How A Vacation Turned Into A Freelance Career in Mexico

From International Living:

“I came to Mexico for a two-week vacation in 2003 and still haven’t left,” says Toronto born Kelly McLaughlin.

“At the time, I was getting divorced and we’d sold our house. I decided to travel a bit with the money. So, I spun the globe, closed my eyes, and my finger landed on Cozumel. I had never even heard of it.”

As Kelly discovered, the island of Cozumel is in the Caribbean just a short ferry ride away from Playa del Carmen and Cancún, Mexico. Famous for its white-sand beaches, palm trees, blue skies, and scuba diving, Cozumel is a beach lover's dream. However, it wasn’t to be Kelly’s forever home.

Fast forward to 2019 and she now lives with her teenage son about two hours from Cozumel in the city of Cancún. Known as the gateway to the Riviera Maya (Mexico’s Caribbean), Cancún draws about 22 million people through its airport each year. And while it’s perhaps best-known as ground-zero for the spring break set, there’s more to the city than its glitzy resorts.

“My neighborhood is typical of Mexico,” says Kelly. Far from Cancún’s touristy Hotel Zone, the residential area has quiet streets. Her condo comes with a shared courtyard with a garden and swimming pool. “It’s a four-story building and we live on the top floor. I call it our tree house of love. It feels like living in a treehouse because we’re surrounded by palm and ceiba trees. It’s quiet, and at night I can hear the coconuts falling.”

Her rent is $309 per month and she has a weekly grocery delivery (about $50 worth) and a cleaning lady. Her electricity ranges from $25 every two months to $150 every two months if she uses the air conditioning a lot. Her high-speed WiFi is $15 a month.

Kelly is a former television producer turned freelance writer and social media manager. She even started a blog about living abroad, where she chronicles her adventures in Mexico. As a freelance writer, she spends her mornings writing web copy for area businesses and her afternoons going on adventures with her 14-year-old son.

They both love zip lining, riding ATVs, snorkeling, and visiting Maya ruins. “I love to float for hours in the Caribbean. My son windsurfs, kitesurfs, and works as a lifeguard. We also enjoy camping and road trips.”

Kelly also has a soft spot for cats. She volunteers with the Stardust Kitten Rescue. “We find abandoned kittens and bottle-feed them until they can eat on their own and then we find homes for them.”

Kelly and her son enjoy sampling the different restaurants in town, including the local taco carts. “We have excellent neighborhood restaurants. There’s an authentic Italian restaurant I go to at least once a week, Le Fate Ristorante Italiano. I also like a buffet place that serves food from the Jalisco region, which is on the other side of the country. And I love Yucatán food, especially the queso relleno, which is Gouda stuffed with ground beef and rich white sauce on top.” Local restaurants are budget friendly as meals rarely run more than 100 pesos (about $5).

Her family back in Canada loves coming to visit. “I haven’t been back to Canada in 14 years. When you live in Cancún, everyone wants to come and see you.

“Living abroad is the best thing I’ve ever done for my mental health, emotional health, and my growth as a person,” says Kelly. “I understand it’s the people in my life that count and not the things. Here I can work to have more time with my son and to have more adventures.”

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

In the US Boomers Facing Brutal Retirement

Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, The “real” cost of raising a family in the U.S. has grown incredibly more expensive with surging food, energy, health, and housing costs.

• Researchers at Purdue University recently studied data culled from across the globe and found that in the U.S., $132,000 was found to be the optimal income for “feeling” happy for raising a family of four. 
• Gallup also surveyed to find out what the “average” family required to support a family of four in the U.S. (Forget about being happy, we are talking about “just getting by.”) That number turned out to be $58.000.

With the vast amount of individuals already vastly under-saved and dependent on social welfare, the next major correction will reveal the full extent of the “retirement crisis” silently lurking in the shadows of this bull market cycle.

For the 75.4 million “boomers,” about 26% of the entire population heading into retirement by 2030, the reality is that only about 20% will be able to actually retire.

The rest will be faced with tough decisions in the years ahead.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE — A favorite destination

By Rodrigo Cervantes/KJZZ

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE — A favorite destination in Mexico for American retirees and tourists is San Miguel de Allende. The increasing influx of travelers to this small, colonial town in the center of Mexico is bringing with it a growing demand for real estate, and also concerns for the fate of the city’s natural and historical legacy.

