Our decision to move to Mexico has been met with myriad reactions from family, friends, and even acquaintances. It seems that everyone has an opinion, which is nice in a way because it forces Sonny and I to think about and prepare for the numerous challenges ahead, and get excited about the adventure. After preparing emotionally as well as we can for something like this, we are well on way South of the Border.
The first major order of business was to find a home. Having decided to move to another country for the primary purpose of experiencing life differently from how we live in New Jersey (within our own comfort level, of course), we decided that we did not want to live in a house in the suburbs. So we narrowed down our options to apartments in the city and finalized on a 4 bedroom, 12th floor apartment in the Polanco section of Mexico City. On the advice of our realtor, we picked a few backup choices as well, because, as we are quickly learning, Mexicans are in the habit of sweetly saying in exaggerated tones "yes, yes, don't worry," but things rarely go according to plan.
Case in Point: a few days after returning from our trip, our realtor emailed us saying that we had gotten our first choice apartment in Polanco, informing us that the owners would sign the contract with Novartis the next day, and sending us our new address. Three days later, she notified us that the apartment fell through because the owners suddenly refused to agree to certain conditions of Novartis' with the rental contract. It took a couple of weeks of going back and forth, a few tears and gallant efforts on the part of Consuelo (our realtor) to negotiate the deal and get us that apartment.
Once the apartment was really finalized and the contract signed (about 5 days ago), we were able to decide what of our belongings we wanted to take to Mexico and what we wanted to put into storage. Our movers had been rescheduled twice because: (1) we couldn't start packing until we knew exactly where we were going to live; and (2) we had not received our visas and nothing could be shipped until the moving company had our visas in hand.
Housing arrangements now having been determined, and visa issues having been dealt with, we are now in the process of moving out of our house.
The tales of a conventional, if slightly sheltered, thirty-something couple who catches wanderlust, abandons their families, renounces the familiarity of suburbia, and moves to Mexico City for a taste of the expatriate life, taking their grandparent-doting, Gymboree-loving baby along for the ride.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
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This blog is an account of our first expatriate experience, and is meant to give family and friends an ongoing glimpse of our adventure, and to help share our excitement, frustrations and all the other emotions that are sure to arise over the next two years. For a couple who has never lived outside the NY/NJ tri-state area (not even study abroad during college), and whose immediate and extended family lives there, we are in for some major adjustments. While we are scared about the many changes that lie ahead, we wanted the chance to live overseas and experience life differently than we ever have in the past, or ever could in suburban NJ. We hope to eventually return to our familar life in the US, but for now it is time to try something different.
1 comment:
Is it me, or does this sound like one of those new reality shows? I can just imagine TLC sending couples off to new parts of the world and making a show about it.
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