Part Time Life in Mexico Makes Me Sad
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- Check out our sponsor BetterHelp: www.betterhelp... for 10% off of your first month.
Join Brighton and Kat West in a new episode of Almost Retired in Mexico as they delve into the "Snowbird Blues," reflecting on the complexities of seasonal migration from their vibrant life in La Paz, Mexico, to the rainy calm of Oregon. Experiencing a cocktail of emotions, they share personal insights and advice on embracing the part-time lifestyle between two diverse worlds.
- Dive into the concept of "Snowbird Blues" as Brighton reveals his feelings about leaving Mexico and transitioning back to life in Oregon.
- Hear Kat's take on the beauty of a dual lifestyle, embracing the constant excitement of moving between perfect weather in both locations.
- Learn how social life differs starkly between their Mexican community and their life in Oregon, impacting friendships and activities such as pickleball.
- Discover the role of BetterHelp's online therapy in supporting those struggling with the mental and emotional challenges of seasonal relocation.
- Uncover the practical aspects of living half the year in Mexico, such as preparing the house for absence, price comparison for medications, and the upsides of fostering dogs.
- Gain a reflective perspective on the cherished aspects of life in Mexico, including local friendships, cultural experiences, and the simple pleasure of enjoying the natural beauty.
Support this channel by buying me a margarita over at www.buymeamarg...
The Mexico Relocation Guide is the perfect resource for moving to Mexico. We've partnered with them and you can get the guide here: mexicorelocati...
![[Live] : ONE 168 วันนี้!! "โจนาธาน vs ซุปเปอร์เล็ก"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0jIN65KgJsI/mqdefault.jpg)
Check out our sponsor BetterHelp: www.betterhelp.com/AlmostRetired for 10% off of your first month.
I am a full-timer and love it when the part-timers leave. The part-timers seem to be all about partying and drinking and when they leave life comes back to normal which I really love.
Interesting. I can definitely see how that might be the case. What city are you in? I'm guessing that's more common in the touristy places like Cabo or Cancun - but that's just a guess.
Very interesting. That is definitely not the vibe in Loreto Bay which is largely a retirement community. In fact, it's almost the opposite with a lot of mainlander 20-somethings coming over here in the summer to enjoy the beach. I could definitely see that in Cabo.
In Mexico, when someone leaves, when someone is said goodbye, we sing the song LAS GOLONDRINAS
Look for the song, it's beautiful, sad, but beautiful! Makes me cry.... 😭😭
Thanks for sharing! That's a beautiful song.
When I was in GDL, the mariachi were singing songs that all the Mexicans sang along with. I've been wondering what songs I'd need to learn to be able to sing along in the future. Maybe this was the last song of the night...
I can sympathize completely, but from the other side. We are year-rounders in Loreto, moving here last July. We had the experience of seeing the population explode as people started returning in October and November. We have had an incredible experience and have developed a more extensive network of friends in 9 months than we had in 16 years in Utah. We made so many friends, enjoying hikes, swimming, sailing, golf, and - oh man - the meals in our incredible local restaurants. But now, suddenly, they are all disappearing. It is incredibly sad. Bryan and Jo left last week, flying back to Calgary. Janice and Randy drove back to Canada two days ago. We are about to have Dave, Mary, Michael and Barbara over for dinner for their farewell. George and Patrice left about five days ago. It's absolutely depressing. As we walk our dogs around the neighborhood, it's' quiet - we don't run into others walking their dogs, the homes are dark, and people are slowly loading their cars, discarding their perishables, working with property managers, annd slowly leaving us behind.
I will say that the year rounders do have a relatively tight community. Many of the local restaurants close for the summer, so we end up seeing the same people when we choose to go out for a meal. Abby, Britta, John, Lupita, we're looking at you (actually, John and Lupita seem to do this whole thing backwards - they will return in a couple of days and are here through the summer. Go figure...)
So, if you're inclined to stop in Loreto on the way north, please stop in - we'll treat you to lunch. It's the least we could do for all the entertainment you provide. We love your videos. Drive safely, you two.
(And AMEN on the advice to leave the politics back up north.)
We just missed you - drove through Loreto around 3pm today. Next time we drive south, maybe we can meet up.
Thanks for sharing your experience as a full timer. We are seeing all sorts of snowbirds driving north right now.
Enjoy the summer!
Also I selfishly like you being in the US part time ❤
@@Mariapink100 yes, but your next scheduled visit with us is in Mexico!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico ...and if you are ever looking for an overnight stop four/five hours short of La Paz, let us know. It's the least we could offer for the great videos you provide. Have a great summer.
@@davidmalone9022 Thanks David - I'll keep that in mind!
We are full-timers and I love it when the part-timers go home, the stores are less busy, and the traffic is lighter. We live at Lake Chapala. But being here full-time, we also miss Washington State and the cooler weather, especially in May. We usually make a trip back once a year and see family and get our fill of the green fir trees and believe it or not the rain.
