Podcasts about lake chapala

Queen Michele| “Who is Gen Alpha|Why are they so important?”Meet Queen D. Michele~ Author, Blogger, Creator She lived 4 years (2017-2021) in the Lake Chapala area of Jalisco, Mexico  she holds a permanent resident visa and will be returning to the state of Chiapas, to the lovely town of San Cristobal de Las Casas in 2025. Her book Considerations: A Guide for Moving Abroad is still on the market.  She traveled to Guinea Bissau West Africa in February of 2023 after discovering through African Ancestry that she is from the Fula Tribe. The trip was completely documented in my blog (My Soul's Journey Home) located on the website of my nonprofit organization called Fula History and Genealogy Society in America. http://www.fulaamerican.org. She also, visited Egypt and cruised the Nile during that visit to the Motherland.She created a mindfulness curriculum for 7th-9th grade students called 52 Insights for Gen Alpha: A Conscious Curriculum. The curriculum focuses on Self-Awareness through activities that foster mindfulness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness and conscious decision-making. It's currently being piloted in 2 Cornerstone Charter Schools in the metro Detroit area!  https://fulaamerican.org/52-insights/Four years ago, She wrote “Traveling Home Together.” It's a spiritual guidebook to assist those awakening and the newly awakened navigate the shift in consciousness they're experiencing.Link:https://www.fulaamerican.org/Support PEG by checking out our Sponsors:Download and use Newsly for free now from www.newsly.me or from the link in the description, and use promo code “GHOST” and receive a 1-month free premium subscription.The best tool for getting podcast guests:https://podmatch.com/signup/phantomelectricghostSubscribe to our Instagram for exclusive content:https://www.instagram.com/expansive_sound_experiments/Subscribe to our YouTube https://youtube.com/@phantomelectricghost?si=rEyT56WQvDsAoRprPEG uses StreamYard.com for our live podcastshttps://streamyard.com/pal/c/6290085463457792Get $10.00 Credit for using StreamYard.com when you sign up with our linkRSShttps://anchor.fm/s/3b31908/podcast/rss

In this episode, host Risa Morimoto is joined by special guest Janet Blaser, a renowned journalist and author who has recently made the move from Mazatlan to Lake Chapala. Tune in as Janet shares the fascinating story behind her relocation, driven by a blend of celestial signs and practical reasons, as well as the challenges she has faced, like missing the ocean and adjusting to a new community vibe. Discover the compelling details about life in Lake Chapala, from its breathtaking scenery and proximity to Guadalajara, to the unique services and amenities available for expatriates. Janet dives into the realities of living near Mexico's second-largest natural lake, dealing with its contamination issues, and navigating the vibrant yet tranquil rural environment of San Antonio Tlayacapan. We'll also explore Janet's personal journey, her reflections on leaving Mazatlan, and her future plans, which include spending more time with family and launching an exciting new book series titled "Going Expat." If you're contemplating a move to Mexico or just curious about expat life, this episode is packed with insights and invaluable advice. Plus, don't miss out on Risa's invitation to a free webinar on retiring in Mexico. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired by Janet Blaser's incredible experiences and journey on Dream Retirement In Mexico.   Don't miss out on free webinar, where experts cover everything you need to know about relocating to Mexico—from the best places to live to essential healthcare information for expats. Register at dreamretirementinmexico.com/webinar.   Key Moments:  03:47 Vacation led to starting a magazine and market. 07:21 Mazatlan became "Vegas on the beach." 11:43 Foreigners move to beaches, seeking cooler areas. 13:18 Rented Airbnb, then house-sat near friends. 16:17 Friend unexpectedly offers to take over the apartment. 21:14 Older residents, affluent foreigners, different lifestyle services. 24:40 Prioritize family time, spend a month with each. 27:05 Excited to publish anthologies by election. 30:17 Currency fluctuations affect import spending habits. 34:16 Charming small towns hinder hurried travel. 38:17 Embrace chaos; clarity comes with time's wisdom. 39:11 Embracing uncertainty and moving forward in life.   About the Guest:  Janet Blaser is an author, writer, and consultant who has lived in Mexico since 2006. A former journalist in California, her work now focuses on expat living. Janet's first book, “Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats” is an Amazon bestseller. She's currently working on a series of “Going Expat Guides” about Mexico, Italy, Portugal, and Costa Rica. Janet is a regular contributor to CNBC's “Make It” and International Living magazine. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook, @thejanetblaser.  A writer by nature, Janet also likes to surf, garden, read, cook, and, at times, rabble-rouse.

Retire in San Antonio Tlayacapan, Lake Chapala, Mexico - EP 192 When we first interviewed writer Janet Blaser about living in Mazatlan, Mexico in June of 2021, we were convinced she had found her forever place. There, she had a large apartment a stone's throw from the beach for under $500 per month. Needless to say, we were surprised to learn that Janet had moved to San Antonio Tlayacapan, a small Mexican town on Lake Chapala. It turns out that Mazatlan is not the sleepy little city it once was when Janet first moved there. Hear what triggered Janet's move on Episode 192 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.  Check out Janet's website: https://janetblaser.com/ Why We Left An Anthology of American Women Expats: Collected Essays of 27 Women Happily Living in Mexico is her book To learn about moving to Mexico, contact Janet at GoingExpatGuides@gmail.com Working on your memoir? Writing a novel? Want a fresh set of eyes? With 30+ years of journalism experience, Janet is now available for Content & Copy Editing, Proofreading Reader Services at thejanetblaser@gmail.com  #retirethere #retiretherepodcast #retirewhere #retireabroad #retirehere #wheretoretire #retireearly #bestplacetoretire #retirement #retirementplanning #babyboomers #genxers #ajijic #mexico #ajijicmexico #lakechapala #movetomexico #simplelife #expatlife #expatsmexico #thejanetblaser 

As shown on the Booch News Instagram, I recently spent a month in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and visiting Lake Chapala near Guadalajara. As is typical for tourists, I could only stumble on random outlets for kombucha. This was especially true... The post Profile: ValleSana Kombucha, Valle de Bravo, Mexico appeared first on 'Booch News.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Judy Neary, from Lake Chapala, Mexico. Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There's nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don't Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there's just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you're new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren't ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you'll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available. IF is free. You don't need to join our community to fast. But if you're looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. Judy is a retired clinical social worker. Prior to IF, Judy did not struggle with her weight. In March of 2022, she found IF after suffering from severe knee pain. Judy researched ways to alleviate this pain and came across Delay, Don't Deny. Judy immediately began her IF journey.Judy needed knee surgery to correct a torn meniscus but healed quickly. She has less inflammation, her eczema has disappeared, and she no longer struggles with ‘food noise.' Judy loves the freedom to enjoy food. Judy's advice: Start IF slow. Don't try to do too much at once. Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You'll probably also like Gin's other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts. Get Gin's books at: http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html, including Cleanish and New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! Delay, Don't Deny is available on Amazon. Join Gin's community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens Follow Gin on Instagram @GinStephens Visit Gin's website at: ginstephens.com Check out Gin's Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.htmlSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For Beyond 50's "Travel" talks, listen to an interview with Michael Nuschke. He is the publisher of the website, focusonmexico.com. He'll talk about the top reasons why people are interested in moving to Mexico, from rising healthcare costs to escaping bad weather and political angst. You'll learn how to become an expat and recommends Lake Chapala as an ideal place to start a new life. Tune in to Beyond 50: America's Variety Talk Radio Show about the natural, holistic, green and sustainable lifestyle. Visit https://www.Beyond50Radio.com and sign up for our Exclusive Updates.