Downtown San Miguel has a bohemian, but quite a cosmopolitan vibe in its restaurants, cafés, and bars. For decades, this historic place has attracted travelers and immigrants that have helped create this atmosphere.

The town currently has 170,000 inhabitants, and nearly 8 percent of them are foreigners — the vast majority, American retirees. But more recently, San Miguel de Allende has become a hotspot for younger expats with home offices, premium Mexican tourists and investors with strong buying power.

“There are a lot of people in their mid 20s and 30s bringing their family and raising their children here,” said Teri Kavanagh, a Los Angeles native currently working as a liaison with the foreign community for the city’s government.

Kavanagh thinks that American immigrants come for a more peaceful and less expensive lifestyle.

“I definitely think is less stressful, more family oriented. And you get more for your money, and you get more quality of life for your money,” she said.

But Kavanagh also notices the rising prices of property. Whenever a city becomes popular, real estate goes up, she said.

And as the popularity increases, fewer homes become available, explained Maryanne Allen, a sales associate at Agave-Sotheby’s Realty in San Miguel.

 “We see not as much inventory available; it’s getting better with all the building and everything, but the inventory is low, and the demand is high,” said Allen.

San Miguel’s New Face

The new constructions that Allen refers to are mainly on the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende, where a mall and golf courses are bringing a new face to the once-bucolic area.

In the hilly southwest part of the city sits a 120-acre lot with views of the old town called “Colinas de San Miguel.” Janielle Penner from Phoenix is an international real estate broker managing the project.

“We know that the market in Phoenix is quite hot, and actually, we know that the same is true here, in San Miguel,” Penner said.

Penner said they don’t want to build a project for the second home market, as they see the potential of bringing the “live/work” concept with premium houses and even a luxury hotel designed by a prestigious architect.

“We’re really excited about this potential project, as San Miguel happens to be in the heart center of Mexico,” she said.

Penner thinks the new developments and population growth in the area are challenging, but it’s also helping improve the region and the market.

“I think the problem and the opportunity kind of go hand in hand,” she said.

But the growth of the city and the real estate boom have become a serious concern to some local leaders.

Preservation And Growth

Guillermo González Engelbrecht is the director of the San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board.

He proudly describes the buildings surrounding San Miguel’s central square: the house of Ignacio Allende, the first soldier of the country, the historical homes turned into restaurants and museums, the city council, which is the first city council of independent Mexico, the emblematic neo-Gothic style parish church.

These pink limestone constructions are the main reason why the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated San Miguel’s old downtown as a world heritage site, a nomination that has brought big responsibilities.

 “Well, I wish we got money! No money, but we got obligations,” González said.

He said the 64 blocks protected by UNESCO need to be carefully preserved: for example, using certain kinds of traditional floors, applying only certain terracotta colors, leaving facades and buildings intact, avoiding modern signs.

But many homeowners decided to sell their properties or transform them into businesses.

“People see that there’s money in this town, and they want to make big business, and it’s not usually the best for the city,” González said. “We love San Miguel, we love the way it is, and we want to keep it like this.”

The local authorities decided to temporarily block anyone from selling, buying or remodeling downtown properties while new regulations come in a few months. New research will help set up limits to the growth of San Miguel.

The expansion of the city is unsettling, and the authorities want to control it. Water supply and visual noise brought by contemporary constructions on the surrounding hills could become a problem.

“That’s actually the biggest problem we’ve had,” González said. “We had two administrations from the government before that let that happen, and we don’t want it to happen again.”

Richard Shaw is the Phoenix developer that co-owns the Colinas de San Miguel lot. He said they’ve been filing the proper paperwork, including documents to preserve ancient Otomí ruins that fall into their land.

Shaw wants to start building this year and is still working to find a local partner. The developer thinks Mexican businesses are relationship-driven, which could be an inconvenience sometimes, but not an obstacle.

“You know, there’s politics, so if you don’t have relationships, or have bad relationships, it will affect how you’re gonna succeed,” Shaw said.

And while Shaw and other investors bet on the prosperity brought by the boom of the realty market, locals wait for the new guidelines to protect their town’s history and nature.