Thanks for sharing! I would think that Lake Chapala would fill up with Mexican vacationers from GDL during the summer. Not so much?
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Usually on the weekends, but the traffic is what is most noticeable since the snowbirds left Places like Walmart are almost empty, and short lines.
Hola Amigos. I love your channel. So funny to hear others talk about how great it is when the "snow birds" leave. We do crave the quiet times when no one is coming and the market shelves are full! I've lived in San Miguel de Allende for 14 years full-time and I love it. Everything you all love about Mexico, I second. Usually we spend most of January on the Pacific coast somewhere, so that how we split our time. We have so many visitors/tourists here, of course, but there are distinct seasons. Easter/Semana Santa -- the whole world visits San Miguel for the processions and parades. Once Easter is over that is the trigger for the Canadians to go back to Canada -- spring in Montreal; grandkids, etc. Once the Canadians clear out it gets quiet (bliss! heaven!) for May/June. July/August brings the smaller invasion of the Texans. It gets very hot in Texas in the summer and for an easy drive or a cheap flight then can be here in San Miguel for the worst of it; fancy imported beer becomes scarce when Texas is in the house! September is the day of independence -- so it's time for the Mexican tourists and many others to flock to San Miguel. September is eats/drinks/fireworks. On to Day of the Dead. Anyone who didn't get a hotel in Patzcuaro comes to San Miguel. A busy week but it doesn't last long. Back to December and here come the Canadians again and a new cycle has begun!
@@Archie1021 I'm not complaining I simply meant to respond to the cycle of tourism that we go through every year. I love Mexico and I love my town and the noise and fireworks and the holidays and processions. The video was about part-timers and "high-seasons" in Mexico and that is specifically what I was discussing. I meant to be tongue-in-cheek about the various waves of gringos.
We got the Kat and Brighton Are Going North Blues 🩵💙🩵
Yes - I knew you had some blues deep down when we left!
I too, had more friends in Mexico than I did in California and here on Maui.
As snowbirds from Olympia WA for 6 or so years we didn’t want to leave Lake Chapala, bought a house and are soo happy here! Yes - more social! We miss friends & family but they visit us and we enjoy short trips back to US. Enjoy your time NOB 😊
So you're saying I have 2 more years and then Kat will be ready to move full-time to Mexico?
Congrats on settling in full time! The GDL area is great for year-round weather (but I heard it's been hot recently) and easy access to the airport to fly back to the US!
I didn't get to stay in Mexico quite as long this past Winter... So I have already been in Oregon for a while now... This is a yucky raining day today... I am SAD for you!! I am already dreaming up how I can head back to Mexico earlier and Stay LONGER!! :) Love your channel... Much love to you both!
We are in the same boat. We were supposed to arrive November 1 2023, but got delayed. Longer is always better. If you're near Portland, send me an email and I'll let you know when I'm having a happy hour. brighton@gen-mex.com
I was just in Ore for a week. Rainy off & on. You have to admit it IS beautiful up there.
Yeah - 9 months of rain makes for beautiful landscapes!
I am looking forward to becoming a full timer. However, the summers in the PNW are glorious! I know I will miss them. I can always visit.
Enjoy the best of both worlds. No AC in the summer could be uncomfortable.
Your gratitude is lovely
I’m a part timer in Jalisco and I’m returning to the US next week for medical reasons ( nothing serious but I don’t have insurance in Mexico). I have tears and anxiety just thinking about it. I am single so I have a condo in MX and a the maintenance of a small house in the US. I can relate when you say that reconnecting with friends needs effort. There is definitely a disconnection. Oh well, my cat loves me…
Best of luck with your procedure! You still have health insurance in the US? Is it Medicare?
When we moved to Tennessee, I REALLY missed the amazing hiking in WA and OR and the smell of the Puget Sound and our families. But it started to get depressing when I had to spend the best parts of the summer indoors due to smoke from Wildfires. My last few summers in WA were miserable due to smoke. In the PNW you spend nine months waiting to see the sun so its a big bummer when you get smoked out. I can relate to the S.A.D. of perpetually overcast skies. I don't miss that at all...Hopefully the sun will show up soon! Safe Travels.
omg that is so true! I stopped going back for that reason, and many others 😂
Sooooo sorry to see you guys leave for the next six months but I am kinda enjoying the slow return to a quieter life here as the snowbirds head back north. We are full timers and we love our year round life here and being a part of our small colonia. Will look forward to your return in October. Safe travels friends! ❤
I can definitely see how it would be nice as a full timer to go through the "seasons" in Mexico.
I'm glad we got to Vittos before we headed north (twice!)
Great videos, thanks you! Could you make a video about how do you do manage to keep your house safe and get proper maintenance while you spend the summer in Oregon?
Great idea. I'll add it to my list. But here's the gist: We have lots of security cameras and an alarm system. Plus we have a caretaker who lives in the casita when we go north.
