So you want to move to Mexico? Many people do. Some make it and some do not. I can’t begin to count the amount of expat moving sales that float around here via e-mail. These garage sale e-mails are often subject titled: Had enough, leaving country. It’s a common occurrence, so much so, that I’m no longer phased by it, nor do I wonder what happened because deep inside, I already know.
Cancun is a tough place. It’s a tough place to live; it can be a tough place to get around, to fit in and to make friends. More importantly, it’s expensive and is a tough place to make a living. You have to keep in mind that very few locals are
actually local. Cancun is a new city, ‘born’ to the world in the 1970s. When the idea to develop this marvelous paradise into a travel destination began, nobody knew it would result in the flooding of thousands upon thousands of people.
More than ¾ of locals that live in Cancun are not from here. Most people you talk to are from Mexico City…locally referred to as Mexico. Others are from other municipalities, cities, small towns and Mayan villages throughout the country, and they’ve all left their families to come here for the same reason…a better life.
That better life has made Cancun a very cutthroat place to live. People here, all people, have massive competition they must endure every day just to survive. Getting ahead here is not a way of thinking. Getting by, is. Don’t get me wrong; Cancun is a lovely place to live. Its just very difficult and unforgiving…so garage sale e-mails are no longer a surprise to me.
Almost every person I’ve met here has told me Cancun is one of those places that will chew you up and spit you out. Just what a single newbie wants to hear. After passing the magic mark of six months, (I’ll explain this magic mark in another post), I have quickly learned why such an expression reeks heaps of truth.
First of all, I have been amazed at how many people just show up here. They’ve come to paradise for a vacation, loved it, returned home to tidy up a few things and come back…permanently. Several months later they’re posting garage sales, attempting to explain they can’t sell it for less because they’re already taking a loss. I look at them and think that has to be the least of their worries. But that’s just me.
If you’re considering living here, come visit. Enjoy yourself then go home. Re-book right away. It’s necessary to return within a few weeks so the second visit is not a break or a novelty. Stay again, but not as a tourist. If you’re thinking of moving here alone, don’t come with a friend. Be as you would be if you lived here; be alone. See how this city makes you feel, how you manage your way around. If you’re like most people and don’t speak the language, see how you make out and are treated by English-speaking locals…if you can find them. Be honest about your chances here, not only of success, but also of survival, because if you’re not honest with yourself, paradise will chew you up and spit you out and the inevitable garage sale will be the least of your worries.