In this episode, I want to discuss how I have utilized The Power of Stretching: mental, emotional, and physical fitness. Yes, I know that sounds a little out there. What I have been experiencing, though, has happened somewhat by chance. It has stretched me in so many ways. As a 66-year-old guy, I have not expected to feel this way. If you are a first-time listener, my wife and I moved to Ajijic, Mexico in 2018. Ajijic is a village on Lake Chapala, and is roughly an hour drive from Guadalajara. Guadalajara is Mexico's 2nd largest city. Since the first of the year, my wife and I received our Jalisco Mexican driver's licenses. This required that we take a 10-question test, which was in English, and pass a parallel parking test. My wife and I have been married for 42 years but this set off so many emotional triggers and I want to discuss how my wife and I handled them very differently. Secondly, besides continuing to learn to speak and understand Spanish, I started to work with ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that has gone viral. It is pretty incredible, and I used it in assisting with the format and flow of this episode. This is expanding me intellectually. Lastly, I rode just over 3000 miles on my road bicycle in 2022. I set a goal of 4000 miles for 2023. I am not a driven athlete. I like to work hard and love the feeling of accomplishment but if I must do it alone… well I probably would not be in the condition I am in today. I want to discuss how I have done this and how I keep progressing in my health journey. This episode is sponsored by Career Pivot. Check out the Career Pivot Community, and be sure to pick up my latest book, Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life Third Edition. For the full show notes and resources mentioned in the episode click here.

Are You Sick of the Rat Race? Ready To Check Out and Live Free? Well, this is your lucky day Buster! So listen up!As part of our coverage of Foreign Policy Issues, we also want to provide you with actual practical information on how you can live relatively free in this unfree world of 2023.  It's not so easy, right?  So listen up because I am doing a series of these shows to help everyone navigate the treacherous landmines laid out by the Government and Corporate Clampdowns!Here, I host 25-year ex-pat Kristina Morgan Meadows originally from Colorado, USA. Kristina has been in Mexico with her family for many decades.  The Lake Chapala area in Jalisco just outside of Guadalajara, Mexico's 2nd largest city, is home for Kristina.  She is a prominent member of the communities of Chapala, Riberias de Pilar, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, and Jocotepec collectively known as Lakeside.  Lakeside is the #1 retirement choice for Americans and Canadians in the whole world.  Together we explore the do's and don't s of retiring in Mexico and how to live relatively free in our unfree world in 2023.On the show, Kristina graciously shares her experiences both good and bad to help others navigate the question “Should I Retire in Mexico?” and “How Best to Make it Happen?Visit Kristina's Web Site at Lake Chapala RealtySupport the show Visit VT for more Uncenosred Alternative Foreign Policy Media

Sal Fish is the beloved Godfather of Off-road Racing and former President of SCORE International. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, the son of a humble and kind auto mechanic, a loving mother, with a Sicilian Grandmother at home who only spoke Italian. His parents scrimped, saved, and sent Fish and his three brothers to the Roman Catholic, college-preparatory Loyola High School for boys. Sal was class President but freely admits he was not a very good student. The Jesuit education system served him well, and he was accepted “under probation” at the University of San Francisco. At USF, his charm and drive carried the day. He excelled in making connections. Soon, Sal was on the basketball team's coaching staff, eating and drinking for free in North Beach, and had an apartment above the embalming room of a prestigious neighborhood mortuary. He even had a “no-show athletes job” at a brewery, where he punched in at the beginning of the week and returned at the end of the week to collect a paycheck and two cases of beer. With all the fun he was having --by his own admission, he barely managed to graduate. After surprisingly being declared 4F by the Army, Sal returned to Los Angeles to work with his father in his auto repair business. He attended carburetor, brake, and transmission school and did his best to give his father a rest while he ran the shop. A body surfing buddy saw Sal's secret strength and offered him a job selling advertising for Car Craft Magazine. His father was thrilled to get him out of the shop. Sal was a natural salesman, rapidly rising through the ranks of Petersen Publishing, and soon became the Publisher. Through his travels with Hot Rod magazine, Sal and ad salesman Bob Weggeland landed a VW Beetle and an entry into the 1969 NORRA Mexican 1000. In our conversation, Sal recounts the experience --a hilarious story of ignorance, perseverance, survival, and a heaping dose of luck. After breaking their transmission, Sal and Bob flagged down the crew of actor and racer James Garner and got a tow to the checkpoint at Lake Chapala. --“We went faster on a tow rope than we had been going in the race.” Racer and entrepreneur Mickey Thompson recruited Sal as a partner soon after he created SCORE International in 1973. By 1974 Sal and Mickey were hosting the Baja 1000. He used his people and publishing skills to grow the organization rapidly. Eventually, he took over SCORE and bought Thompson out. In the process, Sal realized Thompson's vision to make off-road racing as big as NASCAR. Sal sold SCORE in 2012. Active and fit, he enjoys living in Malibu and spending time with his wife of nearly 50 years, Barbara. The couple has a second home in La Paz, where Sal enjoys kayaking and entertaining his many Baja friends. A special thanks to Lyman Scherer for connecting me to Sal.

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://janeammeson.com/2022/11/27/lake-chapala-mexico-foodand-history/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jane-ammeson/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jane-ammeson/support

Steve Cross was born and raised in Northern Ireland but knew from his early teens he would not stay there due to the oppression of the gay community at the time. He left to see the world on cruise ships in 1992 and discovered Puerto Vallarta by visiting the ports. In 2004 he left the ships and settled in Puerto Vallarta and began to sell real estate there. In 2008 he and his now-deceased husband decided to move to Ajijic in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico, where the climate is just about perfect year round. Originally he opened a bed and breakfast and combined that with real estate, but after the death of his husband, 5 years has focussed totally on real estate. Harold Watts was born and raised in San Diego CA.  In 1983, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend Sonoma University.  During his years in San Francisco, he worked with companies such as Strouds Linens, Macy's, and Williams-Sonoma.In 1999, Harold made the decision to move to Palm Springs CA, and start his real estate career.In 2004, he met his future husband, Jeff, and they have been together for 18 years and married for 8 years.The decision to retire to Mexico had always been in the works, but COVID-19 sped up the process for Harold.  When the world was shutting down, he and Jeff decided to lock down in Ajijic Mexico, where they had a home.  And they never looked back.A year later, Harold and Jeff purchased a building with 3 studio rooms and a restaurant.  They leased the restaurant space to the former owner and Harold renovated the 3 studio rooms for vacation rentals.  When Harold is not working on his vacation rental business, he is involved with acting in the local theatre group and giving back to the community via local charities.Ajijic/Lake Chapala, MexicoCity in Mexico. Quick factsAjijic is a town about 4.8 kilometers west of the town of Chapala, part of the municipality, in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. It is situated on the north shore of Lake Chapala, surrounded by mountains. Ajijic enjoys a moderate climate year-round. The population of Ajijic was 11,439 as of the 2020 census. WikipediaPopulation: 11,439If you enjoy these podcasts, please make a donation by clicking the coffee cup on any page of our website www.wheredogaysretire.com. Each cup of coffee costs $5 and goes towards bringing you these podcasts in the future.