Yes!! Papaya!! I live full time in Guadalajara and I would miss the papayas and avocados the most. Enjoy your journey home!!
I related to both of your of perspectives in a way, but I seem more aligned w/Kat's assertion that you have the perfect life in that you live 1/2 time in La Paz during the best weather & then 1/2 the time in Oregon which is fantastic in the late Spring, Summer, & early Fall. You two are my template for living in 2 of the most amazing places in the world. ~ It is Definately more chill in LP & not stressing so hard about money is a blessing too...and, I Am a bit more social in LP too. That garden club sounds interesting, Kat!
Hi Kat and Brighton - Brad and I now have our temp residency. I got mine in Chapala in March - Brad just got his today in Mazatlan- we are looking at assisted living in Mazatlan. It seems like you just left Oregon!!!
Congratulations on getting your residencies! Lemme know how the assisted living in Mazatlan works out. I didn't know they had facilities.
I feel like I just left Oregon too. This winter was too short.😢
I like to WAIT until I get to Mexico to get my haircut... Both my husband and myself go to the same gal in Puebla and we love her... she is so attentive and does exactly what you ask and goes the extra mile to make sure you are completely pleased... Love both of your haircuts... VERY nice!
Thank you Diana! Great to hear we aren't the only ones who wait for Mexican haircuts!
My wife and I are full-timers from Las Vegas. We love it when the part-timers go. Puerto Vallarta may dip in traffic, but we love the vibe apart from the humidity because the families and crowds in the beaches are more respectful, humble, and less entitled.
Like your area, we just switch from most Canadians and Americans to national tourists.
Thanks for sharing. I wonder if the "less-respectful" tourists are more common in the more touristy areas. I've seen that when comparing the foreigners in Cabo vs La Paz.
I saw a study of expats in PV vs Ajijic and I was surprised by the differences. Education level, income level and political affiliations.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico i would say that we have at least 4 types of tourists. And one of the prominent types of tourist would be those that come to Mexico every year, they have a large bank roll, and would be retired semi-wealthy. That's just one sliver of tourist. But when i moved here I immediately felt like i was back in the Bay Area (where i grew up). This is the San Francisco of Mexico.
@@thedigitalexpat PV = SF of Mexico. That's a great comparison! I think that sliver of tourists you mention are much more common in the more touristy areas. La Paz has no all-inclusives, or resorts of any kind. There are no timeshares that I know of. So the things that attract those folks don't exist here - at least not yet. Another thing here: our cruise ship terminal is inconvenient and not very nice. So we don't get many cruisers. Plus our airport has no flights direct to the US. So we are kinda isolated. You really gotta want to come to La Paz if you are gonna come here. So much easier to go somewhere else in Mexico ;-)
We leave Bucerias on Friday to fly to Vancouver. This is our third winter in Mexico and it gets harder to leave every year. We keep hearing people saying "we should just stay" but even though we are residents we do like the variety and miss our Canadian comforts. Bring on Red Rose tea in the rain.... :)
I don't live in MX (yet) but I feel for you Brighton! The list of things you will miss makes me sad for you, especially since Kat's list is much smaller, meaning she still isn't ready to leave Oregon. I hope Wally finds a good home! Safe travels back to crazy town (the U.S.). Take care of yourselves.
Happy anniversary Brighton & Kat!!
Hi Kat and Brighton, Well it's been sunny and beautiful since we returned from La Paz but the rain starts tomorrow. Hopefully it will be sunny and nice when you make it back to Portland. Hope you have smooth sailing on the drive back. Take care!
😂 👍 That’s the way to do it! Loading up on medication before going back to the US. We do the same, meds are extremely pricey in the US and we have a senior doggie that takes tons.
Yes - dog medicine especially. Insurance covers most of our meds for Kat and I, so we are only out the co-pay. But still, I've found lots of medicine in Mexico costs less than our US copay.
Thanks for keeping you pup happy and healthy!
Happy Anniversary 🎉😊 Relatives of mine lived in Newport Oregon - a stunning place. Beautiful state 😊 I'm full-time in 🇨🇦 but can understand how it's an adjustment for you to go back and forth.
You are both so funny (and cute together!). Thanks for your insights.
Thank you!
We will miss you both.
Moved here to stay full time 10 years ago - doubt I will make any more trips to Canada - my brother and his wife come to visit and both my sons moved here. I am truly blessed.
You are definitely blessed Lisa! Now you just need to get those sons married off!
We always arrive in mid to late Nov and our rule has always been to leave the first week of May when it's getting hot, we don't have any AC on our homestead. April is great, the crowds are gone and the winds are still good and most of our friends are still here. The good news is if you do want to stay there are plenty of nice gringo houses with AC here to rent off season at low prices and a lot of folks are looking for house sitters which is typically rent free. This year we have a guy building a home for us so we are remaining here to oversee that while house sitting in a nearby beautiful home with plenty of AC. But in general my feeling has always been that staying here in Baja for the six cool months is ideal, why diminish the experience by suffering through the hot, humid summer? We traveled most of last summer in Europe and Bali but missed our home here so we came back a bit early in Sept but it was stifling outdoors, temps around 100 with high humidity. We no longer have properties in the US, our plan going forward is to spend our summers traveling to mainland Mexico's higher altitudes and cooler destinations, it could be six months or shorter periods but there's no need to go half way around the world, it's better in Mexico!
