I hope that just because you won't be gardening anymore doesn't mean you'll leave the forum.

I assume you've done all the research into requirements for permanantly living in Mexico. From what I've read Mexico makes it easy for retirees to relocate. What made you pick Mexico? What city? Do you have family and friends there? A house? Enquiring minds want to know. Lol!

If it's none of my business it won't hurt my feelings if you say so. Really!

Bea, I've been researching for two years after a friend moved to Baja and is very happy there, where she was struggling in California with the rising cost of living. I'm not sure where I'll eventually settle, but I have a few starting places in mind. I have a couple of friends but no family there.

The main reason I'm going is financial. I simply cannot have a good life here on my income. I can live there for half of what it costs here, and I can live in a beach town for less than what it costs me to live here. I miss being close to a beach.

It's not a perfect place, but from everything I've read and seen (there are a lot of expats with YouTube channels), most of the country is not as dangerous as everybody says and it's a good place to live. I studied Spanish for a couple of years in HS, and I'm studying online, so at least I'll have a basic grasp of the language.

Also, I'm just bored and up for an adventure. I thought about van dwelling, but that life would just be too hard for me, so I started looking into leaving FL, and there was just nowhere in the US that appealed to me, and the ones that did, I couldn't afford. So Mexico it is.

Good luck. Way back in the late 80's my FIL went to San Diego to take care of his sister's estate matters. Her friends took him and DH on a couple of trips to Baja. He fell in love with it and was thinking of moving there. It was beautiful and cheap and he could have lived a wonderful life on his comfy retirement. One thing though, and I'm sure this wouldn't be a factor on your part, you couldn't really own property there, but you could "lease" it for 99 years. I don't know if that's still the case but like I said, it might not matter to the people who do decide to go there. The biggest thing I would be concerned with is corruption in the local government. As long as you have money to grease the machine everything is fine, but poor people don't fare well in those places, that's why they want to come here.

I'm sorry you're going, Deb, but I wish you all the best. What an adventure! Please keep us posted about how it goes.

dg, a friend of mine retired to Mexico about 10 years ago. After trying two other cities he settled down in Puerto Vallarta and loves it. During his first years he taught English as a second language for supplemental income.

rita, I have no desire to be responsible for another house. I'm perfectly fine living in a small apartment where I have no responsibility for maintenance or a yard. "Poor" is relative. I'm poor here, but there, I would be almost middle class.

writersblock - thanks. I think it will be much better for me than being stuck where I am.

shuffles, Puerto Vallarta seems to be one of the few resort towns that is largely unaffected by the cartels, but then, so were Cancun and Playa del Carmen until recently. Anywhere there is a lot of money, sadly, they will eventually move in. I'm looking for something a lot less commercial with more of a family atmosphere. They're hard to find, but they do exist.

Sounds like this will work for you DG. Friends of mine retired to Costa Rica for the same reasons. They were barely making it financially in the US but down there they own a house, get to go out to eat often and even have a weekly cleaning lady!

I wish you all the best as you prepare for you adventure. Please keep us posted as you are moving about. I've got a bet going on how long it will be before you are up to you eyeballs in potted plants....

J/K but you know as well as I that the gardening bug is hard one to stay away from.

ibarbidahl - That's why I'm looking at growing mini African violets again. You can hoard tons of those is a small space with grow lights.

From what I've seen of housing there, a house with any decent yard is way out of my budget, but I may eventually be able to get a place with a small private courtyard.

I dont think I would move to Mexico now days. You are braver than I. When I was little we would camp out on the beach at Rocky Point, Mexico and other places. Vendors would walk down the beach and try to sell fireworks, food, and all kinds of stuff. My We would fish, hunt for shells or crabs etc. We had the best time. I loved it. I would not feel safe doing that now. I probably wouldnt feel safe camping in a lot of places in Florida these days either, come to think of it. Not without an RV with a locking door and a gun. I would rather camp in Wyoming with the bears than in FL or most very populated states. I would feel safer lol.

Sultry, most of the violence in Mexico is close to the border and has moved into some resort towns. For some reason, large cities like Guadalajara and Mexico City haven't seen as much cartel violence, probably because they have large police forces. Most of Mexico is safe, just like most of the US is safe, but I wouldn't live in Detroit or even Miami. My son lived perfectly safely in Chicago for many years, and you would think everyone was in danger there from the news reports, but 99% of the violence is is one small area of Chicago where the drugs are.

I live here in a perfectly safe neighborhood, but about a year ago, a man who had been evicted from his apartment murdered the manager & asst. manager at the complex & kidnapped another employee. I'm still not afraid, and often walk around here after dark when it's cooler.

You just have to be smart in Mexico; stick to the main highways (toll roads which are safe, but expensive as hell to drive on), don't go into bad neighborhoods, don't wander around after dark by yourself. That's just common sense anywhere. There are millions of expats from all over the world living in Mexico very safely. Most of the killings are drug related. The cartels don't want to kill the tourist trade because there is a lot of money in it, so they leave the tourists and expats alone.

We will be glad 2 adopt anything U have.

I love Mexico. I spent a bunch of time in Oaxaca and later iin aja

Oaxaca was one of my favorites. Of course the last time I was there was 1975 when I was in school in the state of Puebla.

I think if I were to move it would be to Bonaire. What a great place.

joycrick - a lot of what I have is already promised, but if I have anything left, I'll let you know.

cpartist - I'm looking closely at Huatulco, which is in Oaxaca state. If I do end up there, I think I'd like to be in Santa Maria, a bit more inland than the beach communities, although they haven't gotten as developed as other parts of the Pacific coast, they're working on it.

I looked at the Caribbean part of Yucatan around Los Morelos, but with the cartels now moving into Cancun and Playa del Carmen, I just didn't want to be there. Plus -- hurricanes. They seem to like the Yucatan peninsula more and more every day.

Bonaire is way out of my budget, although it is beautiful.

D, the best of luck on your planning for the next move!

If that was me I will follow some of these steps. Take an inventory of anything in the present house and either keep some to take it with me, or sell. and what it does not fit in this category give it away. This includes, furniture, clothes, garden stuff.

Research for best areas in Mexico that I can afford and are safe. If I am not going to have a car, they have to have good transportation, be close to shopping and health care.

Find out everything I can about health insurance, there is also free clinics.

A good building with a guard and a small apartment are good options.

To eat cheap, fresh and good the markets are great!.

If I don't have any family or friends there, I would join any of the social clubs available that are inexpensive or free. Anything in my interest or just to have people that I can see and talk. Virtual friends are not a good idea to create bonding or at least have a cup of coffee with a real person.

Be safe and with good research you will do great! Do not put fear in your life.

Silvia

D, well said it!

I am looking forward to your beautiful pictures of a happy times in the future...

When I was around 18 and back from India to Chicago, I made a trip to Panama and from there all the Central America by car and back to Chicago all by myself. I would not trade my trips for anything! I have the thousand memories from all the places that I have been.

OH WOW! What a wonderful adventure! I look forward to your posts and updates when you do go. You are so very appreciated and loved on this board.

I have never been to S. America so I have no advice on that front.

Not the same, but when we moved cross country we purged almost all out belongings and it was incredibly liberating!

suncoastflowers, what a sweet thing to say! Thank you. I was having a depressing day and I needed a little lift.

I have no desire to go to S. America, but Central America is right there at the end of Mexico, so no reason not to skip down there, because air fares are pretty cheap in the off-season. For some reason, I have no desire to travel the US. I think it's the politics that makes me just want to stay out of all the states where I would be likely to punch someone in the nose. I won't say which states those are. ;)