Steve Cross was born and raised in Northern Ireland but knew from his early teens he would not stay there due to the oppression of the gay community at the time. He left to see the world on cruise ships in 1992 and discovered Puerto Vallarta by visiting the ports. In 2004 he left the ships and settled in Puerto Vallarta and began to sell real estate there. In 2008 he and his now-deceased husband decided to move to Ajijic in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico, where the climate is just about perfect year round. Originally he opened a bed and breakfast and combined that with real estate, but after the death of his husband, 5 years has focussed totally on real estate. Harold Watts was born and raised in San Diego CA.  In 1983, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend Sonoma University.  During his years in San Francisco, he worked with companies such as Strouds Linens, Macy's, and Williams-Sonoma.In 1999, Harold made the decision to move to Palm Springs CA, and start his real estate career.In 2004, he met his future husband, Jeff, and they have been together for 18 years and married for 8 years.The decision to retire to Mexico had always been in the works, but COVID-19 sped up the process for Harold.  When the world was shutting down, he and Jeff decided to lock down in Ajijic Mexico, where they had a home.  And they never looked back.A year later, Harold and Jeff purchased a building with 3 studio rooms and a restaurant.  They leased the restaurant space to the former owner and Harold renovated the 3 studio rooms for vacation rentals.  When Harold is not working on his vacation rental business, he is involved with acting in the local theatre group and giving back to the community via local charities.Ajijic/Lake Chapala, MexicoCity in Mexico. Quick factsAjijic is a town about 4.8 kilometers west of the town of Chapala, part of the municipality, in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. It is situated on the north shore of Lake Chapala, surrounded by mountains. Ajijic enjoys a moderate climate year-round. The population of Ajijic was 11,439 as of the 2020 census. WikipediaPopulation: 11,439Support the showIf you enjoy these podcasts, please make a donation by clicking the coffee cup on any page of our website www.wheredogaysretire.com. Each cup of coffee costs $5 and goes towards bringing you these podcasts in the future.If you or you know someone who is interested in being a guest on the podcast, please contact me at mark@wheredogaysretire.com. Please join our Where Do Gays Retire Facebook group at Where Do Gays Retire? | FacebookThank you so much for listening!

Charlotte's Wandering Web | Episode 31: Tequila and prisons. They have something in common but likely not what you think. Charlotte takes us on a tour to Mezcala Island aka Presidio Island on Lake Chapala where an important piece of Mexican history houses an abandoned fortress and prison involving Mexico's fight for independence from Spain. To lighten the mood, we also take a tour of Tequila town where the locals and tourists ham it up on the streets. Questions? Email us at offshoreclub@ecidevelopment.com.

Andy Milberg, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, has been teaching the Hoffman Process since August 1991. Bob Hoffman taught in Andy's Process and trained Andy to become a teacher. Andy tells us it is a privilege and an honor to stand beside students who are committed to making a lasting change in their lives. As he says, "They've made a serious commitment in preparing for the Process." He goes on to add that most of the time people get "more than they even know they want" from the Process. While the Hoffman Process is deeply grounded in science, something we know from scientific studies, the spiritual part of the Process can be difficult to define. Andy shares that the structure of the Process supports things to happen that he cannot explain or understand. The Process structure also supports him as a teacher to show up in a way that he can neither strategize nor plan for. Andy calls it the "magic of the moment." This magic, mystery, and the miraculous go hand in hand with science to produce the amazing results we experience during the Process. In the late '90s, Andy wrote a portion of the Process that happens at the very end as we say goodbye to those we've become so close with. He refers to it as, "I Am, We Are." Listen to this beautiful conversation with Andy and Drew to learn more about what it's been like for Andy to teach the Process. More about Andy Milberg: Andy did the Hoffman Process in July of 1990. He was immediately inspired to become a teacher, completing his training in August of 1991. “Although I had done a lot of personal growth work before”, he says, “the Process went deeper in so many ways, showing me my blind spots and then teaching me how to move beyond them into my authenticity. It was an amazing gift I wanted to share with others, and still do, 32 years later.” Four years ago, Andy moved from California to Ajijic, Mexico, with his wife and dog. He commutes to teach several times a year, while also coaching and leading online courses. Andy is a writer and has written his first book, Inspiration for Writers Who Don't Write, and Want To. As mentioned in this episode: Ajijic, Mexico: A small town on the north shore of Lake Chapala, just 35 miles (56 km) south of Guadalajara. Bob Hoffman was the founder of the Hoffman Process. Andy describes Bob's teaching style as "fearless and totally committed to helping people get free of their patterning." Bob's mission was "Peace on Earth, one person at a time." Learn more about Bob here. Introversion and Extroversion: Andy speaks of being an Introvert at his core, but having had patterns of extroversion. Johanina Wikoff, Ph.D. The Dark Side: Andy describes the Dark Side as "the energy system of all the patterns that takes us back to the past, and doesn't change, learn, or grow." Kani Comstock, Retired Hoffman Teacher: Kani taught the Process for many years after training directly with Bob Hoffman. She co-authored Journey Into Love, a book about the Hoffman Process, with Marisa Thame   https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Andy_Milberg_Podcast.mp3

Charlotte's Wandering Web | Episode 25: Scorpion Island. Kind of sounds like a place you would rather escape from than visit. Take a boat ride with Charlotte on Lake Chapala as she and her husband go on a day trip to the mysterious Scorpion Island—a heritage site that's a tiny slice of Mexican culture with a big bite. Questions? Email us at offshoreclub@ecidevelopment.com.

Charlotte's Wandering Web | Episode 23: Merry Christmas from Ajijic! Well, not really. Charlotte travels to San Nicolas in this episode to check out a unique property she was asked to view by friends from Canada. The tiny town along Lake Chapala is a great location for those who want to be away from the hustle and bustle of Ajijic yet close enough to drive to amenities. Charlotte and Carter also discuss the incredible affordability of living in Mexico from food to utilities. With the information you find out here, you'll want to make your move before Christmas this year! Questions? Email us at offshoreclub@ecidevelopment.com.

Charlotte's Wandering Web | Episode 19: Ah! The mishaps of living in Mexico. Some bizarre events of the week add up to lessons learned. Charlotte had a near death experience and she's grateful to be here to tell us about it. We also take a bus ride to Jocotepec, a town on the west end of Lake Chapala—a destination straight out of the 70s. Another doozy of an apartment came up for rent in a local magazine. Can you “Guess the Price” before Carter does? Questions? Email us at offshoreclub@ecidevelopment.com.

Charlotte's Wandering Web | Episode 8: Instead of thinking outside of the box, get rid of the box all together. When looking for a new place to live, especially in a new country, there are so many aspects to consider. Daily functions you would never give a second thought of in your home country can prove to have significant impact. This week, Charlotte's in a new location and she compares Ajijic to Chula Vista. Two separate and quite different communities in Mexico sharing the same wonderful area on the north side of Lake Chapala. A taboo topic comes up that may be a make or break for you when you are searching for your dream location. Questions? Email Charlotte at charlotte@escapeartist.com.

Karen Blue (Blue) worked a stressful job and lived in a very expensive city. At 52, she was ready to retire, but her accountant advised that she'd be unable to do so if she wished to stay in California's Silicon Valley. Blue then has a premonition about living in an enclave. A few days later she read an article about expats living in an “enclave,” known as the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. She visited the town of Ajijic on the Lake. The rest is history. It has been 26 years since Blue sold her California home and moved to Ajijic, known for its idyllic weather and stunning views. Find out more about living in Ajijic, Mexico, on episode 75 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.Karen Blue authored two books on moving to, and living in, Mexico:Midlife Mavericks: Women Reinventing Their Lives in Mexico; andBaby Boomers: Reinvent Your Retirement in Mexico.She blogs at Mexico Blue: Imagine Your Retirement in Mexico.

