A Life Abroad | A year/a life reflection
Playing in the ravine at Cascada El Salto, Puerto Vallarta Mexico, 2024
I always loved to travel. As a little girl, I was fascinated with the globe, I fantasized about travelling to every country, seeing its sites, learning new cultures and trying new foods.
The fascination stayed with me as I got older. It grew as I grew.
As a teen and young adult, I looked for ways that would allow me to travel for free or cheaply. Teaching English became a way for me to travel and live abroad for work.
Living abroad is a distinct experience from travelling as a tourist. It’s a type of slow travel that allows one to really immerse in the culture and get a true pulse of the host city or town.
I loved this feeling. Tourist travel would no longer cut it for me. I needed time to situate myself and let my temporary home become a part of me.
Teaching English took me to Georgia, where I travelled to Armenia and Chile where I explored Bolivia, Argentina and Easter Island.
The experiences and memories I had in all of those places are priceless and have shaped the person I am today.
But all good things come to an end, right? So, I tried to convince myself. The cliff’s notes version of returning from Chile and arriving to my current home in Mexico goes like this — fell in love, settled down in my the city of my birth, had two beautiful children and bought a home.
It was a beautiful life and I am forever grateful to have had that experienced it but, the world called for me and it called my husband.
One day, one of us broached the question — why can’t we just live that life with our kids, why can’t we share that life we loved so much with them.
We slept on it, talked it out and ultimately came to a “yea, why not?” consensus. We had both been working at remotely, why wouldn’t we be able to do that from another country.
So off we went to Mexico.
One of the most remarkable feelings I noticed when we first arrived was how I felt. It wasn’t at all what I imagined it would feel like which was overwhelm, excitement, gratitude or sparkles.
I was excited and grateful but mostly it felt normal…it felt right, like we were suppose to be here.
After a year of living in Mexico, the sense of normalcy and belonging remains and it reaffirming the our decision to move here. Reflecting back over the last year, these are the lessons I have learned.
It takes a village…and you must find yours
During my time teaching abroad, I trained alongside other foreign and local English teachers, and even lived with a host family once. My community was pretty much handed to me.
This time around things were a little different. We were working online and we didn’t know anyone. We were our own little unit. I knew it was important to build connections with immigrant families like ours for support and insight. At the same time, my husband and I also wanted to connect with locals to learn about their customs and traditions.
Fostering community in both the immigrant or expat community as well as the local community ultimately contributes to a smoother and more fulfilling life abroad.
How to slow down
When Mexico comes to mind, many envision a tranquil, deserted town during siesta. While, I would never describe Puerto Vallarta as a sleepy town, things definitely move at a slower pace, or at least with less urgency than where I’m from.
For me, this is one of the biggest adjustments to make. Understanding that things just take a little longer here and to give myself and whatever I do a little extra time.
Ultimately, the lesson lies in understanding that usually there is nothing to rush to.
Importance of nature
The forest in our backyard
Between the vast ocean and the lush mountain backdrop. We are never far from a beach or forest hike or waterfall even.
The impact of even a short stroll in the woods or a quick dip in the ocean is nothing short of magical for my mind and body. It’s like hitting the reset button on stress and worries.
We also notice that our kids are way more chill on days we hit the beach. It’s like the waves wash away all the chaos and tantrums, leaving behind zen vibes.
There is no perfect place to live
We love our new town — the food, the people, the music — it’s all amazing. It’s easy to fall in love and stay in a honeymoon stage when you have tacos and cumbia, right?
And while I am now convinced that I will never grow tired of al pastor, the longer you stay in a place, the more you start seeing the cracks.
Nothing so major that we’re going to pack up our bags tonight and haul ass back to Canada but there are definitely some things I could do with out (cucarachas, hurricanes) , certain things I miss like snow at Christmas and a few things I need to look into (mandatory conscription at 18? yikes)
Home vs abroad…when do you stop “living abroad” and just start living.
This is a question that lingers in my mind. One year in and no plans to return (at least not permanently) has made me wonder — how long will we stay here? Will we relocate to another city? State? or again another country? Will it ever feel like home?
With each passing day, the notion of where “home” truly lies becomes increasingly complex. Will this place ever truly feel like home, or will it forever be a temporary stop along life’s journey?
Maybe, for us, “abroad” has become synonymous with home, wherever that may be. As long as I am with my family, perhaps that’s all the sense of home I truly need.
-written by Kathleen