Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?

Hey, everybody. I’m Melissa. I’m 47, and I’m currently living in La Paz. I work in the oil field in Alberta as a medic on a drilling rig, and so I am allowed to work one month on, one month off. I went on vacation with some friends to Puerto Vallarta for three weeks, then I went to Cabo for ten days. I had a friend that sailed down from Vancouver Island to La Paz, and I said, “Oh, I’ll meet you there. We’ll hang out.” Never heard of La Paz before. Got here. Absolutely fell in love with it within a day and a half.

What made you decide to move to La Paz?

I have traveled extensively, mostly over Europe, and never felt that way about anywhere else. So, I decided to rent an Airbnb for three months. Again, I fell more and more in love with La Paz and decided that I was going to move here. I then went back to Canada, gave everything I owned to my 22-year-old son, just in case things didn’t work out. I would be able to get my belongings and furniture back. Well, this is kind of half-time, but home is Mexico now.

How did you adapt to life in Mexico and what was your experience with the expat community?

Once I was in La Paz and I started to meet people and went to different groups and the expat meetups, the recurring theme was, “I wish I could have moved here sooner. I wish I didn’t wait until I retired.” It kind of set off bells in my head as I’m able to live anywhere in the world with my job. So again, that got that ball rolling, and I thought, why not? Why do I have to wait until I’m 65 and retired? Why not live my best life now?

How did you meet Jesús?

About two weeks after moving here, I met Jesús. I absolutely was not planning on moving to Mexico. I had no intention of it. I was single for six years, happily single, not looking to get into a relationship. Just happy, traveling the world, working. Then one day, I went to a bar called Estrella del Mar on the beach and had a few drinks with some friends. At that point, I ran into Jesús, and we started talking and just really hit it off. We spent the next five days together, and I had to go back to work for two months. He was actually devastated. He thought I would not come back.

Jesús, can you tell us a bit about your background?

My English is not very good, but I try. I am a skipper from Mazatlan, and I work here in La Paz. When I met Melissa, my English was almost nothing. We used a lot of Google Translate to communicate. But now, we understand each other better.

What was your level of Spanish before moving to Mexico, Melissa?

My Spanish consisted of “Baño,” “Cerveza, por favor,” “Playa,” and that was about it. That was all the Spanish I knew.

How did your relationship evolve despite the language barrier?

There was a lot of FaceTiming, a lot of phone calls, again, a lot of Google Translate because we didn’t speak each other’s language. We just knew that the chemistry and the connection were there, and we wanted to see where it went.

Tell us about your family dynamics.

We both have grown children. Jesús has two sons: Jesús David, who is 26, and Diego, who is 17 and lives with us, and a stepdaughter, Paulina, who is 20. I have a son, Dakota, who is 23 and living on Vancouver Island. When we first moved in together, we had a tiny one-bedroom apartment. It worked perfectly for us for the first year, but we quickly outgrew that. We then moved into a two-bedroom place.

How did Diego adapt to living with you in La Paz?

Diego is a wonderful young man. He is extremely respectful. There is definitely a language barrier there, as he doesn’t speak very much English at all, so we have to use Google Translate a lot. But, he goes to school full time, he works full time. We’re very, very proud of him, and we’re happy to have him as part of our family.

What cultural differences have you noticed in your relationship?

In Mexican culture, there’s definitely a little more jealousy for men and women. They are very protective of their girlfriend, boyfriend, or husband. They don’t understand why you would talk to someone of the opposite sex, even if it’s just friendly. Canadians are very friendly and outgoing. Now, Jesús understands when I make new friends, whether they are female or male. He is not jealous, and I encourage him to go out and have fun when I’m at work.

What activities do you enjoy doing together?

We are very outdoorsy people. We love paddleboarding, snorkeling, and finding new reefs to check out. We love walking the Malecón when Jesús has a day off. We also enjoy dancing, cooking together, and going out on boats with friends. Jesús is the chef, and I enjoy watching him cook while I sip on a margarita. We live a very busy, outdoorsy lifestyle.

Tell us about your wedding.

We wrote our own vows. I wrote mine about half an hour before we got married. Jesús’s vows were amazing. He said, “I came to La Paz and met a mermaid on a rock sitting on the sea. I fell in love with a mermaid. Even if I have to live underwater for the rest of my life to be with her, I will do that.” We chose to get married at Playa El Tesoro, a beautiful cove in La Paz. It was perfect. We had about 40 or 50 people at the wedding. It was very casual. We had an entire taco stand, tequila on all the tables, and we danced and took photos at sunset.

What are the living arrangements and costs in La Paz?

We live in the La Posada area, about a four-minute drive from the beginning of the Malecón and about five minutes to Walmart. We pay under 15,000 pesos for our rent, which is a very good deal considering the cost of inflation in the last two years. Everything is included, except for air conditioning. Our highest bill in July and August was 2300 pesos. We go out probably twice a week, spending anywhere between 500 to 1000 pesos. Jesús has a motorbike, and I have a jeep. We don’t have many other expenses. We like to do a lot of outdoor activities that don’t cost much money.

What advice do you have for someone considering moving to Mexico?

If anybody’s thinking about moving to Mexico or somewhere else, I highly suggest you do it. Just go for it. My suggestion would be to rent for three to six months first to get an idea if that culture is really for you. It can get very hot in July and August. I think too many people get stuck in their bubble and don’t find a way to make things work to better their lifestyle or make themselves the life that they want. The cultural differences for us have not been a problem. We’ve been able to overcome them. When you love somebody and you find that person, just go for it.

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