Are you still thinking of Mexico? How about a city with beautiful historic buildings, weather that's not too hot or too cold, and a low cost of living?  Look no further than Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico. Bill and Jacqueline Dahl searched all over Mexico and discovered Santiago de Querétaro, listen to their story on Episode 44 of Retire There with Gil & Gene.Find Bill Dahl's website here.View some of Jaqueline Dahl's paintings here.In his book, Lake Chapala: Beneath the Surface - Considerations for Retiring to Mexico, Bill discusses the challenges of living in Lake Chapala, Mexico.Bill's human ecology novel is Earth Interrupted: A Novel, Second EditionBill's book about traveling with his dog is Regarding Reggie: Lessons About Life and Love Led by a Lab

On this episode of the Americas Now Podcast correspondent Alasdair Baverstock explains to host Elaine Reyes how the community of expats around Mexico's famous Lake Chapala dealt with the pandemic lockdowns.

Queen D. Michele talks about her life after divorce, being an empty nester, and living in Jalisco, Mexico on today's episode. She explains how living on a small pension and hustling to make up her budget shortfall after retirement wasn't cutting it. After much research and consideration, Queen found her purpose on the shores of Lake Chapala. Learn more about Queen D. Michele at https://considerationsofthesoul.com (www.considerationsofthesoul.com). You can also grab a copy of her book, Considerations https://amzn.to/3hCGwAz (here). Website: https://www.solomoms-talk.com (www.solomoms-talk.com) | Social: CH: @solomoms-talk; IG/Twitter: @jrosemarie1 Grab a free copy of The Solo Mom Manifesto https://www.solomoms-talk.com/the-solo-mom-manifesto (here). Intro song from the single, "Desperate" by Damien Ellison Click https://www.patreon.com/solomomstalk (here) to support the show. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Support this podcast

When Russell Blake sold his real estate development company in 2002, he could have moved anywhere, but ended up in Mexico and has never looked back. He started writing suspense and thriller novels but was unable to find a publisher. In 2011, he started self-publishing and sold his books on Amazon. His idea was to write and publish books quickly, and at one point he released 25 thrillers in 30 months. This led him to become a New York Times bestselling author.  What brings Russell to our podcast is not a novel but a non-fiction book. In 2020, he released Retirement Secrets of Mexico, which focuses on eight select retirement locations. These are places that are not, for the most part, brimming with expats. Russell notes the book is “a description of places where one can live an exceptional life with modern infrastructure and conveniences, eating and drinking well, without having to worry about safety, comfort or health care quality.” Today, Russell lives in the city of Colima. On Episode 33 of Retire There with Gil & Gene, he talks about Colima and other jewels of Mexico.  Russell's book on Mexico is Retirement Secrets of Mexico: https://www.amazon.com/Retirement-Secrets-Mexico-Russell-Blake/dp/B08M8CRLPP/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=retirement+secrets+of+mexico&qid=1621668439&s=books&sr=1-1Russell's highly rated Argentinian steakhouse and pizza restaurant in Colima is Russell Blake's Mendoza Grill: http://mendozagrill.com/?fbclid=IwAR3Ca4O03OJ4JhFaU1rlICmggaWncbf_S8DdTkcyoS-KRcUtcX4gAUdeCicFor the Colima residential golf community development Russell is involved with and to check out amenities and model homes: http://elencantoaltozano.com/ Russell's website is https://russellblake.com/For an intriguing 2021 interview of Russell from WorldClassPerformer.com: https://worldclassperformer.com/short-life-lessons-from-russell-blake/?fbclid=IwAR0NCxILlRyJYRYyl6nA_vdI3nLZXa5uX8eTBoI3UnDXGeBupOzSehOu1SAThe Wall Street Journal published an article in 2014 on Russell's writing career, titled Fast-Paced Best Seller: Author Russell Blake Thrives on Volumes: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303640604579298604044404682 

Coffee With Carib Carter | Episode 09: On today's episode, Carib Carter proudly presents the many benefits of living offshore in Nicaragua and Mexico. Carter first shares an amazing story of a turtle rescue in Nicaragua with Offshore Club's very own Patrick Hiebert– you will be amazed at the rewards of doing good things for the environment is much closer than you think it is!  Then, Carter introduces us to an amazing friend of his who lives in the stunning Lake Chapala, Mexico – which happens to host the highest level of American Expats in the world. Sit back, relax and get ready to find out how living well in paradise and doing good things for the environment is awaiting by living offshore! Questions? Email Alyssa at alyssa@offshore.club!This show is brought to you by Offshore Clubhttps://offshore.clubOffshore Club is your exciting new online destination for the home (or homes!), vacation getaway, or virtual hideaway of your hopes and dreams! As a member of The Club, you will get the inside scoop on how to use your newfound offshore access and expertise to secure your assets and protect your wealth. So, get ready to live the good life at a great price anywhere you want in the world!Looking for the latest news & trends in offshore investing?The Offshore Club brings you the top offshore news stories of the day, aggregated in an easy to read format to assist the public in getting accurate information. https://offshore.club/articlesPlease subscribe to the podcast at: https://bit.ly/3iZTFRuSign up to receive Offshore Club's daily email at https://bit.ly/2SWJq6cJoin the Club:Facebook @JoinOffshoreClubFriendship Village: https://www.facebook.com/groups/oscfr...Twitter @offshore_clubEmail us at offshoreclub@ecidevelopment.com

David shares the recent April updates in the global ministry and the many offerings that are made available as support resources. The Movie Watcher’s Guide to Enlightenment has been redesigned and upgraded, and this new version is newly launched. Visit https://MWGE.org The new Living Miracles Tribe Online Community has opened, with over 125 invitations being extended to beloveds who have been following and practicing the profound teachings of A Course In Miracles with David and the community over the years.Spiri.ai is a contemporary Spiritual Awakening website with lots of resources and a sophisticated search engine that responds much like the free Spiri App for the IOS platform available on iTunes.Our Spiri Your Spiritual Assistant Facebook Page and Bot is once again active, and thousands of people around the world have made use of it in assisting their forgiveness process.New online streaming events are in the works for our English and Spanish participants, and new projects and long term projects are underway. Our remote volunteers participate via NationBuilder and Basecamp. Our residents at our co-living and community centers in Kamas, Utah, Son Macia, Spain, and Lake Chapala, Mexico and the mystic community at the Living Miracles Monastery in rural Utah live daily in devotionally practicing forgiveness. Check out all that is available on the Internet.Blessings of Love ❤️

Growing up in Canada, Kim Melia moved every few years so was used to meeting new people and making new friends. As a young woman she moved alone to the United States with one suitcase.  Her mom was a gypsy snowbird, trying out living in new countries fro six months to locate a future retirement location.  Kim visited her in many countries over the years.  Her mom settled in Lake Chapala, Mexico so once again Kim went for a visit.  She loved it so much that 60 days later she'd sold everything that wouldn't fit in her small SUV and left San Diego, CA to live in Ajijic, Mexico.  Her passion is Work Play Love, a non-profit organization that supports an orphanage in Guatemala.  It's a very worth cause that has changed many lives www.workplaylove.org.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/olr)

Author Karen Blue talks about 20 years in Mexico and the independent women who make Lake Chapala so special. Thinking about moving to Mexico or retiring in Mexico? Then check out this episode with host Travis Scott Luther. 

