Should You Move (Off-Grid) to Mexico?
Insights and reflections from people who've done it: Nayarit edition.
Welcome to another installment of Should You Move? This time, we are going to Central America with Julie and her partner, Lurko: two 50-somethings learning to live off the grid in a tiny home in the jungle of Nayarit, Mexico.
Their Substack,
and their blog offer an honest account of the challenges and rewards of living off-grid in Mexico. Moreover, and this is something I haven’t read anywhere else, their story is, as Julie puts it, more of an advanced course.We’re writing this for the visitors and expats who have been here already and want to learn beyond the basics. This is for people like me, who have roots here and love Mexico. This is for people like Lurko, who Mexico has begun to grow on. This is for people who want to learn more about this great country.
Julie and Lurko’s journey is filled with obstacles overcome and hopefulness in the face of change and difficulty. Are you cut out to live off-grid in the jungles of Central America? Read on to find out.
Julie, Nayarit, Mexico:
1. Background:
Country of origin: Born in the US, but my dad is Brazilian. I have two passports.
Country of current residence: Mexico
Length of time living abroad: This time around, one year. The first time, I lived in Guadalajara for 14 months as a teenager.
2. Motivation:
What was the primary reason for your move? (e.g., work, study, retirement, lifestyle):
I had many reasons, but the main reason was wanting to start over. I was crushed by debt and upside-down on my mortgage. I wanted to be closer to my 80-year-old parents, who had stayed in Mexico for 30 years and loved it. I wanted to BE my parents. I also didn't like what my country was turning into, and after Roe v. Wade was struck down, I decided I didn't want to be in the U.S. anymore.
3. Practicalities:
How challenging was the visa and work permit process?
It wasn't cheap, but I was able to get temporary residency through a loophole program left over from COVID. I hired a facilitator, and she was worth every penny. I sat in a waiting room for most of the morning, got up occasionally to sign papers and pay fees, and by 1 pm, I had a card in hand. I still work remotely in the U.S., so no work permit is needed.
What were the biggest hurdles in setting up your life abroad (e.g., housing, healthcare, banking)?
Waiting for the house to be built took a year (we stayed in the U.S.) Getting the solar power set up and running WELL took another year. And bringing down a 14-foot trailer with all our possessions turned into a nightmare.
4. Cultural Adaptation:
What were the most significant cultural adjustments you had to make?
Luckily, I had lived in Mexico before as a teenager, and having a Brazilian family also helped to soften the culture shock. As an adult, the biggest adjustment has been learning how to do business in Mexico. It's an art. You have to spend some time chatting and asking about their families before you jump right in with the business stuff.
How did you handle language barriers and cultural misunderstandings?
It's not so bad now. I understand about 85% of what's said to me, though I still have trouble with some accents. When I was a teenager with only 2 years of high school Spanish, I smiled and nodded a lot. At my private American school, I tended to hang out with the other American kids. Living in Texas was good practice for living in Mexico, as I was exposed to lots of Mexican culture there.
5. Quality of Life:
How would you rate your overall quality of life compared to the US?
Now that I am on the other side of our previous construction and solar power difficulties... SO much better. Over the summer, when we had no fridge and no AC, our quality of life was not great. My partner and I were constantly hot and irritated, and we fought a lot. But I never, not even once, wished I were back in the States. Mexico is my home now.
Are you satisfied with your host country's cost of living, healthcare, and education systems?
Yes, though I sometimes wish I lived a little closer to a university. I had a half-baked idea of getting a Mexican degree in psychology, but it would be a long commute, and I think I am done with long commutes. Did enough of that in Dallas.
6. Professional Experience:
How has living abroad impacted your career?
I was lucky and got to keep my same job. We had to make a couple of adjustments for not being "in-person," but thanks again to COVID, working remotely has become normalized in my job.
Were you able to find employment easily?
I haven't tried here. My partner is having a difficult time; he only has a tourist visa and no work permit.
7. Advice for Future Expats:
What are the top three things you wish you knew before moving abroad?
I just have one thing. I heard "sell everything," and I also heard, "Bring down your nice stuff; you won't be able to find it here." I went with the second and kind of regret it. Half of my stuff is still in boxes on the trailer. I wish we had just sold everything. I might change my mind later once we build our shelves, and all our stuff can go where it belongs.
What advice would you give to someone considering a similar move?
Sell everything. Really.
8. Overall Experience:
Looking back, would you say moving abroad was a positive experience? Why or why not?
It was a rough couple of years, but we hung in there, hoping things would improve. Finally, they did.
9. Additional Comments:
Please feel free to share any other insights or experiences you have.
I made moving to Mexico sound like a difficult process; don't get me wrong, it was. But there is so much about Mexico that I love. I wake up every day to the most incredible mountain view. We enjoy all the celebrations and take fun trips to explore our new home. The people are very nice. The food is the best. I get to hang out with my parents more often. All of this makes all the difficult stuff worth it. So wherever you end up, make sure it's a place you can fall in love with over and over again. That will help sustain you while you're dealing with the hassles.
Hi Elizabeth, I am really enjoying this series. Just a small note to offer; Mexico is actually considered part of North America, not Central America.
Nice tips here. When I think of "quality of life" I actually rank Mexico much higher than the US. To me, the foundation for quality of life is health and freedom. The food is so junk in America that living there puts me at a much lower level of productivity, as well as mental and emotional well-being. Tell me, how is that a higher quality of life?
Here in Mexico, I can walk my dogs off-leash. They're well-trained to my verbal commands and super friendly. People around here know and like them. Can you do that in the US?
To a large degree, our freedom is dictated by the people around us.
If everyone around you is following every order that their screens spit out, then how's it going to go when you don't agree and don't comply with those orders?
Another point for Mexico here. Mexicans are generally friendly but they don't police each other like people from the US and Canada. I mean the kind of Karen-neighbor mentality where polite conversation is really a means to tell you what to do and check up to make sure you're following "the rules."
A bit of a rant in the comment section. This article reminded me of all the reasons I was eager to leave the US :)