paying off some my debt in the next couple of years (very doable on my Mexico budget), I might be able to retire in the next 10 to 15 years. I have a property in Canada that is paid for and growing exponentially in value every years, so I suspect I'll be able to sell it in a few years and use the proceeds to pay cash for a house in Mexico once I decide where.

I can't wait to start looking for a rental to move into this fall, my first long-term home in Mexico. I've been living like a vagabond for almost 10 years and it'll be nice to stay put for a while and really get to know a place. I'm glad I'm here as young as I am, before I'm too set in my ways!

Rae


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

travelingrae said:


> … I'm glad I'm here as young as I am, before I'm too set in my ways!
> 
> Rae


Be optimistic. Not everyone gets set in their ways as they age.


----------



## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

TundraGreen said:


> Be optimistic. Not everyone gets set in their ways as they age.


:loco:


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Did I mention that I loved this thread? OK, yeah, I guess I did.

BTW, glad to have you in the forum, travelingrae. :welcome:


----------



## travelingrae (Dec 9, 2016)

circle110 said:


> Did I mention that I loved this thread? OK, yeah, I guess I did.
> 
> BTW, glad to have you in the forum, travelingrae. :welcome:


Thank you!


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Be optimistic. Not everyone gets set in their ways as they age.


After living here for almost 10 years, I find I'm set in new, Mexican ways!


----------



## UKMX (Jul 28, 2016)

I moved here last year aged 28 with my Mexican wife and we now have a daughter, born here with dual nationality. So far so good, still in the first year so learning the ropes but my Spanish has rocketed from almost nothing to about 50% fluency in a matter of months. Our story is a little crazy because my wife got ill while pregnant and headed back to Mexico last March, while I had to stay and work, then all of a sudden the time came to leave my job, move everything out into storage, sell furniture and get on a plane. It feels like I did all that in a week, I mean I was painting the porch at 3am on the day of the flight. In the middle of packing I had to go to New York for a week, luckily the house was a rental so I could just drop the last set of keys through the door and head to the airport. We still only have what we could fit in suitcases, the rest will come in the next couple of months.

Unlike most who have replied, we're at the beginning of our lives, rather than in/nearing retirement.


----------



## CasaColibri (Jul 5, 2017)

I moved here at age 44. Worked as a professional musician. Now, at 64, I'm about to retire and I'm staying RIGHT HERE! Will never go back.


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

CasaColibri said:


> I moved here at age 44. Worked as a professional musician. Now, at 64, I'm about to retire and I'm staying RIGHT HERE! Will never go back.


Wait, maybe we know each other. I lived in Guanajuato for 5 years and played professionally all during that time (2009-2014). I mean, there aren't that many musical groups and venues in town, and not that many gringos working in them.


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

circle110 said:


> Wait, maybe we know each other. I lived in Guanajuato for 5 years and played professionally all during that time (2009-2014). I mean, there aren't that many musical groups and venues in town, and not that many gringos working in them.


I wonder if you two play the same type of music.


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Isla Verde said:


> I wonder if you two play the same type of music.


Well, I played classical, jazz and my own music which is sort of a classical/jazz/new age hybrid while I was there.

I read in another thread that CasaColibri is retiring from the University and I played with and/or know several people who teach or taught there so at the very least we have some people we know in common. Interesting "mystery".


----------



## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

September of this year will be the 12th anniversary of our move to Mexico. I was 62 at the time. It was a heckuva lot of hard work and there were many uncertainties. The actual move was a real strain, but we arrived safely to Morelia. Thirty or so miles north of Morelia, our van's transmission blew up. We were carried into the city piggyback on a tow truck. An Internet friend put us up for a couple of weeks in her home while our van's transmission was repaired.

The first of October, we moved into a furnished rental, a cabin in the heights above Pátzcuaro. It was a very cold winter. After six months, we house sat for an acquaintance from back home. That gig lasted through the Spring of 2006, when an expat friend showed us a wonderful 2-bdr house in a beautiful rural area 20 minutes north of Pátzcuaro. We rented it and have been there since. We are presently the only gringos in our small ranching village, although we previously had the company of a few others on a temporary basis.

We are fortunate to live in such a nice, if simple house, located in an area of great natural beauty.


----------



## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

Anonimo said:


> the Spring of 2006, when an expat friend showed us a wonderful 2-bdr house in a beautiful rural area 20 minutes north of Pátzcuaro. We rented it and have been there since. We are presently the only gringos in our small ranching village, although we previously had the company of a few others on a temporary basis.
> 
> We are fortunate to live in such a nice, if simple house, located in an area of great natural beauty.


Besides staring out at the beauty - what occupies your time?


----------



## Ajijic Lady (Jan 19, 2009)

Moved to Ajijic at age 55, left at age 60 to return to US to care for elderly family member. Returned to Ajijic this year, at age 64.


----------



## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

UrbanMan said:


> Besides staring out at the beauty - what occupies your time?


Internet, blogging, cooking and baking and sleeping.