Author Queen Michele returns to the podcast to share her story, detailed in her most recent book, Considerations of the Soul presents Traveling Home Together.  From her home near Mexico's Lake Chapala, Queen joins host Mary Rogers to walk us through her experience of "an awakening" to a new school of thought, perspective, and practice of BEing. It started with a guided meditation. Full show notes https://www.experience50.com/217 Support the podcast https://www.experience50.com/donate

Dudley discusses stock warrants and why companies decide if they want their warrants to trade publicly. Many investors are ineligible for private placement, but there are still opportunities for them to trade warrants. His service has a database of private placements and tradable warrants from several industries. Currently, he owns a couple of producers but has concerns about the potential for mine closures due to quarantines. Gold is rising, but many mining stocks are in decline due to these risks. This virus situation needs to be resolved quickly as the consequences could be disastrous. Until recently it looked like gold would steadily head for new highs and miners would take-off and then this crisis hit. These events are hard to predict, and this one came so quickly that most investors were caught off guard. Ultimately resource investors will be in the right sector as it's just a matter of time. Start looking for opportunities as many shares are on-sale right now. Our gut tells us that in today's markets, gold should do incredibly well. We need market psychology to kick in like has occurred many times in the past. It's like a switch gets flipped, and a rip-roaring bull market takes off. If your new to this sector you may get quite queasy. However, there appear to be great opportunities, but we won't know for absolute certainty until we sell. It's possible that once the world gets past this crisis, this sector may become even more spectacular. "With all the money printing and all the havoc, I have to believe that we are going to be in the sweet spot… and that we are going to be in the place to be, we have to stay patient." Talking Points From This Week's Episode • Publicly traded stock warrants vs. private placements • Mine closures in a rising gold environment. • Calculating valuations of warrants. • Optimism, volatility, and market timing. Time Stamp References: 0:40 - Obtaining warrants. 3:10 - Juniors, pandemic and mine closures. 7:10 - Warrants and market timing. 10:00 - Determining when to sell. 17:25 - Calculating leverage on warrants. Dudley Baker is the founder and editor of Common Stock Warrants and its predecessor, Precious Metals Warrants, and is a 1967 graduate of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, with a major in accounting. Mr. Baker has 40+ years of accumulated knowledge and experience in trading stocks, options, leaps, futures, options on futures, and of course, warrants. In March 2005, he founded and launched Precious Metals Warrants. This investment Market Data Service provided the detail on all mining and energy company Warrants trading on the U.S. and Canadian Exchanges. As an investor, he could not find this information and thus proceeded to accumulate data and built a user-friendly website to list the details on all mining and energy company warrants trading. Dudley originally from Texas currently resides along the shore of Lake Chapala in Ajijic, Mexico, which has been his home since 1999. He says, "Living outside the United States gives one a better perspective of the world situation, the U.S. Dollar and investing."