I love meeting kat like this
Happy Anniversary and safe journey to Oregon.
Thank you! Will do!
Thanks for the video! I live in Portland OR. If you decide to have any meet ups in Portland, I'd like to join. Buen dia! (Good day!)
Great - there are lots of folks in Portland watching my videos. Can you send me an email and I'll let you know when the summer meetups are? brighton@gen-mex.com.
The first one is planned for May 9th, 5-7pm, Pepinos on Hawthorne
I met so many great expats on my recent trip to La Paz, including you guys!
Glad you had a nice visit! See you next winter?
I live in Bucerías year-round and the mass exodus of Canadian snowbirds is winding down. This means fewer events (markets, music) until the mid-to-late fall.
I can’t believe it’s been another six months already! 🇲🇽
Can't wait experience idea of a dual adventurous life. I am sure Oregon is lovely as well. I am a hairstylist, great to here you like your hairstylist in Mexico.
I hope you'll get to live a double-life soon!
BTW- I have a video about a hair stylist coming out in the next few months. She retired and moved to Mexico, then she started a little school teaching local women to become stylists. It's a great profession compared to what is typically possible for these local women! Watch for that one.
Great, will look forward to this interview. We just rented our house for the Winter months in El Centenario. So very excited!
Your videos are so helpful. My hubs and I are working on our retirement plan. Some of your recent videos have led us to consider other countries. TY
I love to hear this Amy! Thanks for sharing.
A follow up. I sold a very very considerable amount of land in Georgia usa. After the pain of living in the us, low vacation, corporate America, etc, is why we want to move.
Safe travels 🙏. Stay blessed. ❤
Thank you Nikita!
Oregonian here. Love your videos.
Awesome! Thank you!
LOVE this…all of this! We purposely planned to be in Mexico over Election Day. We’ll be casting our ballot then off to Zihua! Safe travels to Portland. We’ve had a lot of “fake spring” here but we all know how great the summers are in the PNW!
I've not been to Zihau - but I've heard great things. I'm gonna make a video about voting overseas. There may be some great electronic options!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Let’s all hope for salvaging our democracy. 😳
Safe travels!!
Thanks Heather!
Great meeting you last week at your happy hour although it was a chance meeting . Good look till next time, Regards, Bert and Virginia Leyva
So glad you commented. On our last day in Mexico, I washed my shorts that had your biz card in the pocket. I could only recover "ine & che" or something like that. Send me an email at brighton@gen-mex.com so we can connect.
You will always be welcome in Mexico Amigo!
Muchas gracias Amigo!
I would love to meet you all. Drop by Long Beach, CA I’m on your way.
Sorry we missed you. We actually travel to the east and catch the 5 on the north side of LA. We used to travel thru San Diego, but found it faster to go thru Palm Springs.
But hopefully we'll meet in Mexico some day!
I have been a river for years which is sort of like part timer. I wonder how you keep track of what supplies are at each house.. do you outfit each house completely? I loose track of my wardrobe. I am closing on my new condo on puerto Vallarta, I get my keys next week. So I am super excited and not sure how much time I will spend in each location. My Oregon home is in Newport, cold and rainy. I’ll see how my internal thermometer figures it out. I like cool but hope to have more friends in Mexico. I don’t have many friends in oregon
You'll definitely have more friends in Mexico. PV is a great place to land. And it's just so easy to meet people!
My wardrobe doesn't go back and forth - just what I need for the drive (which means I need to remember to bring home my winter clothes in April!) Stuff like kitchen things are duplicated in each place.
Congrats on the condo closing!
Have the best of both worlds--move back to Atlanta.
Eak! The thing we miss most about Atlanta is our friends!
I’m in Portland today,it’s partly cloudy with occasional showers
Eak! I'm not ready for moisture falling from the sky!
I think I will have good feelings about coming back to British Columbia as we have such an amazing summer here! Like its 34 degrees celsius today! So a pretty warm summer normally. It is a heat wave right now, so we will deal with it! But I think my hubby will have similar feeling to you! Haha! But we haven't got to that quite yet! We have a 16 year old to deal with still! Graduation is this next year, then downsizing and us leaving for a few months at a time! :) Have a great summer!
Sounds like a good plan!
Right now, I’m in La Paz and it’s cooler here than in Portland Oregon! The summers are getting kinda hot in the PNW!