----------



## PV Bob (Apr 27, 2017)

I'm 59 and my partner is 65. We had vacationed and explored areas of Puerto Vallarta for about 7 years (so perhaps spent 4 good months of getting serious about where to live - walking, not having to drive, being away from the tourist zone etc.). We stumbled into our dream condo this past March and closed June 1st. She has stayed down there, with friends visiting, while I continue to work in Toronto and take care of a very elderly 12 yr old Golden Retriever who could never handle the journey down due to medical conditions and old age. I can say that there is no perfect way to prepare or plan - sometimes you just jump knowing the net will appear. Everything can be sorted out.

We are now trying to figure out how to pay MexTel (what's direct debit???), electric bills that come late, how do we pay the maid, preparing for her return home and managing long distance etc. This forum is a blessing and I know I will be asking lots of questions that draw on the experience of others. Our Spanish is limited but our attitude humble - Google Translate is a God Send! 

Mexico and Puerto Vallarta have been kind, generous and welcoming to us. Having a great real estate agent also helps. We're in transition but enthusiastic about it all. The bitter-sweet part is that we won't be able to complete the move, and I won't be able to retire, until the love of my life passes. Teeka and I spent many years doing volunteer work with St John Ambulance Therapy Dogs. I look forward to contributing in the same spirit once the move is complete. 

We are still trying to figure it all out. Trying to bring it all together and make it work. We are apart, but know in our hearts where we want to be. We still don't have insurance on the condo (next week we hope), and are trying to figure out how not to get ripped off as Gringos.

It's a journey.

Huggs all


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

open a bank account and have the bank pay for the utilities, we have done that for 17 years without problems as we live in two places. We pay the cleaning lady by the month when we are not there and we do it via the computer, trandfer from one bank to another.. If the cleaning lady does not have an account have her open one , you can transfer weekly , we just choose to do it monthly, ahead of time. .. Our help has been with us 10 and 17 years so we do not worry if they miss a day as long as everything is in very good order when we get back.

You can also end money via Western Union


----------



## PV Bob (Apr 27, 2017)

*Hello and Thanks*



citlali said:


> open a bank account and have the bank pay for the utilities, we have done that for 17 years without problems as we live in two places. We pay the cleaning lady by the month when we are not there and we do it via the computer, trandfer from one bank to another.. If the cleaning lady does not have an account have her open one , you can transfer weekly , we just choose to do it monthly, ahead of time. .. Our help has been with us 10 and 17 years so we do not worry if they miss a day as long as everything is in very good order when we get back.
> 
> You can also end money via Western Union


So in order to pay utility bills, you go into your bank to set this up as opposed to setting it up online as in North of the border? When you mention a "transfer" to the maid, is that a wire transfer or are e-transfer arrangements possible? Thanks again!


----------



## horseshoe846 (Feb 8, 2017)

PV Bob said:


> So in order to pay utility bills, you go into your bank to set this up as opposed to setting it up online as in North of the border? When you mention a "transfer" to the maid, is that a wire transfer or are e-transfer arrangements possible? Thanks again!


We pay a lot of our bills online - via a bill-pay like feature. We never pay any bills at the bank's teller window. We pay our CFE bill at the CFE drive-thru kiosk. BEWARE - when you walk up to the bank's teller window and pay your bill - it is not instantaneous - it can take a few days to settle. So if you wait until the last minute they may (as they did to us) turn your power off. 

When I 'recharge' my prepay phone - it is instantaneous - and I will get an immediate text.

We have never seen (in five years) a way to automatically pay our bills (schedule payment) without human intervention.


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

I have had my bank (Santander) pay my electricity and Telmex bills for quite some time now, without a hitch. I still go in person to the bank to pay my bimonthly water bill. When I need more "tiempo aire" for my smartphone, I pay online, and it shows up immediately on my phone and my computer.


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Bancomer has been paying my telmes and cfe for well over 10 years no need to go into the bank.
I pay the water company once a year, They estimate and I go at the end of the year to pay if I still owe.


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

For the cleaning ladies, both have a bank account and I transfer the money from my Bank Bancomer to their bank via internet..


----------



## Canadiense82 (Jul 7, 2017)

I'm 35 and my daughter is 13. We are moving to Queretaro next year for 1 year just for a life experience. I want to show her a different way of life. I plan on returning once she's off to University. I own my own business and work remotely, so I'll make CAD and USD while living there.


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Canadiense82 said:


> I'm 35 and my daughter is 13. We are moving to Queretaro next year for 1 year just for a life experience. I want to show her a different way of life. I plan on returning once she's off to University. I own my own business and work remotely, so I'll make CAD and USD while living there.


Sounds like a great idea!

We are about 3-4 weeks out from moving to Queretaro, so if you want any info for newcomers, send me a PM. There is also a newcomers club that you can get in touch with. We haven't gone to any of their meetings yet but I have meet some members and they have been very helpful.


----------



## Canadiense82 (Jul 7, 2017)

circle110 said:


> Sounds like a great idea!
> 
> We are about 3-4 weeks out from moving to Queretaro, so if you want any info for newcomers, send me a PM. There is also a newcomers club that you can get in touch with. We haven't gone to any of their meetings yet but I have meet some members and they have been very helpful.


That's awesome Circle110! Thanks for the info. I'll definitely want to connect with others. I will be working from home, so the opportunity to meet new people may be difficult. (Although I already have friends around this area, so hopefully it won't be too bad!


----------

