What struck you about Mexico?

Hi Cheryl,

We’ve been home for about 10 days after spending 2 1/2 months in PV. Being newly retired - this was the longest we’ve been outside the US, or anywhere for that matter, and we loved every moment of our time in MX. Truthfully, I was growing more disillusioned and worn out by the general state of affairs back in the US, with a growing sense that there must be other global options for retirement.

We’ve been coming to PV for at least 15 years, but this trip confirmed the fact that we want to spend extended time here. We bought a studio on the beach & cannot wait to return later this year. The weather, the friendliness of the locals, the access to great restaurants or great street food, along with the general pace of life down here, all resonated with us on a deep level. Waking up to blue skies, warm weather & the sound of the waves breaking on the beach, reminded me of the joy of being a kid again.

I am sure that as the world opens up again, many more retirees will discover what many of us already know ...... PV is a magical place.

Cheryl wrote:

Hello everybody,

When you first settled in Mexico, you might have been struck by cultural aspects of life in Mexico and you might even have anecdotes about your integration here.
We would like you to share with expats-to-be what you discovered once you arrived in Mexico: customs, traditions, interesting or fun facts etc.

What were the things that surprised you the most after your arrival?

Are there any practices that are particularly out of step with your culture of origin? If so, what are they?

What do you think about them?

Did you get used to these and adopt some of these traditions or norms?

Do you think you would take some of the customs of Mexico with you if you were to return to your home country or move to another country?

Thank you!

Cheryl,
Expat.com team

This is tricky to respond to because I'm one of those people who have been here for a number of years. My first impression was probably the abundance of speed bumps and many roads that had pot holes.

This of course had a major impact on travel. Maps are just suggestions not guaranteed roads . also GPS isn't all that helpful. Over the years some of the roads improved and I discovered the toll roads were the better choice. Street signs and highway signs are nothing like the U.S. so close attention is mandatory.

The people are nothing like the myth the U.S. perpetuates. They are intelligent, clean hard working people who for the most part are very honest. Yes you can have your house robbed, but you can also have your kindle fall out of your car or your phone fall off your seat in a restaurant and be pretty sure you will get it back which I can't say about the U.S.
I went through one of those honesty events just yesterday. They had two flower pots for the price of one. I didn't want two, but the posted sign said two. In the U.S. they would have said Ok but the price is the price. In Mexico they won't sell it. So a second pot was required. When the item being sold does not match the description they ring up the sale without it.  You have to know this and be flexible. I will use the pot some day 
Culturally the country is very rich in color festivities and art. I found many of the things I might have been stressed about in The U.S. faded away.
Treat the people with respect, they will return that respect. Don't cheat them trying to get a good deal Pay them what they are worth. They will smile and say hello to you in the street return that greeting. They will know you and be your neighbor. respect them and yourself enough to learn the language.
There will be conflicts, people are people , but with cultural understanding those conflicts can usually be resolved.
If I were to return to the U.S. I'm sure many of the de-stressing ideas would go with me.

I found the people of Mexico are very good at "being present" or "living in the moment."  As someone who needs to get better at that myself, I appreciated that.

Travelight and Seaglassman have succinctly described the joys of living in MX.

Although,  today was one of those frustrating  bureaucratic days. I attempted to make a direct deposit to an Azteca account. Azteca is a national bank found in Elektra retail stores. Prior to today, no problem. Give the account number, make the deposit and you are on your way. No request for ID, in my case, passport and visa. Today, I attempted to make a deposit to a different account. I was told that I needed to present a passport and pay a commission to make the deposit. I was trying to explain i never had to meet those requirements before. The explanation: The account was in another MX state with the same bank.

All of us expats have had a myriad of frustrating experiences.

In closing, regarding Travelight's two pot pricing experience, there was a display for anti bacterial gel: 500 ml 45 pesos; 1ltr (1000 ml) 95 pesos) Do the math. No quantity discount there. lol