Welllll Leaving makes you sad BUT it makes the trip south that much more enjoyable upon your return. Here we get to enjoy the mud and muck of spring. Then we get to repair 4.75 acres of Grass , bushes, trees, flower gardens etc. But then we do get our daily visits from our deer. Or Pam will text a fisherman who drops off fresh caught Atlantic Lobster. But then the routine of cutting app 4 acres of grass (yay) is becoming a bit stale. 4 hrs every 3-4 days. I still enjoy my time cutting but I do wish it was a choice. Oh well. Finally the black flies will soon visit followed by the mosquitoes (yay and yay). Please enjoy a safe drive north and keep those boots and raincoats handy. P n D
Living in Mexico full-time is a much different mindset. If for some reason you're in Mexicali this weekend, let's connect. Otherwise if you want to come check out Bahia Asunción, hit me up. NORRA starts on Saturday (?) so be prepared. My daughter and I are going to watch on Tuesday...but don't tell her teachers 😅
hello...I live in Mexicali...American w/residency...do u know if there's a facebook group for us expats in Mexicali?
@@roqonu right on! We love Mexicali and have made a few videos of our trips there. I don't know of any FB groups but haven't looked. I do have a lot of friends in the beer scene there. Great people for sure.
A couple of questions first. Why do you have only one AC in your home? I assume it is a mini-split system? Why do you choose to be part-timers in Baja? I am a full-timer in Mexico and I work remotely full-time for a US company so Mexico is a home for my wife and I and not so much a vacation spot. We do live on the border so that probably is the reason we do not feel like we are on vacation. The nice thing about living on the border is that you can got to the US any day to run errands and take care of obligations as a US citizen like pick up mail, go to jury duty (if your legal domicile is on the US side of the border), visit family, and other things that do not come to mind right now. When voting you do have to register as voting from abroad and you must deliver your ballot to the nearest US consulate from where you live in Mexico. I called the voting registration office in Austin to confirm that information. We do not have any "expats" here as far as I know, we do have a few US citizen neighbors that I suppose are children of Mexican parents. Some choose to live on this side because the cost of living is cheaper. Regarding people leaving during the summer; there is none of that here. The migratory pattern here is people leaving the city to go visit family in the interior of Mexico. There are literally tens of thousands of Veracruzanos that migrated here to work in the maquiladoras. That trend has been going on for at least 30+ years. During the 2 week Christmas vacation many of them go back to their home towns and the reduction of traffic is very noticeable. The city gets a little cleaner also in terms of less liter on the streets. For my wife and I, living in Mexico is a way to save money, for me to pay off student loans, and save to buy a house. Having said that, we both prefer to live in Mexico. We do tend to spend at least $100.00 every time we buy groceries in McAllen. I can only imagine what our grocery bill would be like if we lived in McAllen. Are you two going to retire in Baja?
Our home has a palapa (palm thatched) roof and is all open except for that one room with AC where we installed a sheetrock celiing. It's a mini-split.
We just bought a house in Baja when we were on a weekend vacation to a city we'd never heard of. Best impulse-buy ever!
At some point, I'd love to interview folks who live near the border. We cross at Mexicali tomorrow. What city are you in?
Jury duty is easy for us - we can defer until the months we are here. We don't have plans to go full time in Mexico. For me, perfect would be 8 months in Mexico, 4 months in the US (or traveling.)
We will vote by mail in Oregon before leaving for the winter, but I need to do a video about voting from abroad - thanks for that reminder. It looks like some states allow you to email back your ballot. Check this out: www.usvotefoundation.org/state-voter-information/texas
Thanks for your detailed comment!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Hello, we live in Reynosa, its across the border from McAllen. How do you defer jury duty? How do you know if a jury summons arrives in the mail at your house in Oregon while you are in Baja? I use my mom's house in San Antonio as my US domicile because that is the house I grew up in. The issue is that my mom is careless with my mail and doesn't bother to look to see if it is important mail like a jury summons! I need to keep a US address for my job since I am a W2 employee and a US drivers license comes in handy, especially if you live on the border and cross weekly to run errands. 😀 Please make a video about Oregon! Saludos.
We use TravelingMailbox to have our mail digitized and we get it online. Then I just call the courthouse and tell them when I can do it. We tried having my sister in law handle our mail but the same thing happened with an important IRS letter…
Great idea on the Oregon video. Thanks!
I’m guessing you have a Sentri pass for your car, right? That would make going back and forth really quick.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Hi, I will look into TravelingMailbox! I have a Global Entry card which includes SENTRI. the downside is that the Anzalduas Bridge only has its SENTRI lane open from 6AM to 9AM and again from 3PM to 6PM. I try to avoid using the other bridge because you have to drive into downtown Reynosa and there are too many pot holes and bad drivers.
I’m a newbie to your channel. It seems that some people bring their cars to Mexico. Any special issues?
I’m a 72 y/o single man . Used to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand, but the air quality is getting worse in the USA snowbird season. Plus the long flight. Are there many rentals available for 3-4 months during the winter?
I live in the mountains of North Carolina and the summers here are very nice. So I’m only looking for a winter getaway.
