It's been nearly twenty years since Jill first moved to Mexico for a study abroad semester. There, she met the love of her life which brought about the irresistible desire to come back and settle in Mexico. Jill talks about her journey and her everyday life as an expat on her blog. If you have always wondered what life in Mexico is all about, here we go!
Tell us briefly about your expat life and where you're originally from
Almost twenty years ago, I came to Mexico on a study-abroad semester. I met my husband within the first month. We had a long-distance relationship for quite a while, but ten years ago we got married, and I've been living in Mexico ever since! I'm originally from Indiana, in the middle of the US.
What brought you to where you are now?
My husband was my reason for moving to Mexico. However, we lived in a number of places within an hour or two of Mexico City for about five years. Then, ten years ago, his job sent him to Saltillo, and we've been living here ever since.
What made you want to start a blog?
I started my blog when my daughter was four months old. It was a means to fill my family and friends in on her development. Then I started writing about Mexico, about the reasons why I liked living here, as most of my friends wouldn't have the chance to visit me here.
Then I found out I really liked writing about Mexico. Then other people who were in the process of moving to Saltillo found my blog, and I was able to answer a lot of their questions about moving here, calming some fears, and just letting them know that they weren't alone in this.
Now that life in Mexico is just life to me now, I've expanded in writing about faith and inspirational takeaways, too. But even in some faith-based blogger groups, I've found a few people who are embarking on expat assignments, so I'm glad that Expat.com exists so I can recommend this resource -- wherever they may be headed in the world!
Tell us what your blog is about and how our readers can make the most of it.
My blog is named Jill's Journeys (jillmichelledouglas.com), as it features travels I've had in both Mexico and the US and it incorporates posts reflecting on my personal spiritual journey. Life is a journey, whether you go somewhere or not, and it's all worth learning about, sharing, and reflecting on!
What are your next projects in terms of your expat life?
We'll be staying here, and I look forward to getting more involved in my community, improving my site for foreigners living in Saltillo, and adding a Spanish translation to that site, as most of the foreigners in Saltillo come from other countries in Latin America.