This episode covers some of the specific benefits the Millers have found by moving to Mexico. Besides saving money on food and rent, they enjoy the beautiful surroundings, they walk more, hike regularly, eat local food, live like locals, and take local transportation. They have lost weight, they are healthier, they have less stress, they have made many friends, and they are happier.   Key Takeaways: [1:22] Marc welcomes you to Episode 142 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot is the sponsor of this podcast; CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:51] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors and colleagues. The more people Marc reaches, the more people he can help. [2:09] Marc has uploaded the manuscript of Repurpose Your Career, Third Edition to KDP Amazon, the self-publishing arm of Amazon.com. Marc has ordered multiple proof copies of the paperback edition, to send to the volunteers of the Repurpose Your Career release team to review for fit and finish. [2:31] The release team is moving from reviewing the book to getting ready to write reviews. Members of the review team who have committed to writing a review on Amazon after publication, and are willing to spend $.99 for the initial Kindle version, will get a PDF version of the book to read before the publish date, and later a paperback. [2:53] Marc plans a soft launch of the book on Thursday, September 12, and a hard launch on Monday, September 16, followed by both a virtual and a real book tour starting Monday. [3:14] If you are interested in joining the review team, please go to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam. [3:24] Marc has recorded many podcast guest appearances, some of which have already been published with more to come. Go to CareerPivot.com/launch you’ll find all the links of all the podcasts.[3:38] Marc will be in Austin the week of September 22nd, the New Jersey area the week of September 29th, and D.C., the following week. Marc would love to meet his readers and listeners. [3:51] Marc has multiple events planned for Austin, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Marc will then have a meet-and-greet in D.C. You can find the events on CareerPivot.com/launch. [4:09] Next week, Marc will interview Russ Eanes. Russ is a member of the Career Pivot Online Community who left his job more than a year ago at the age of 60. Russ suffered a double whammy: both his industry and his career path were disappearing. [4:25] Come listen to his story of getting lost and finding his way to writing a book and starting a business to help others self-publish. [4:35] This week’s episode will be Marc’s one-year reflection on being an expat. Marc and his wife have lived in Ajijic, Mexico for a little over a year. He will reflect on what he has learned and how the Millers have changed in the last year. [4:59] You will find all the posts and podcasts on becoming an expat at CareerPivot.com/Expat. [5:17] Marc introduces his reflections on the first year of living in Mexico as an expat. He recorded this episode on August 19, 2019. [5:28] The Millers arrived in Ajijic on June 23, 2018, after a three-day drive from Austin, Texas. Their planned three-month experimental trip turned into four months and while they were there they decided to sign a lease. It has been 14 months since they left Austin, Texas. The Millers have lived in Ajijic for about 12 of those months. [6:00] The one-year lease on the casita the Millers are renting is running out and they are signing another one-year lease. During this next year, they will decide whether to rent or to buy something. Marc has written a large number of blog posts and podcasts on their move to Mexico and they are found at the Expat link above. [7:00] On June 21, 2108, the Millers drove the four-hour drive from Austin to Laredo, Texas and spent the night. Fairly early the next morning, they crossed the border and met Juan Pablo Chavez, who guided them through the immigration process and started driving them to Ajijic, on the North Shore of Lake Chapala.  [7:36] Lake Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico, about a 40-minute cab ride from the Guadalajara Airport in Guadalajara, the second-largest city in Mexico. It was a two-day drive from the border. They stayed overnight in Matehuala, which is where they always stay when they drive back and forth. [8:05] The drive down was pretty easy. Mrs. Miller kept the two very large cats company in the back seat. They drove about seven hours each day. The Millers have since made the trip, multiple times by themselves. [8:31] When the Millers first arrived, they rented a one-bath, one-bedroom house, outside of Ajijic, in Riberas del Pilar, a bedroom community, booming with expats. [8:53] The Millers spent the rainy season summer in Riberas and looked for a rental for January. It turned out they had to take action sooner than January. Just as in Austin, everyone is moving there, real estate prices are going up, the old gringos don’t like the new gringos, locals are being priced out, and there is a lot of gentrification. [9:59] Earlier than planned, the Millers started looking for a rental, and signed a lease for the casita in Ajijic starting September 3, 2018. The casita is half a block from the plaza, which puts them right in the middle of things. It’s kind of loud, but not as loud as Austin. [10:26] When the Millers moved in, they had a special seven-foot-tall cat tree made by a retired local named Nacho (Ignacio) for a third of what they would have paid in the U.S. They scheduled to go back to Austin for six weeks at the end of October and clean out their condo for rental. [11:08] It was a nice three-day drive back. The cats were well-behaved and the roads are almost entirely toll-roads between Guadalajara and Laredo, except for around 10 miles at Lagos de Moreno. The truck traffic on the highways is amazing. [12:02] Back in Austin, the Millers discovered six weeks was not enough time! They had rented a five-by-ten-foot storage room in South Austin that they filled up. They got rid of almost everything they owned. They had planned to process their resident visa applications in Laredo. They canceled the appointment when they ran out of time. [12:52] The first week in December, the Millers traveled back and spent Christmas in Mexico. The owner of a restaurant they frequented invited them to her home for a Christmas Eve party! Parties in Mexico extend into the early morning, so they didn’t stay that long. [13:43] The Mexican people take Christmas and New Year’s very seriously, with a lot of celebration. [13:51] The Millers traveled back to Austin in late February for a speaking engagement Marc had in early March. They found some friends in Ajijic to house-sit and watch their cats for this three-week trip. The Millers stayed with friends in Austin. [14:20] One of the things that stands out to the Millers every time they go back to Austin is how noisy Austin is and how little they enjoy it, contrasted with Ajijic. In Mexico, there are always fireworks (cohetones) exploding, music blaring from cars, and festivals. It is loud. But the U.S. seems to have a constant “white noise” of traffic, machines, etc. [15:28] Americans ask if the Millers feel safe in Mexico. Marc contrasts Ajijic to SWAT Teams across the street from his condo in Austin and various problems that just don’t occur in Ajijic. [16:31] Before the September trip, Marc and his wife had taken a hike up the nearby mountain. Marc calls Ajijic Paradise with an average temperature of 72°. The lake, about four blocks away is at 5,000 feet. The mountains behind them go up to about 7,000 feet. They hiked up to a waterfall and it was not a hard hike. [17:11] Since the Millers returned to Ajijic in December, Mrs. Miller hikes up into the mountains just about every day for one, two, or three hours. It’s beautiful. [17:30] Because of frequent walking, Mrs. Miller has lost significant weight. Marc has lost enough to be the same weight now as when he graduated from college. On their Spring trip to Austin, they bought new clothes to fit better. [18:09] Mrs. Miller can shop in Mexico but Marc is 6′4″ so it is very challenging to find Mexican clothes to fit him. He buys some things from Amazon.com.mx. The Millers have found that they still eat out too much, as it is very inexpensive to eat out in Mexico and the food is so good. [18:48] For the equivalent of $25.00, the Millers can eat entrees, wine, and split an appetizer at a fine Italian restaurant. The same meal in Austin would have been over $100.00. [19:04] The Millers are eating well. They have lost weight. They are living, as much as possible, like locals. This year, they started taking Spanish classes from the Lake Chapala Society with many other gringos. They have an amazing teacher, Berta, who is getting her teaching certification. She is really good with gringos! [19:53] The Millers have gotten into a regular rhythm of things they do. Mrs. Miller goes to Yoga two or three times a week. Marc goes once a week. Mrs. Miller hikes almost every day. [20:11] Marc hikes on Fridays with the Ajijic Hiking Group, which is a bunch of organized and friendly gringos. There are a variety of hikes of different difficulties available to interesting spots and ceremonial grounds. [21:23] The rainy season runs from June through October with about 30″ of rain. It only rains at night. The rest of the year is pretty dry. How long will it stay a Paradise? There are lots of folks moving there, so it’s hard to say. [22:03] The Millers are living on about $2,500 a month. Mrs. Miller turns 65 in September and they have just enrolled her in Medicare and Social Security, over the phone with the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara. They could have done it online. They are maintaining a U.S. address in Austin. [22:42] Both Marc and Mrs. Miller have changed. Their stress levels are way down. They are learning Spanish slowly. Almost every establishment they visit speaks some English, so it’s easy to get by with only English. [23:06] Marc asks gringos in Mexico. “Will you go back?” For many, and for Marc and Mrs. Miller, they just don’t see themselves going back. [23:22] Marc counts it a big benefit that he doesn’t get TV in Ajijic, especially not cable news! Marc subscribes to the Austin American-Statesman newspaper and Apple News on his iPad. Being a news junkie, Marc has turned a lot of the news off. [23:45] The Millers are happier and healthier. They are associating with the local population more and more. They are surrounded by businesses and restaurants. They have American friends who have been in Ajijic for years. They all lose weight because they walk everywhere. [24:23] If you live like the locals, eat like the locals, and transport like the locals, you’ll live longer, healthier, happier lives. If you want to live like a gringo, you can, and packaged food is available, but it is more expensive, and not as healthy. [25:16] A lot of expats, particularly the Canadians, come for the winter, from December to April. During Holy Week, there was a huge shift this year with all the Canadians disappearing and many Guadalajarans moving into their vacation homes. [26:20] April and May is the hottest time of the year. It gets up to 90° and 65° at night. The humidity is 10% to 20%. Marc always wears a hat and long sleeves to protect from burning. [27:13] The Millers know how much money they are spending. Last week they drove into Guadalajara to go to Home Depot and Costco. Costco carries American products that aren’t available elsewhere in Mexico. They sell VitaMix, a favorite of Marc’s. [27:58] The Millers are making a trip back to Austin for the book tour and combining that with a trip to New Jersey for Marc’s 45th high school reunion. On this trip, the Millers plan to empty their storage room. Except for the condo they are renting out, this will free them up from their ties to Austin. [28:28] With Mrs. Miller on Medicare, she will not need health insurance in the States, but Marc will buy a temporary health insurance policy for about $7.00 a day. Mrs. Miller already has doctor’s appointments set up. The medicine she takes for thyroid is only available in the U.S. She gets a year’s prescription at a time. Other expats do the same. [29:18] To learn more about the medical aspects of being an expat, please listen to this podcast episode: CareerPivot.com/Episode-131. To learn about the financial challenges and the technology, please see these blog posts: How to Move Abroad — Banking and Making my Business Location-Independent. [30:08] Marc does not plan to move back to the States until he is on Medicare, more than a year-and-a-half from now if he ever moves back. [30:31] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. If you have any questions for him, please leave a comment at the show notes at CareerPivot.com/episode-142. [30:46] The Career Pivot Membership Community continues to help the approximately 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project to grow and thrive. The community has moved on to the next phase where community members who have experienced success get to share their successes and teach others. [31:04] This is a community where everyone is there to help everyone else out. They have been hovering at about 50 members for a while. Members are experiencing successes like going back to work, starting new businesses — even someone buying a franchise. Some leave the community when they’ve found success, while others stay. [31:26] Their legacy stays with the community as they have built an extensive library of forum entries and discussions. Marc will be publishing shortly testimonials of what they got from being part of this community. There are successes in just about every week. [31:52] Marc is recruiting members for the next cohort. If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. [32:03] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Please go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [32:22] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you listen to this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [32:39] Please come back next week, when Marc interviews Russ Eanes on his journey of getting lost and finding a direction. [35:30] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-142. [33:00] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app. Marc will add to this list soon as he is finding new places to listen!