It was very sad for me to leave! I have great neighbors and missed them the moment I drove out of the driveway. However, something to look forward to come this fall!
That's true Debbie - it does give you something to look forward to!
As I sit by the fire watching the last snowstorm of the season, I hope, I am already planning projects to be done when I return to my special place in Mexico!
Snowfall? Still? Clearly you need to stay in Mexico longer next spring :-)
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico yes, I think after Mother’s Day. Tahoe got hit with a foot of snow but it is melting fast.
Hey Brighton,
Did you get the video with Steve in Todos Santos posted? I didn’t see it out there. If I’m correct that it ’s not there - will it be going up soon? Was going to check it out this evening, but didn’t find it.
Looks like you might be on your way back to Oregon. We are going up also, but not til ~July 3 or so.
Safe travels, maybe you’re back to OR already! Take care.
Thanks/jo
(Steve’s wife)
I've been watching your channel for the last 4 months and love your narration on life in La Paz. Like you we arrive in La Ventana mid October and come back to the Vancouver area in BC at the beginning of April. But like your wife when the time arrives to go North or South we are ready for the change of lifestyle and weather change. One year we stayed well into April and because this expat community is also here for the wind sports as well as the weather this place empties out at the beginning of April, going later one feels like they missed the boat. This April it has been very cold and rainy up here so that makes me a little blue. We like you feel very blessed to have a place in La Ventana and in Canada. We set out to drive down the Baja 10 days after I retired in 2014. Fully enjoying outdoor sports, I love not feeling house bound by the weather. COVID winter was the only winter we haven't spent down here since 2014 and it was very hard on mind and body. Wasn't allowed to pass through the USA that season. Coming down the next fall we got the third degree at the USA boarder, but coming into Mexico it was "Welcome home". It did confirmed that we have chosen the right lifestyle. It does take some getting used to having homes in two places. Just today someone said welcome home to me, I said thank you, but we feel as much at home now as La Ventana as here in Canada.
Drive safely on your trip back North. We have driven both ways five times, so don't envy you having to drive. Much easier spend 4 hours on a jet and two hours on a shuttle. Cheers Bruce
Thanks Bruce! I need to check out La Ventana post-tourist season. It must be so different!
Best time of year living here when part timers leave. Drama free
Hah! That's so true - I can imagine with fewer expats there's less drama! I can't imagine it's drama-free though. Maybe drama-light?
It is a great view and I enjoyed from my bed!
There's supposedly a 7 story condo going in next to the old Blue Marlin. Who knows if it will ever be more than a rendering...
Year round has its perks but boy it gets hot here actually it's already started. 90s are good but over 100 not so great.
Stuck in the house, big electricity bills
Yeah - looks like La Paz is bouncing between 80s and 90s. Being stuck inside isn’t so bad for those of us still working… it’s kinda like rainy days in Portland.
Enjoy the summer!
Yeah, I love it when all the snowbirds go back. It's much quieter. And the town is much more accessible.
Are you talking about La Paz? The difference in population is very small.
@@MrDarilon23 Not really. It has really grown over the last few years.
@@matthewcox9624 I don't know about your neighbourhood, but in mine, there are not a lot of immigrants, be it part time or full time. It's almost all people born in Mexico. Maybe out in El Centenario, but that's not really La Paz.
Also glad for you that you like living in La Paz. We come in once a month for a major grocery shopping trip. There is a saying in La Ventana" best part of La Paz is climbing the hill out of La Paz". Too much hustle and bustle, and roads and traffic going every which way. After being there for eight seasons I have no problems driving around, but prefer our traffic jams being cows crossing the road. La Ventana is a tourist spot because of the wind sports and mountain biking, but still seems to be a laid back beach town. The expat community that isn't into those things is growing though. And yes they do have a pickle-ball club that has new courts this last season. Also one can get along fine with English and a few Spanish greetings. Just thought that your readers might like to hear about another great place to live on the Baja. Cheers
Thanks for sharing! In La Paz, we have a saying, “I only went to Cabo for the Costco.”
I can see how La Paz traffic could be intimidating.
BTW - this Sunday’s video is from La Ventana.
My challenge, I get involved with Mexican culture , communities, neighbors who are almost always locals; I’m there six months then gone. Everyone is sad. It doesn’t seem fair.
Yeah - it's hard on the person leaving and the people left behind. Do you go back to the same place each year?
Good lake in your trip Bach to the USA but am Planing to visit la Paz and enjoy it
Thank you! And have fun in La Paz!
We’re only a few weeks a year but we love it down there and we love your channel!!
Keep us posted on your journey back😃
Gotta bump up that few weeks - maybe one extra week per year.
Day one we got lucky: we missed a huge protest which shut down the main highway about 30 minutes after we passed thru Ciudad Constitution. We say lots of people gathering, then when we stopped for lunch people were talking about the road being closed to the south.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico lol someday Brighton. Last time we drove down to Los Barriles was 1995.