Here are the spots with the best weather for retirement

Many people nearing retirement and craving warmth think of Florida. Yet some destinations offer even more idyllic weather — if you’re willing to look beyond the U.S.

A new report by International Living, a guide to retirement abroad, ranks destinations where you might think about spending your later decades by their weather. Of course, not everyone loves the heat.

“The sort of weather you prefer is a very personal thing,” said Jennifer Stevens, executive editor of International Living. “And one of the strengths of our highest-scoring countries in the climate category is that they all offer a variety of climates, so retirees can find the spot that best suits their tastes — from steamy beaches to cooler highlands.”

Here are the top five places on the list.

1. Ecuador
2. Costa Rica
3. Colombia
4. Mexico
5. Peru and Portugul (tied)

San Miguel vs. Guanajuato

6 Reasons Why Mexico is Safer than You Think

From Mexperience, listed here are six reasons which demonstrate how Mexico’s drug-related issues, which remain a body of work to address, do not make Mexico wholly unsafe

Mexico continues to attract a record number of international visitors: Mexico’s National Statistics Institute is responsible for collecting and reporting data on Mexico’s international visitors.  Mexico is one of the world’s top ten most visited nations and despite negative news flow, especially about drug-related violence, people keep coming to Mexico.  Statistics from foreign consulate records consistently show that the overwhelming majority of visits to Mexico pass trouble-free.

Mexico is one of the world’s most important economies. Mexico has a welcoming economy with policies that encourage trade and partnership. (Mexico has tariff-free trade agreements with 46 countries around the world.) This, coupled with years of sound macro-economic management, has created an attractive environment for investors and foreign companies. Mexico took a positive approach to the NAFTA re-negotiations — now titled the USMCA — advocating an agile trading framework to benefit all three countries involved. Mexico is today one of the world’s few ‘trillion-dollar’ economies and mature nations are keen to work with Mexico.

No foreign resident exodus. In decades now long-past, when Mexico’s economy was less open and less stable, foreign residents would often flee home in the event of a peso crisis.  Today, even with the drug-related flare-ups, no such exodus is taking place and, furthermore, we are seeing consistent demand from foreigners who are interested in relocating to Mexico.  Mexico’s government is expecting its expat communities to grow over the coming decade, and offers choices in the facilitation of this, as welcoming foreign residents—who bring their energy and capital to Mexico—creates significant mutual benefits. If Mexico is a wholly dangerous place to be, why are existing foreign residents staying put and inquiries for relocation to Mexico growing?

The violence is mostly confined to drug-gangs. When you drill-down into the detail of the data, figures show that the surge of homicides in Mexico over the last decade has come about through criminal gang members fighting each other. Tourists, business visitors, and foreign residents are not being targeted by the drug gangs, and statistics from foreign consulates show that the overwhelming majority of visits to Mexico pass by trouble-free.

Mexico matters. Mexico is a good neighbor to the U.S. and is also one of the world’s most important emerging markets.  Mexico and the U.S. share a broad range of common economic, social, and security interests and behind the scenes, both nations continue to work closely together on issues concerning trade and security in efforts to bring prosperity and well-being to the continent they share.

Mexico’s underlying story remains strong. Notwithstanding the drug-related issues, the country’s macro-economics are in good shape; Mexico has substantial oil and gas reserves as well as considerable mineral and precious metal wealth. In recent times, the country has been enacting structural reforms across key industrial sectors with the intention to transition the country’s economy away from being heavily dependent on oil and manufacturing.  Foreign visitors keep coming despite the negative news-flow; Mexico’s free trade agreements are bridges which cultivate understanding, trade, and prosperity between the signatories of these accords.

In summary: Every day, tourists arrive in Mexico to rest themselves and enjoy its rich culture and heritage; business visitors arrive to trade, cultivate friendships and agree on deals that create new wealth; and foreign residents living here are going about their lives normally and contributing positively in the Mexican communities they love calling home.  These activities don’t make headlines, but they are indeed the real-life experiences of people visiting and living safely in Mexico.

5 Types of Herbs in Mexican Culinary Culture

Thrive Global shares 5 types of herbs in Mexican culinary culture that are interesting and yet complex herbs. By taking a dive into just a small section of the Mexican culinary culture, why don’t we discuss at least 5 types of herbs that are common among Mexicans?