Susan is Marc’s co-author for the Repurpose Your Career books. Susan Lahey is a freelance writer who is driven to taking on new challenges, whether they’re writing about the nature of meaning, the scary adventure of changing your career, or truly death-defying acts like jumping out of airplanes and parenting. Marc was her first real Austin client.   Listen in for an update, where Susan discusses her upcoming move to Portugal.   Key Takeaways: [1:09] Marc welcomes you to Episode 122 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings you this podcast. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:40] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues.[1:58] Regular listeners probably have noticed Marc has stopped talking about the next edition of the Repurpose Your Career book. Between last week’s episode about the Miller’s trip back to Austin and starting the resident visa process and this week’s episode, it is evident that the Millers have gotten busy but are getting back on track. [2:23] Marc’s current plan is to release the third edition of the book in September of this year (2019). He will continue to release preview chapters starting in a couple of weeks. [2:35] Next week, Marc will read one of the pre-release chapters of the next edition. Stay tuned! [2:42] This week, Marc will share an Encore Episode of Episode 54, where he interviewed Susan Lahey, who is the co-author on the Repurpose Your Career books. Marc shares Susan’s bio. [3:33] Marc is excited to present this episode. Susan is a freelance writer and a lot of the listeners want to become freelance writers.[3:55] Susan is always tempted to stay home with her adult children and watch Netflix, paint, and hide out from everyone. So she makes herself go do stuff, instead. She just got a tattoo that says “Life is Short” to remind herself to push past whatever fears and barriers she has. [5:12] Susan was a newspaper reporter for the beginning of her career, at the Kansas City Star, from age 17 through college and as her first job out of school. After several years she got a job as an associate editor of a business lifestyle magazine in KC. She left there to raise a family, freelancing from home. [5:57] At age 42, Susan was divorced. She took the children and moved to an off-the-grid house in New Mexico, taking what work she could get. The Taos News wanted her as a freelancer but didn’t move on it. [6:58] She started working as a community liaison for an EPA technical assistance group for a Superfund project. That was tough since she did not speak Spanish and was new to the community. She also did substitute teaching. She was broke. [7:29] Susan and her children volunteered at a food pantry for the food. Finally, she got on as a freelancer with the Taos News, for maybe $100 an article. [8:19] Taos was challenging in being far behind the times. Susan was out of touch with the times as a freelancer. She wanted to give her children a better opportunity. [9:41] After a trip to Europe they were motivated to change their lives. Austin had “a similar vibe” to Taos, a University, and a lot of intellectual capital. Susan rented an apartment and drove the family to Austin to start over. She sold the house in Taos for “five dollars.” [11:02] At first in Austin, she wrote eHow articles but that was unsatisfying for her. Susan met Marc and attended networking events. She met Jenny Magic. Susan learned how to market herself online with blogs and web content and how to network. Susan used EMDR psychotherapy to help her overcome the fear and stress of networking. [15:38] Creatives are typically introverted so selling themselves as “a creative” is really hard for them. Confidence is essential for approaching clients. [17:31] Marc was Susan’s first major client. Then she got some blogs. Through a contact recommended by Marc, she started writing articles for a tech news startup, Silicon Hills News, and finally got paid reasonably. Susan has covered SXSW for the last six years and she went to Thailand and Norway to see their technologies. [19:41] Susan got an article in Wired and is hoping to write more for them. She had also written a profile for bootstrap guru Bijoy Goswami, who works people through the psychological risks and fears of starting your own business. [20:14] Bijoy introduced Susan to his best friend, Danny Gutknecht, and Susan worked with him on one book and other writings. They will write more. Most of her work is with Danny. When Susan has 'bandwidth,' she looks for freelance work online (at GlassDoor and MediaBistro) and she networks. [21:20] Susan mentors and one woman she mentored hooked her up with a gig of writing for Zendesk. She still does journalism. [21:45] Susan was an old-school journalism person. Her idea of journalism came from All the President’s Men. Her sister was a journalist. She never imagined journalism wouldn’t be there for her. Most of her friends who were journalists are out of jobs. Journalism is dying. Journalism can’t find a business model that works today. [22:41] Susan never imagined she would be a tech writer or a business writer, and she is so glad she pursued both of those because that’s the direction the world is going. She never thought she would get to travel the world for tech writing. [23:31] When Susan was asked to find her ‘why’ she had never thought about it. She realized that she loved writing about people who were doing scary, brave things. She uses Marc as an example. When he started his business, it was scary new for him, but also, scary new for the job pivoters he is helping. Her children encouraged her career. [24:46] For the most part, Susan’s career pivot has turned out amazingly. She’s definitely not rich, but she’s supporting herself, doing what she loves. It fuels her as well as paying her. Ninety-nine percent of what Susan writes fits that category. [25:11] Marc is proud of Susan. In spite of her hard times, she has survived. Her three great children have gone to college on full scholarships, and are doing well. Her oldest is teaching English in Tangier, as Susan continues to enjoy her career. [25:54] People tell Susan she’s brave but they have no idea how hard she has to work to be brave. She’s sometimes afraid but she just makes herself do things. She recommends people examine why they act a certain way or go in a certain direction. They need to examine their self-limiting ideas. People need to steer their own ship. [27:24] Susan hopes to move to Morocco in the next year or so. Marc mentions his plans to move to Ajijic, Mexico. Marc thanks Susan for telling her story. [29:04] Marc welcomes Susan back after the interview for an update on her career since this episode was recorded. [29:16] Susan is now planning to move to Portugal. She just got back from there. She was planning to move to Morocco, originally, but her son cautioned her that as long as she doesn’t understand Arabic, she would not be safe in the street culture. [29:45] She started looking at other options, such as Portugal, that have a visa for self-employed people who make a moderate living. The Netherlands has a similar visa. Susan settled on Portugal because the Netherlands is cold and expensive and Portugal is warm and cheap. [30:10] Everyone Susan mentioned it to told her Portugal is so beautiful she wouldn’t believe it. She wanted to apply for the visa before visiting but she needed an actual lease on an apartment and a tax number before that was possible. Rather than hire someone to do that, she went herself, to set things up. That was a really good idea. [30:57] When Susan’s youngest graduated from college she felt free to do what she has always wanted to do — move to Europe. Until she moves, she and her son have moved in with her daughter. They all get along really well. [31:56] Susan’s youngest son will go to Portugal with her on a visit, to check it out. He might also move to Portugal. Susan’s daughter just went with her on her recent trip, and she loves it! [32:28] Because Susan is single the prospect of being an empty-nester was terrifying to her. For the last twenty-something years her purpose had been to raise her three children. Now she has to find out what is important for her. She doesn't want to fill time taking spin classes or doing Soduko. She has always wanted to travel. [33:27] She decided she needed to find a place where she could live and see the world more inexpensively. It’s hard and expensive to get around the world from the U.S. [33:54] Susan has talked to several of her clients and told them her plans. Since she works remotely with most people, anyway, no one was concerned. Susan has never met some of her clients in person. While she might work with some Portuguese companies, it is simpler to just keep working with her U.S. clients. [34:37] Susan has “sort of” figured out the technology she needs. She got an apartment, and a SIM card, so she now has a Portuguese phone number. She almost made an illegal and costly mistake with an apartment contract. [35:15] She ended up hiring an advisor or consultant who took her to the local tax office for a tax number, to the bank for a bank account, and recommended a fantastic real estate agent, who hustles. The agent took Susan to several different apartments. [36:38] Susan was considering two apartments. Both the owners backed out because Susan was not from Portugal and didn’t have a co-signer. Her agent found her another apartment but Susan is waiting for the contract. Every contract is drawn up by a lawyer; they don’t have boilerplate contracts for apartments. Each contract is bilingual. [37:37] On Facebook, Susan was looking at a group for the area. Fabiola, Susan’s real estate agent, who will live in the same neighborhood, had put a post on the group talking about what internet provider she would use. Susan believes she will go with the same provider. [37:53] If nothing else, Susan will go to a café for the internet. [38:00] Marc is very proud of Susan for having made this leap. Marc comments that in Mexico, ‘mañana’ does not mean tomorrow; it means not today. [38:14] Susan thanks Marc for all the help getting ready to go. She finds Portugal to be very chill and relaxed. Someone there told her she should move there. Susan felt she could really do this. She loves Portugal. It’s stunningly beautiful, the food is very good, and everything is affordable. People are insanely nice. It’s going to be great! [39:18] Marc thanks Susan for giving us an update on her experiences. Susan appreciates how supportive Marc has been while she has been preparing to go. Marc says he talked Susan off the ledge before she went. [39:42] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Susan has done a lot of research on her move. Marc was afraid she would move to Portugal without ever visiting there. [39:55] In Episode 119, Marc interviewed Queen Michele, who moved to the North Shore of Lake Chapala without having ever visited. Queen did a ton of research and even walked around the town using Google Maps’ Street View feature. [40:13] Marc “talked Susan off the ledge” before she went, and she’s doing quite well. [40:20] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for more than 50 members in the Beta phase of this project. They have crossed the 50-member threshold! Marc is recruiting new members for the next cohort in a few weeks. [40:33] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [40:48] Those who are in these initial cohorts set the direction of this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [41:12] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [41:33] Please come back next week, when Marc will read a chapter from the next edition of Repurpose Your Career. [41:39] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [41:43] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-122. [41:56] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

