Last summer we left Pleasanton to move to Mexico. Not necessarily permanently, but for several years at least. As a friend of ours put it, we’re not moving permanently, but we’re also not purchasing a return ticket.
Our first stint in Mexico lasted almost five months. Since we’re on a tourist visa, we are required to leave Mexico within 180 days. And since we drove, our vehicle also must cross the border within the same time frame. We can re-enter Mexico at any time, even the same day, and have another 180 days. The point is that we knew we were going to have to drive out of Mexico at some point within the first six months, we just had to figure out exactly when we would exit as well as when we would return.
As I’ve said to many people, our time in Mexico has been better than expected. We visit people often, we have plenty of time to spend with each other and by ourselves, we enjoy the slower pace, the food is amazing – the list goes on. However, as we started planning our trip to cross the border, we started considering other experiences we might pursue. One thing we had tried previously in both the US and Mexico is house/pet sitting. We said to each other, we don’t have any permanent commitments yet in Mexico – no chickens or goats, no gardens to take care of, etc. – so let’s see if there are any house sitting opportunities that sound interesting.
We looked toward the central US – our kids are on opposite coasts, and we’ve never spent time any further east than Colorado. The most interesting sit that came up was in Kentucky. We’ve never been there, so why not give it a try? We applied for the sit and were selected. Due to the needs of the home/pet owners, it meant we needed to return from Mexico a few weeks earlier than originally planned. We took care of affairs in Mexico, headed to California to visit family and friends, then drove on to Kentucky.
We have not abandoned our plans to return to Mexico but, as the title of this post suggests, we are taking a detour before returning again. We want to make the most of our newfound freedom and explore other places. We are blessed by good health, and we are able to keep our expenses low, both of which help make this possible.
One anecdote about our travels – on our way to Kentucky we drove through the Petrified Forest National Park. As we were enjoying the winding roads and the amazing scenery, Maricela summed up our situation by saying, “Or, we could return to cubicle life!” Our minimalist lifestyle that makes our travels possible is not for everyone, but for us, it’s much more satisfying than the alternative!
