Oh Mexico!

A parable of how I moved to Mexico

As I write this post, the song "Mexico" by James Taylor is running through my mind…

Way down here, you need a reason to move

Feel a fool, running your stateside games

Lose your load, leave your mind behind, Baby James

Oh, Mexico

It sounds so simple, I just got to go

The sun’s so hot I forgot to go home

Guess I’ll have to go.

These song lyrics seem almost prophetic. They describe the events in my life that led me to move to Mexico. My reasons were many: I was running away from grief and unease with living in the United States. I got rid of my load of stateside possessions, cleared my mind, and, despite it being an international move, looking back now, the process was simple. And yes, the sun in Mexico is truly hot, but I love it, and it didn’t make me forget to go back to Ohio. But unlike James Taylor, I decided to stay.

There is more to the story, so to understand how I ended up living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, let me back up and share the occurrences that led me here.

Way down here, you need a reason to go….

Since 2020, I have struggled with the concept of home. That year, I decided to sell the home my late husband, Vince, and I had created. He passed away in 2019, and I knew the house and yard would be too much work for me.  And there were all those shared memories sitting on the shelves and scattered around the property, adding an imperceptible weight to my heart. 

The decision to sell was easier than clearing out and preparing the house. Looking into the garage and seeing how much work lay ahead gave me major angst. Our garage wasn't for cars; it was packed with my husband’s construction equipment, materials, and boxes of leftover trinkets from our late parents’ estates that we hadn’t yet parted with. The pandemic’s start didn't help, but I dove into the purging and didn’t look back.

Despite many people telling me I was crazy, I decided to host a pandemic garage sale to get the clean-out underway. Friends and family got first dibs. Right as the sale was about to begin, a cop car slowly drove past my house, and I thought I was going to get shut down. But the sale went on as planned outside in my driveway with all the safety precautions in place. People came wearing masks, and many of them thanked me for doing something that felt normal.

Lose your load…

I don’t know how I did it, but somehow I gained possession of a superpower, that allowed me to get rid of long-held prized possessions with no emotion. I was putting the yoga practice of aparigraha, which is the concept of non-possessiveness, non-greed, and non-attachment, into full force.

I'll never forget the bittersweet feeling on the day the final items left the house and garage. It marked the end of our married home and my husband’s career achievements. But it also brought an immense sense of accomplishment in completing a monumental task, and I had the cuts, bruises, sweat, and tears to prove my effort. I was exhausted, but I had managed to free myself from a mountain of accumulated stuff and all the attachments that came with it. And it felt incredible. 

The irony was not lost on me. I had spent the last three decades acquiring everything I thought I needed or wanted, only to purge most of it in just three months. It makes my heart happy when I see one of Vince’s prized neon signs proudly displayed at one of his friends' homes, and that his clothes were donated to the Rise in Love Center in Cleveland, materials donated to Habitat for Humanity, and many other items given to family and friends, are being put to good use. But some of the items ended up in the landfill, and I am not proud of that.

I am now very conscious of my purchases. Do I really need this thing? How will I dispose of it someday? I like having a small footprint in this world and the freedom that comes with fewer possessions, and I plan to keep it that way. I’m currently experiencing the luxury of having extra space in my closets and drawers, and I love it.

In just three months' time, I cleaned out the house, sold it, and decided to move into a lakefront condo we also owned in Vermilion, Ohio. I had many friends there, but I was also moving an hour away from my family and long-time friends. I was leaving the life I had known for over 25 years. 

I remodeled the condo so it would feel like a new home and a new way of life, and watching the sunsets over Lake Erie out on the deck was extremely therapeutic. One day that summer, as I walked through downtown Vermilion and admired how picturesque this lakefront community was, I said to myself, "I love where I live."

Feel a Fool, Running Your Stateside Games

But something about my new home never felt right. The transition was tough. I was living alone, far from family and friends, and without my favorite haunts. I kept packing up the car to visit friends in Akron or running off to a yoga class just to avoid being alone. Sundays were the hardest, and if I didn’t run off somewhere, I would sit on my deck, numb myself with wine, and have an ugly cry.

About a year after I settled in Vermilion, my inner voice started urging me to find a new home. I kept telling my inner voice, OK, good idea, but where? Should I stay in Ohio? Stay in the U.S.? Move across the globe? It’s a big world, and I didn’t want to play small. I was ready to explore all the options.

During my travels, I met a very wise and kind woman who introduced me to astrocartography, also known as location astrology. It is a method that projects your birth chart onto a world map to show where different planetary influences are strongest for you. It helps identify locations that support your goals for career, relationships, and happiness. I was eager to try it and didn’t hesitate to contact her astrocartologist to schedule a discovery session.

While I was waiting for his findings, I was giddy with anticipation. I dreamed that the resulting location would be somewhere warm and exotic, with a vibrant dining scene and an abundance of yoga studios. The call began, and I quickly surmised by his tone that I would not like the answer. He explained he couldn’t get a conclusive read. He had warned me that this happens to a small percentage of people and said he would refund my money. I was even more bummed when he said that for now, I needed to stay put in Ohio, even if it would be challenging. I could always call him in a year to try the reading again.

I didn’t stay put in Ohio. I was still in running mode, so I did the exact opposite. I decided to take a year to travel the world. I was turning 60, so I made it my birthday gift and thought it would be a stellar way to search for a new home. (I promise to share more about the joy of this solo travel adventure in future posts!) The picture below was taken in front of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand during my year of travel

I didn’t find a place to call home during my travels, but I could spend a good chunk of time in Byron Bay, Australia, with its abundance of stunning beaches, yoga studios, talented street musicians (aka buskers), vegetarian eateries, and hippy-trippy vibe. 

