Housecarers.com

Sunday 16 December 2012

From New York to Mazatlan with an unexpected event.

Our new apartment building - the light green one.
Whew! Its good to get here and kick back and park myself and dogs for a few months.  I'm still living out of suitcases and carrying around my "portable office" - a large computer bag on wheels stuffed with files and papers.  But this is about to change, at least with respect to Mazatlan.

We have secured a two-bed, two-bath first floor apartment in a 4-story apartment building in Centro a half-block from the ocean and malecon.  This is to become our full-time residence where we can leave our Mazatlan things over the summer.  Several friends live in the same building year-round so we have built-in care-takers if needed.  The price? $340 a month plus utilities.  How could we not take it?  It's an older building and the kitchen is definitely of the mexican variety (no counters, no cupboards except a large shelved pantry) but this can be remedied easily with a few pieces of standing storage furniture and a table for a counter.  Even a big secured parking area in the back if we choose to keep a car down here.


So we have taken a new step in the direction of permanent residency in Mexico.  Maybe there will be another twist in the road sometime but for now this seems right for us.  Every winter we spend here makes us feel more and more at home - in fact, attached to the place.  We love coming down and meeting up with friends from last winter, catching up on all their summer doings and sharing in new developments for them.  Several of them have also found new places to rent full-time (and one couple bought an old, small mexican house last winter and are now in the midst of renovating - to be finished they hope by the end of December).

The patio with plants included!

Every winter there seems to be new shops and restaurants and art galleries to see.  The centro area has really become a mecca for artistic types.  Every month there is an "Art Walk" on a Friday evening when people can wander from gallery to gallery, having a glass of wine and and snacks in each one, taking a look around.


Life is both the same in many ways as living north of the border - we go food shopping, run errands, cook, do laundry, see the doctor or dentist, take our pets to the vet, pay our bills - and also very different.  The lifestyle is relaxed and easy-going, with so many more opportunities to casually meet up with friends for a drink or a meal or a show without having to drive for miles, find parking, or spend a lot of money.  We spend a lot of time outdoors, especially for meals.  We can sit for hours in a public square watching local families walking or sitting together, just out for an evening stroll.  We might catch random acts of fireworks, or folkloric dancing, or parades - these things seem to just pop up unexpectedly.  We can watch a world-class live performance or concert in a historic, beautiful old theatre for next to nothing.  And then there is the beach and ocean just steps away.  Where else can you live like this?

End the street just steps from the ocean and malecon.

So what is the unexpected event?  Well, Mike was not due to be down here until Dec. 22 but his work contract finished unexpectedly early in New Jersey so he has come down two weeks early and now has time to work on the software during weekday hours.  We decided to focus some time on getting things going while he has the chance and before everyone takes off for Christmas.  We have a new product that is very promising as an easy thing to sell, and now have two key phone meetings set up for next week.  Oh, that this goes somewhere finally and Mike can stop consulting and work on our own thing! From Mexico perhaps?