Living Abroad as an ExPat
What is an ex-pat person?
An expatriate, or ex-pat, is an individual living and/or working in a country other than his or her country of citizenship, often temporarily and for work reasons.
This year, I officially became an Ex-pat. It was a little bit scary moving to another country, but I am so glad I did.
Have you ever thought about living in another country? Do you watch International House Hunters all the time? Do you have a job that you can do no matter where you are, as long as you have an internet connection? Well, you could be an ex-pat one day too.
One thing Covid did to the world, was to show people that they can effectively work from home or remote places. Digital Nomads became a hot buzzword as schools and offices closed, forcing people to learn and work remotely.
For me, it was a little different, as I already had a place in Mexico where I was spending a lot of my time, so when Covid hit, I had a place where I could isolate and still work.
I remember traveling through Thailand, thinking to myself that one day, I could retire there. The cost of living was so inexpensive, I could afford something much nicer than I could in the US. I could live on or close to the beach and spend my days swimming, diving, or just laying in a hammock.
Of course, there were downsides. Getting to see my family and friends would be very difficult. I would be 18 -20 hours and multiple flights from home. It would be 12 hours difference which makes it hard to even call or text without having to wait a full day for a reply. And learning the Thai language would not be easy.
And then one day, purely by accident, I found Zipolite, Mexico.
It is in the same time zone as my home. There are nonstop flights to the US that are shorter than going to California. And while most people here speak English, I have found that learning Spanish is a lot easier than Thai (or almost any other language for that matter).
Apps like Google Translate will help anyone read menus and translate languages in pretty much any country. Other apps like eCurrency will help you figure out the exchange rates without trying to figure it out in your head. Technology has made it much easier to travel and live abroad.
The cost of living here is similar to Thailand, so I could afford that ocean view I crave, and there are plenty of hammocks here for lazy days.
I wish the internet were better, but I am on the list for the new Elon Musk satellite service that will give me all the internet I could need. Although, I gotta be honest with you, when my internet does go down, and that happens a lot, I sign off and go to the beach. I am going to miss those “beach days,” kinda like “snow days” up north. Sometimes it’s good to be forced not to work.
This past summer, I took the next step, I got my temporary residency in Mexico. That means that I do not have to leave the country every 6 months (I usually do anyway), and I can have a bank account in Mexico, and register my car and scooter. I can also apply for private health insurance in Mexico.
I got a four-year temporary residency and after that timeframe is complete, I will be able to get permanent residency which will give me dual citizenship in both the US and Mexico.
People have been asking me for advice on moving to Mexico and to be honest, it’s pretty easy. I love living in southern Mexico, it is safe, affordable, the weather is almost always between 85° degrees in the daytime and 75° at night. To me, it is paradise.
Because it is much easier to get here, than say Thailand, I have already had 65 of my friends and family come down to visit me. We also put together a small “boutique” event called Naughty Beach and an additional 250 people have come down to discover this “off the radar” clothing optional village.
But I already see the prices starting to go up and a lot more people migrating to this part of the world. The Oaxacan Coast is growing, and the days of cheap rent will only last so long.
So, if you are considering becoming an ex-pat, my advice would be to find a place that is on the way up and get in before the prices become unaffordable. And then go for it. You may be surprised by how easy it is to live abroad.
It’s so much easier these days to be an ex-pat. Now that I am done with this blog, I’m gonna get some hammock time in, and read an actual book (not on my phone).
See you at a Naughty Event soon…
Bob