Flying was faster for us but we sure do miss the drive down though.
Wow - LB has probably changed a bit since your last visit :-)
Summer breakup was funny :)
Thanks Chris!
Do you not have your residency in Mexico?
Wow your life in Mexico seems like a dream. If it were me I would live year round in Mexico. I could go to the states to visit family or they could visit me. Maintaining two homes would be a hassle for me. Enjoy your stay while you are there.
I’m in the same boat as you. My wife likes the live in two places thing…
I guess the happiness factor is different if you have to go back home and work at a job you don't like! Otherwise then it's the perfect life to have the freedom
Go the the interior of Mexico instead of Ore? One of these years
I'd love to do that. But Kat wants to go back to Oregon to see her sister, enjoy her hobby farm, etc. But I'll got to the interior sometime this summer to make some videos.
You two need to move to LaPaz full time!!! Is there a plan for that???❤
I wish! But Kat's not as excited about that. For her employer, being there less than 6 months at a time keeps things simple tax-wise. And her sister is up in Portland. I'd love to be there about 9 months a year and 3 months in Portland...
How many people in La Paz are from other countries? Any estimate? Oregon is also very beautiful those months in its own way.
I recently read that there were 7000 foreigners living in La Paz (out of about 300,000.)
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico wow, interesting. I’ve been looking in your area. I’ve noticed a lot of rentals to check out too before buying. Thanks for your channel!
Renting a place before October is best. You get in before the rush. Even better if you come down for the summer. Lots of places available right now.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico thank you, that sounds like a great idea, I appreciate that! I’ve never been to the baja peninsula, only the other side. I look forward to seeing the area! Have a safe trip back to OR.
do you have a pickleball racket ( brand or type) you recommend ?
I use Selkirk. But if you're just starting, just get something cheap and generic until you develop a style and buy a nicer paddle to match your style (or in my case, to make up for my deficiencies!)
Do they allow Americans stay for 6 months per year without getting temporary residency @AlmostRetiredInMexico
Usually yes. But the policy of giving 6 months could change at any time. If the computer shows you get 6 month visas back to back for years, I'm guessing they will stop giving 6 months to you.
But I'm guessing if you stayed for just the winter, you'd continue to get 6 months each year.
I miss Cotsco when I go to my hometown 😢....when Im in California, I miss the real homemade food 😂❤😊
Hmmm… Costco vs homemade food. I think I’d choose the homemade food.
Papaya in California $1.60 a pound
Have you thought about a house sitter to take care of your property? I work remote and would love an opportunity like that.
We haven't considered that. What I like about the caretaker is that he leaves whenever I come down during the summer. He lives with his parents down the street, so our place is a benefit for him when we aren't in town. That wouldn't work so well with a house sitter - unless they stay in the casita the entire time. Hmmm...
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico something to think about. In my circumstance, I could actually leave when you needed to come down, benefit of working remote. Something for you to think about or save my contact and pass on to other snowbirds.
Wat you guys do in Oregon ? When you hear!!?
Kat is a consultant and I run an online business. We both work from both places.
Hey guys! We are full timers in Lake Chapala right now but we are thinking of settling down full time in La Paz. We love to play pickleball and want to know where you play? We are looking to find our tribe and get back to the beach! 😎
What has you considering leaving Lake Chapala? It's pretty hot in La Paz in the summer. We play Pickleball at San Juan Social Club in El Centenario. But there are 4 areas with courts in La Paz. My friend Gord did a video about them all: th-cam.com/video/8wwf5w0mohI/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
We are in Chapala for one more year and then moving to La Paz. We know it’s hot in the summer but we are beach people and really looking forward to getting back to the beach scene. We spent a summer in Mazatlan and nothing is as hot as that place 🥵. Hope to play some pickleball with you!
@@robinshipp9264 There's something about the beach that makes the heat worth it! Its' too bad Lake Chapala is so polluted.
I'm looking forward to Pickleball too!
I would love to drive back and forth from Seattle to La Paz but am concerned about make the trip as a single woman (with my dog)
I know lots of single women who travel in Mexico. The Baja Peninsula is pretty safe. That said, I’m not sure I’d want Kat making this drive alone…
Do you drive your car with US plates in Mexico? Is this allowed? Thank you..
We do have US plates. It's tricky. If you have a permanent resident visa, then you can't drive a US plated car in 90% of Mexico. But the Baja Peninsula doesn't count (and a few other spots.) Tourists and temporary residents are allowed to drive US plated cars anywhere in Mexico
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Thank you for your response! Do you encounter extortion from police stopping you because of US plates? It's all over how they target those vehicles.. Again, thank you for your time and attention.
What a drag. How much to rent your place?🕺
We don't rent out our place in Mexico when we are gone. It's too tricky. The hot water takes 10 minutes to reach the master bedroom... the hot tub is a mix of solar and electric heat (and you need to move a valve at just the right time... Alexa controls all the lights until she decides to stop working...