Cilantro
This is a special type of herb that packs a wealth of benefits in terms of the nutrients it offers. This herb requires full sunlight or can also grow well under some light shade. It performs better in moist soil which is well drained. This herb should not be grown in hot weather as this makes it bolt very quickly. It is advisable to maintain a spacing of between 6 to 8 inches when planting cilantro.

While cilantro is known to contain no cholesterol and is low in calories, its green leaves contain essential oils, antioxidants, dietary fiber and vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, folic acid and beta carotene. It is also an excellent source of minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Culantro
Culantro and cilantro are two herbs that can easily confuse you if you are not so keen. Culantro grows well in partially shady areas where you can expect to experience prolonged harvest seasons with very large leaves. If grown in sunny areas then culantro will flower earlier hence resulting in a shorter lifespan as compared with those grown in partially shady areas.

A spacing of 8 to 12 inches is usually recommended to be used when planting culantro. It has so much medicinal value to human beings. It contains iron, carotene, riboflavin and calcium that is necessary for keeping us healthy. The leaves of culantro are effective in treating constipation, diabetes, fevers and curing flu.

Culantro is also used in alleviating stomach pains while its roots when eaten raw help in curing scorpion stings. What’s more, culantro is also very rich in vitamins. It contains vitamins A, C, crude oil and calcium as well. The calcium content in culantro helps in building strong teeth, bones, and hair.

Kale
This here is yet another one of the Mexican culinary culture herbs that you should try out. This herb can be grown from seeds or is also sometimes grown as a cut and come again plant. This herb can grow perfectly well in full sunny areas or even in partially shaded areas. When it comes to the type of soil, it grows well in any soil with a lot of organic matter content and a slightly acidic pH.
It also requires a sufficient amount of water at an optimal temperature of around 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kale contains a lot of nutrients that are beneficial for us as human beings. It has vitamins K, A, C, B6, manganese, magnesium, potassium and copper. It is also loaded with some powerful antioxidants such as kaempferol and quercetin.

These antioxidants will help in counteracting the oxidative damage caused by the free radicals in our bodies. By minimizing oxidative damage, the leading drivers of many diseases like cancer and aging are well taken care of.

Broccoli
The broccoli is well known to almost all herb lovers. The best quality broccoli is that grown in fall because it can be somehow challenging to predict the spring conditions. Too much heat can stress up the broccoli and make them open their flower buds prematurely hence leading to bitter broccoli with less tasty and small florets.

This herb requires slightly acidic soil and enough sunshine. It is advisable to use a spacing of 15-18 inches between the broccoli plants when planting. One of the strongest points of broccoli is the high nutrient package that it packs. This herb contains various minerals, fiber, vitamins, and bioactive compounds.

Broccoli also provides antioxidants that are essential in offering us protection from various diseases. The presence of fiber may also aid in controlling the blood sugar level as well. There are also several studies that indicate that this herb can support your health in so many ways. What’ more, broccoli also promotes reduced constipation and healthy digestion.

Garden Cress
Here is yet another herb that most people love due to its nutritive and general health benefits. It grows perfectly well in sunny locations with loose soil which is also well drained. This herb can be grown either indoors, outdoors, in hydroponics or in containers. Garden cress performs well in a somehow narrow pH range of 6.0 to 7.0. The recommended spacing should be about 2.5 cm.

When it comes to the benefits of garden cress, the sky is the limit. It is believed that this herb potentially has some anti-cancer effects. What’s more, this herb provides a lot of carotenoids which is excellent for the health of your eyes and your vision in general because it has vitamin A in abundance.

This herb will also provide you with enough vitamin C which will keep your bones, gums, and skin healthy. Vitamin C also helps in providing some cardiovascular benefits. This is together with vitamin K which is also present in garden cress.

Conclusion
All the herbs discussed above are very important to every human being because of the nutritional and health benefits that they provide. Apart from just spicing up your foods and providing the best delicacies, these herbs will make sure that you are always healthy and as fit as a fiddle. Maintaining better health is a very valid reason why you should try out these herbs discussed above.

Author Bio:
I am Rank Feed and I am a great herbs enthusiast. I am the owner of growherbsgarden.com website when I share some of the best tips on how to care for herbs and get them ready for your kitchen.

Photo by Alyson McPhee on Unsplash