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Maritsa

Aug 16, 2009, 5:03 PM

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Moving to Chiapas

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I am new to the forums and would like to hear from people who have experience or live in Chiapas. My boyfriend of 6 years grew up in Motozintla. I visited Mexico for 3 months in 2006-07. We flew from NC to San Diego, then went from Tijuana to Guadalajara, DF, lived in Chalco, went to Chiapas for 2 weeks. I am 58 and he is 66. We met here on the OBX of NC but he has purchased land in Comitan and is planning to return in the next few months. (He says he wants to die in his country). He would like me to go with him to live, and I am seriously considering it. I have a pretty good idea of what my life would be like, probably raising chickens and growing tomatoes in the mountains. I have worked hard, was married for 18 years and have 4 grown children (who all have their own lives, and I don't see much). My biggest problem is figuring out what to do with my stuff and how to get to Mexico. I've been reading a lot about the immigration laws etc on the forums, so I am wondering what the best way to do this would be. I don't have much money (can't meet the income requirements). So I would probably go on a tourist visa. I've seen Mexican roads and drivers (scary), and even though I've driven trucks and can drive standard, I am leery of driving into Mexico. Also, my 80 year old mother would love to have me go back to NJ with her! So this is my dilemma!

I work for Coca Cola and Timoteo & I maintain 17 yards on the week ends, so I am trying to save money for Mexico. I drive a pick up with a 12 foot trailer when we do lawn care. We have been doing this together for five years. I would of course have to quit my job, so I would not have any income once I do that. I guess I could get rid of everything and go, and if it doesn't work out I could always come back. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks, Maritsa

bluenoser55

Aug 17, 2009, 9:56 AM

Post #2 of 8 (5429 views)

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Re: [Maritsa] Moving to Chiapas

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Check the forums for posts by Bubba or hounddog.
He also posts here:
http://www.expatforum.com/...xpats-living-mexico/

(This post was edited by Rolly on Aug 17, 2009, 2:12 PM)

TIO GREENGLEE

Sep 27, 2009, 5:51 PM

Post #3 of 8 (5191 views)

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Re: [bluenoser55] Moving to Chiapas

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Why not teach English? There's a big demand for English lessons including in Comitan. You can get an independent FM-3 visa as an English teacher. After being a participant in Cisco Systems' Logan's Run for 40-year-olds, I came to Chiapas and have been teaching English for five years making a survivable living. I love Chiapas and the people here who are more gentle and less machismo than in the North of Mexico. Comitan is very nice with a moderate climate.

Carron

Sep 28, 2009, 10:31 AM

Post #4 of 8 (5142 views)

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Re: [TIO GREENGLEE] Moving to Chiapas

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To teach one usually must have some kind of college degree and/or certificate for ESL which probably needs to be apostilled by your state before you move to Mexico.

Those who move to Mexico permanently have a couple of lifestyle choices: (1) sell everything before you move and put the money into your new home. Buy Mexican and love it. (2) Bring all your US furnishings and "can't bear to part with" goods and endure the hassle that accompanies such a decision.

I'll admit, we have sort of done a hybrid of these, although when we moved full time to Chiapas in 1998 we pretty much opted to sell off and carry only our clothes with us. We left some family heirlooms in a storage room for our son and his wife. That included my huge collection of cast iron cooking utensils, which she did not touch because they were so rusty! When we moved back to the north of Mexico, we gradually slipped them across the border to our ranch and now that we are re-united I love using them every day!

One of the problems with not bringing everything down at the time you actually make the move is that lots of items cannot be sent down later without paying an exorbitant tariff. For example, I told my teenage daughters to leave their jeans and T-shirts in Houston until we found out what the girls their age were wearing in Tuxtla. When we found out they dressed the same my husband tried to send down all their well-worn jeans. It would have cost $32 per pair to ship them across the Border (something about them being a luxury item possibly for re-sale).

You will obviously have many decisions to make, but what ever you do you will love Chiapas as I still do.

La Isla

Sep 28, 2009, 11:20 AM

Post #5 of 8 (5126 views)

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Re: [Carron] Moving to Chiapas

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In Reply To

To teach one usually must have some kind of college degree and/or certificate for ESL which probably needs to be apostilled by your state before you move to Mexico.

The requirements for getting an FM3 allowing you to teach may vary from state to state, but, in Mexico City, the important thing is to have some sort of TEFL certificate, not necessarily a degree. I don´t know what they´d ask for in Chiapas. For more information on teaching English in Mexico, check out this website for expat English teachers: http://www.eltworld.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=48 .

Good luck!

Vichil

Sep 29, 2009, 12:38 PM

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Re: [Maritsa] Moving to Chiapas

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I do not think the requirements to teach in Comitan are that tough. I met a French woman on a plane who was on her way to Comitan to teach English, She was not an English teacher back in France but spoke English as she had lived in one of the African Englsih speaking countries for a while, she did not speak any Spanish and the school had arranged for her VISA so if you have any interest in teaching you should check that angle since English is your mother tongue, I would think you stand just as much of a chance as she did to get a job.

Maritsa

Sep 29, 2009, 4:21 PM

Post #7 of 8 (5054 views)

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Re: [Carron] Moving to Chiapas

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I appreciate the advice from everyone. I guess my situation is a little different because my boyfriend is from Chiapas. I know that he could leave tomorrow, after 6 years in the US, with only a muchila on his back. He amazes me when I realize how he can do that, although I know it is not the first time he has started over with nothing. He almost died in the desert getting back to me after our trip to Mexico, when he could not get a visa. My biggest problem right now is my feeling of responsibility toward my mother. I just spent a week with her after she had cancer removed from her arm and had a knee replacement. She would love to have me come back to NJ to live with her. She has a house and 2 acres that up until now she has maintained herself. I just spent 3 days weed eating, mowing and trimming her yard. But I realized that New Jersey is not where I really want to be again. Timoteo also feels that he should go to Chiapas to care for his 93 year old mother, who is suffering from dimentia, but still knows him. I met his mother and she is quite a woman who has suffered and endured a lot in her lifetime.

So Timoteo may go back to Mexico and I will go to NJ and work until next summer (if I can find a job, or transfer to another Coca Cola facility). I could hopefully live cheaply with my mom and pay off my truck (and hopefully sell it). I could take a bus and whatever I could fit into a couple of suitcases. But I also have my dog, Maritsa, (una buena muchacha) who I would like to bring along. I doubt that I could bring her on a bus, although it may be a possibility. I would rather not deal with Mexican car insurance and payments, and would try to save money by traveling light! The idea of teaching English may be a possibility. I am not a teacher, but worked in the school system in NJ for 7 years with special ed students. I also have an Associates' degree in Occupational Therapy Assisting, so I would probably be good at working with children and teaching English. I am pretty good at adapting to situations!

Carron

Sep 29, 2009, 6:27 PM

Post #8 of 8 (5032 views)

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Re: [Maritsa] Moving to Chiapas

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From the things you have said, I am optimistic that everything will work out for you and yours.