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Bill_N

Jun 22, 2003, 6:14 AM

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Paths to Mexico for Retirement

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I thought an interesting thread might develop if I pose the question "What motivated or motivates people to consider Mexico as a retirement location?" beyond "climate" and "cost of living". Naturally, these are probably big factors but "living in Mexico" represents a very significant change and many adjustments to be made. Are there other reasons or more compelling reasons that people consider Mexico? For example, are certain personality types more likely than others to even consider it? Were or are people seeking a complete change, new surroundings, new language? Do people who make this choice consider "life an adventure" and have never "left stones unturned"? Why does it seem that there are many Canadians and seemingly many US expats that were formerly from Northwest part of US? Is this an accurate observation or just an impression from participants on MexConnected?

Many related questions here but just wondering if an interesting thread might develop from it?

I'll start....

My wife and I are considering Mexico probably because if the "cost of living" factor is true, it may allow us to retire and enjoy a nice climate and a new adventure earlier than we could if our choice was to live only in the US. Well... now, I'm back to "cost of living" and "climate". Interesting! But beyond these very important factors, my wife and I enjoy travel... We would expect to travel a lot around Mexico and get to know the country. We love Mexican food and cooking. My wife had positive experiences and memories of Mexico during some extended visits as a child. Although we love our children and our grandchildren dearly, we don't feel compelled to live "across the street" from them. Neither of us have ever lived close to family. We expect to visit family and maintain contact via email, internet webcam. Hopefully also, Mexico would be an exotic and attractive place for our family to come visit us.

Enough for now... If this thread takes off... what others contribute may stimulate my thinking a bit more.

Regards,

Bill

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juan david

Jun 22, 2003, 3:18 PM

Post #2 of 6 (678 views)

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Re: [Bill_N] Paths to Mexico for Retirement

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The biggies of climate, cost of living and the ambience of the people translate to a quality of life in retirement that is very appealing to us and others we know. Also agree that it's easier if you are not geographically tied to a concentration of family, and we are adventurous by nature...both of us, which is a good thing....'cause if both aren't bought in there's a problem waiting to happen. As to why there are concentrations of people from certain areas, it seems that word of mouth is what gets people started in looking at Mexico as a possible place to retire. Once you get your head aruond the notion of leaving Canada or the US, Mexico becomes a very viable and fairly convenient option. We love it!
" let sleeping dogs lie"

PeggyS

Jun 23, 2003, 1:14 AM

Post #3 of 6 (652 views)

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Re: [Bill_N] Paths to Mexico for Retirement

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Bill, there's also the fact that the health care here in Mexico and the nursing homes are outstanding. Many of you young retirees also have an aged parent you're taking care of, as is the case with more than a few of my friends here in Ajijic. In my case, I had spent so much time traveling in Mexico that it was like a second home. When my late husband, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimers at age 44, became more than I could handle as sole caretaker, I looked for a nursing home. Whether it was the northern U.S. or southern, it was a locked, barred facility, with the patient drugged to the point of being a zombie.
A military hospital/retirement home was being built in Florida and they kindly put his name near the top of the list. I asked what kind of room he would have, and they said he would be in the mental ward, Alzheimers wing, totally locked and barred. I asked how often he would be out in the sunshine and they were horrified that he would be let outside. I told them that I wouldn't put a dog in a place like that.
We had visited Ajijic/Chapala often while he was well enough to travel, with me checking out nursing homes. I decided on a lovely place on five acres of beautiful grounds in Chapala, where he had his own room and bath, wonderful compassionate nursing care 24/7, gardeners who doubled as male nurses when needed, really terrific food enjoyed by guests as well, and doctors who were able to prescribe the correct medicine to take away the violence that this normally gentle man had shown in the Florida institutions. Even when he no longer recognized any of us, you could see that he enjoyed sitting with his friends out in the sunshine or under the trees, or being spoken to by name by one of the other guests. Incidently, he was the only dementia patient at the time, most of the others were simply retired in a place with great food and care.
Climate: absolutely, how wonderful for those simply in a nursing home to be in the warmth and sunshine here.
Cost of living: a third, perhaps, of what it would cost in the U.S., for the incomparable care here.
When we have to think of others as well as ourselves when we retire, there is no comparison.

Bill_N

Jun 23, 2003, 2:42 AM

Post #4 of 6 (650 views)

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Re: [PeggyS] Paths to Mexico for Retirement

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Peggy,

The health care issue is an important one and especially the cost factor. Health care seems to be one of the number one concerns for people who are considering moving to Mexico but for people who already live there, it doesn't seem to be an issue. Generally speaking I have heard nothing but positive things about the Health Care and the cost of health care in Mexico. This certainly should be put on the positive side of the ledger when considering Mexico as a retirement location.

Bill

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Georgia

Jun 23, 2003, 5:23 AM

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Re: [Bill_N] Paths to Mexico for Retirement

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This is not an easy question to answer, and I suspect each of us will have a different list. For me, it is cultural: I grew up in and out of the hispanic culture, am fluent in Spanish, and prefer the pace of life in this culture. It is generally not narrow minded and meanspirited, nor is it rushed and rude. So, there's that. I find life in most US locales to be so rushed and impersonal that it is alienating.

Climate, cost of living (wherever we would retire) and availability of health care all factored in. They would factor in wherever we settled.

We live in the Northeast of the US and Mexico puts us hours closer to most of our children and grandchildren without having to live where they are in Texas -- where I would have to spend a great part of the year indoors because of the heat and humidity where my kids live. It's a four hour trip (by air, including going to and coming from the airport) or a two day (comfortably) car trip. Much more convenient.

I like the scenery, the produce, the public transportation system, the courtesies, and, in a perverse way, the fact that accomplishing a lot of otherwise ministerial tasks is so byzantine. There is a tolerance for imperfection. This is liberating to me!

esperanza

Jun 23, 2003, 6:41 AM

Post #6 of 6 (626 views)

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Re: [Bill_N] Paths to Mexico for Retirement

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Please see my post under Jennifer's thread about how life has changed since moving to Mexico.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com