Hi, my wife and I are interested in moving into La Paz after enjoying watching your videos and visiting this beautiful city. Could you please share us your realtor info as we have some questions in regards to buying a property?
Check this playlist. The top three videos are agents with the same company Baja Life Realty. Gordon has a TH-cam channel, but he's on vacation this week. I'd suggest contacting Ian: th-cam.com/play/PL0g8-PsBIVsyoaNKbHFZH7WRqtyI9rYGy.html&si=3S4n-JzAIkXmBBJP
I love your channel. My wife and I are interested in moving to Mexico. We have been there many times. We are going to Isla majures in July. Please get in touch with us we are going to start a you tube channel. We reside in Sylvania GA
Do u own or rent in Oregon
I left New England years ago because I hated the weather...Got tired of living a 6 month a year life...Just sayin...
Where did you move to?
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico I moved to Lima Peru for 6 years... Currently searching for my next spot. I have been in Ensenada For 2 weeks. Definitely not my next spot. Can't wait to leave. I love La Paz just tired of having to drive everywhere.La is so spread out.Also not sure how easy it' is to make friends there.I spent all my time around the Malecon on my last visit
This is La Paz, Baja California?
Yes. Technically La Paz, Baja California Sur. Baja California is the state to the north of us.
Solution- move to Mexico full time, let Kat go back when she misses Oregon more frequently for a couple of weeks or so.
I like it. Maybe I can convince her sister to let her live in her garage! Then we could sell our Oregon house.
I imagine not a lot of PT own homes, right? Those who do (and please give me your opinion), would they like to have housesitters who like the quiet Mexican season?
It's a mix. Lots of PT own and lots rent (just based on people I know.) Some rent out their places in the summer. Some (like us) hire a caretaker to live on the property. Others hire a management company to check on the place twice per week. Some find housesitters online (I'm planning to interview one this summer.) Lots of options.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico If I had a newer vehicle and more balls, I'd ask you to be considered. The quiet season in MX sounds wonderful to me and winter is probably not as bad as I find it here in Norcal. I just don't know what to do about my home being at mercy of the local criminals, plus I feed lots of stray cats. Anyway, why talk about it when I can't really do it but I'm just wishful thinking here.
Uurgh, I am so tired of politics. I have never seen the United States so divided.
out in the open
Were you around in the 1960's?
I want to go to La Paz but what holds me back is my dogs.
Do you drive your car to Oregon and back to La Paz with your dogs? We also have 3 dogs one is 15 yrs old.
Your dogs would love life in Mexico! I know it's not fun traveling - especially with older dogs. But you can take it slow and give them lots of beach time. We drive back and forth with our dogs. 3 nights and 4 days of driving.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico
Is it safe to drive from TJ to La Paz?
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico
I live in Monterey, CA from here to TJ is 8 hrs, I wonder from TJ to La Paz is?
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico
You must have a RV to drive that many hours.
@@veronikagigi Yes - just stay on the highway when you're close to the border. But I prefer to drive from Mexicali to La Paz. It saves a bit of time somehow - even though it's a longer drive.
I really enjoyed your video. I have contacted you and if you will please contact us. We are from Sylvania GA USA, and are looking for a change. We will be in Isla majures in July. May 17th in La Roma Dominican republic. Between the two we are looking for another home and slowed down lifestyle. The hustle and bussle of the US is taking a toll on us.
Brighton: sorry you have the blues, but your teeth look so white! Who is your dentist?
Thanks for noticing! There will be a video soon. Sadly, there was 't nearly as much flirting as I came to expect...
🤣🤣🤣
Cost me 25 dollars to get a hair cut in Canada anywhere
At a Great Clips? Or at a regular salon with experienced stylists?
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico yes any of the great clips and a few others but the salons are more.
100 pesos the going rate here in Mexicali...about $8 including a $1 tip...I bought a one acre lot fully fenced with 6' block wall on 3 sides and 10' on the street side...house 2400 sgft with a half completed casita for $45,000...
@@roqonu Wow - that's great. 1 acre with a house and more for $45,000. Congratulations. How long ago did you buy? Would you be willing to share your story at some point? I've been wanting to make a video about someone who lives near the border. And we drive thru Mexicali twice a year. You can email brighton@gen-mex.com
Was wearing blue for both of you and intentional choice for the video? 😂
Interesting. I didn’t notice. Both of us wear a lot of blue tho…
The commercial is jarring.
Thanks I moved it to be less jarring.
I believe forward thinking people have been leaving the USA in droves. And especially since FATCA (thanks, Obama).
Hmmm... how does FATCA encourage people to leave the US?
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico The fact that the IRS can introduce forms whenever and if you're negligent in not-knowing, could render you penniless? Have you seen the global court cases?
Better in the United States much cheaper.and now the government is very scary.
Gee the same old hat.
It just don't die! The puppies tried to kill it this summer, but failed.