One of the gorgeous Byron Bay Beaches! I could beach walk for mile.

During my year of travel, I realized why living in Vermilion didn’t make me happy: even though I had wonderful friends there, it was never home—just a temporary resting place with a gorgeous view. 

So, after returning there in January of 2024, I sat down on the evening of the New Moon and made a list of what mattered to me in my next home. The list included: proximity to a beach, warm weather, abundant sunshine, a thriving yoga and conscious community, a diverse population, access to healthy, organic food, cultural events, and an international airport for easy travel. I wrote the list in my journal and set my intention to manifest my new place in the world.

It Sounds So Simple I Just Got to Go…

One of my older brothers, Michael, has lived in Mexico City for over sixteen years. We are both on a spiritual path, and he was a tremendous support to me after Vince passed away. He invited me down to Mexico for visits, and we traveled together in Mexico, India, Thailand, Australia, and Peru, and shared many deep conversations over coffee and donuts.

That summer, he told me he was looking to buy a condo near the beach in Mexico. He finally found one in Playa del Carmen and asked whether he should get a roommate to help with expenses. He had shared photos of the condo, and I knew I liked that region. After hearing all about it, I blurted out, “Would you be open to me being your roommate? I could go in half with you on the condo.” 

He didn’t balk at the idea, and we proceeded to have many discussions about whether we could live together, especially since the condo was the definition of a tiny home—527 square feet, two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a small living room and kitchen. After setting roommate rules and arranging the finances, we bit the bullet and made the purchase. All of this was done without my ever setting foot in the condo.

Surprisingly, my level of angst and having any buyer's remorse was minimal. I was going with the flow of life, and my intuition confirmed it was a good move. My original plan was to spend four months in Mexico in the winter, four months in Ohio during the summer, and four months traveling, so it wasn’t like I was making a full-time commitment.

It sounds so simple, I just got to go live in Mexico with my brother. And it was simple because Michael had become a Mexican citizen, so he could purchase real estate, speak the language, and understand the cultural differences. Honestly, I don’t think I could have moved to Mexico without all his help. Well, I could have, but there would have been way more obstacles.

In preparation for buying property in Mexico, I went through the process of gaining permanent residency (that is a whole other story; let me know if you are interested). We got possession of the condo in September 2024, but I had yoga teaching and travel commitments from July to November. So I anxiously waited several months to see what we had bought.

I finished up my summer beach yoga classes, then flew to Italy to hike the Cammino di San Benedetto. I made a brief stop in Brussels, then flew straight to Cancun the day before Thanksgiving. The next morning, I walked to the beach, and my first glimpse of the white sand and stunning shades of blue in the Caribbean Sea took my breath away. I thought, 'Oh, wow, this is where I am going to live!'

When I finally stepped foot in the condo, I thought, ‘Oh, wow, this is going to be a lot of work!’ Our condo came with the bare minimum: a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink, a toilet, and a showerhead. We would need to hire contractors to build out the kitchen and install closets in the bedrooms. And we had to furnish the whole place. My brother had also cleaned out his primary residence, so we vowed to buy only necessities.

Until we could get proper furniture, my brother had purchased a few essentials: a hammock, a fold-out camp chair and table, and a blow-up mattress. Our makeshift kitchen consisted of a hot plate, one pan, a mini-fridge, a four-cup coffee maker, two coffee mugs, and a few plastic plates and eating utensils. I may have checked into a hotel if he had not already installed air conditioners, a hot water heater, and Wi-Fi.

Our condo is on the outskirts of Playa and backed up to the jungle, so right away I had a few close encounters with tarantulas and scorpions. I no longer run screaming when I see a huge hairy spider and have developed a skillful way to guide these critters into a cup so I can settle them back outdoors.

Securing a capable contractor and getting them to show up and do the work is no easy task; add the language barrier and cultural differences, and it becomes even more fun (I’m choosing to say "fun" rather than "challenging"). I had to lean on my brother’s Spanish and knowledge of living in Mexico for help, and I’m sure I annoyed the crap out of him.

On the positive side, I could easily be distracted by discovering everything new about Playa del Carmen. To my delight, I found a very active yoga and spiritual community, places to enjoy Kirtans and dance events, and the beach whenever I wanted. There was a plethora of events I could attend, and I met people from all around the world. Both my brother and I were thriving socially.

Sunrise Beach Yoga in Playa Del Carmen

I loved not having a car and walking to run my errands in my new neighborhood. For longer distances, I could always take a taxi or a shared colectivo van.

Grocery shopping became a whole new experience for me. I now rely on Google Translate to read the package labels. I can figure out most items, but I still need help making sure I’m buying paprika and not, for example, a fiery hot pepper spice. I can’t always find the products I want, but the abundant supply of affordable avocados, mangoes, and papaya makes up for it, and I feel lucky each time I do find a store that carries hummus.

Yes, there have been challenges to living here, but I am embracing the differences, learning the language, enjoying the kindness of the locals, and loving it all.

Me encanta vivir en México. ❤️🇲🇽🏡

The sun’s so hot I forgot to go home. Guess I’ll have to go.

The Christmas holidays were approaching, and it was time for me to travel back to the United States to spend a few weeks with my family. I went to the beach the day before I flew home, and as I sat there enjoying the waves, I realized: Oh my goodness, my new home had checked off all the requirements I had written down on that New Moon, and I didn’t want to leave. The sun was hot, and I didn’t forget to go back to Ohio that Christmas. But I knew I wanted to change my plans and make Playa del Carmen a more permanent home.

So that’s how I landed in Mexico, and there’s more to the story that I will share in an upcoming post.

Thanks for reading. I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment if you have any questions about what it is like to live in a foreign country or about getting rid of most of your possessions, or if you’ve got any tips on how to learn Spanish.