In this episode, Marc covers the events of the Millers’ trip back to Austin where they stayed with an old friend, Marc’s presentation to an association of his Multi-generational Workplace Workshop, getting rid of old stuff, connecting with old friends, and stocking up for the trip back to Ajijic. Marc covers the steps to getting resident visas, crossing the border, and meeting with their attorney in Mexico to get their paperwork processed.Listen in to this fascinating episode for insight into becoming an expat with U.S. ties.   Key Takeaways: [1:12] Marc welcomes you to Episode 121 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings you this podcast. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:41] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc can reach, the more he can help. [2:02] Next week, Marc will share an Encore Episode where he interviews Susan Lahey, who is the co-author on the Repurpose Your Career books. He is trying to get Susan to speak to us about her move to Portugal. That’s where Susan is, as Marc records this episode. [2:26] This week, Marc will be discussing their trip back to Austin, his experiences in Austin, their return trip and the start of the Resident Visa process, first in the Consulate of Mexico in Laredo, and then back in Ajijic. Marc hopes you enjoy this episode. [2:44] Marc had a variety of reasons to return to Austin at this time. In the first week in March, Marc was speaking at the Texas Hospital Insurance Exchange, an association. The speaking gig was booked long in advance of the Millers’ move to Ajijic. Marc also needed to get the car inspected and the registration renewed. [3:28] The Millers also were still emptying their storage room, which was costing almost $80 a month. On this trip they gave a king-sized bed to a friend. [3:52] They had planned to start the visa process at the Consulate of Mexico in Austin in December but they had run out of time. So, they are stopping at the Consulate of Mexico in Laredo, on the way back to Ajijic from this trip. [4:16] On this trip, Mrs. Miller got to visit her parents while Marc did the income taxes. [4:32] The Millers left Ajijic on February 29 and drove to Matehuala the first day. It was a nice six-and-a-half-hour drive on toll roads and a few small roads. They stayed at the Las Palmas Midway Inn, where expats stay as they travel. It is an old pet-friendly motor inn. They stayed in a more renovated room that was quite nice, for $61 for the night. [5:19] They left about 7:30 a.m., expecting a seven-hour trip to Laredo. It turned into a 12-hour day. Road construction added an hour. A security checkpoint backed up traffic for miles as they looked at every truck. There are 10 trucks for every car on the road. [5:59] Next, there was a power line draped over the highway. The power company, CFE, fixed it after an hour-and-a-half. Marc is happy they were near the front of the line. [6:40] They arrived at Laredo at about 4:30 p.m. and processed through the banjercito for the temporary import permit for their car. Their $400 was refunded to their credit card (in spite of the Millers’ having changed card numbers because of a compromised card). Then it took an hour-and-a-half to cross the Laredo International Bridge Number 1. [7:31] The Millers got to the hotel in Laredo at about 7 p.m. They were pretty exhausted. It was a very, very long day with lots of sitting in traffic. It’s something you have to get used to. If not for the delays, they could have made the trip in one 12-hour drive from Ajijic to Laredo. But delays are expected. [8:04] The Millers checked into the La Quinta at the Laredo airport, which they like better than the one near the border. They had a nice dinner and the next morning headed off for Nacogdoches in East Texas. Mrs. Miller visited her parents there. Stephen F. Austin State University is the primary employer, besides the lumber industry. [8:41] Friday and Saturday, Marc hung around the hotel and did his income taxes. Being near the main road, what Marc first noticed was the massive amount of noise. Marc was no longer used to road noise and constant mechanical environmental noise. [9:57] Marc read in the Guadalajara Reporter that Mexicans don’t understand about Americans why we control the temperature year-round in our cars. That is not the practice in Mexico. [10:25] Sunday morning, the Millers headed for Austin. They stayed with an old family friend, Donna, in the neighborhood where they had lived for 28 years. She let them use an extra bedroom, where they stayed for about two weeks. [10:57] The old neighborhood was where the Millers had lived, in a house built in 1959 or 1960, until they moved to a condo near downtown in 2010. Marc noticed immediately the amount of gentrification that had occurred in the neighborhood.[11:22] The Millers walked two miles to Upper Crust Bakery and saw that 20 to 30% of the homes had been demolished and replaced with “McMansions” or were drastically added onto. In 1978, when Marc moved to Austin, it was the cheapest housing market in the country. Now, it is one of the most expensive. The change has been dramatic. [12:04] The second thing Marc noticed was everytime he wanted to do much of  anything, he had to get in the car and drive. There was a Fresh Plus a mile-and-a-half away. Marc walked one day to Top Notch, a 1950s hamburger place, which was in a movie. It blew Marc away that everything is designed around the car, not around people. [12:47] He remembered that from his bicycling days. He used to lust after Downtown Portland, which was designed around people, not around cars. But this is Texas. Even the old neighborhoods, cars are necessary.[13:08] In Ajijic, in the last three months they have used the car three times. Twice, it was to get a 40-lb. package of kitty litter they didn’t want to carry on the bus. It was a mind-shift not to need the car. Austin’s public transportation is problematic. Most of the people who used it have left the area from gentrification. [14:05] 130 people move to Austin every day and the school system has lost enrollment six years in a row, primarily because people with children can no longer afford to live in Austin, so they are moving East, out of town. [14:26] Marc doesn’t like what his town was turning into. It was also during the week of SXSW, which consumes the central city, with 40-50,000 people visiting. SXSW is now mostly “hipster’ visitors. Locals stay away from SXSW. [15:03] Marc recently saw photos posted on Facebook of Austin downtown in 2010 and 2017 and it has changed — which is one reason why it has gotten so expensive, and one reason why it has driven the Millers out. [15:25] Marc drove up to Lakeway and gave the Multi-Generational Workplace talk that he shared on this podcast in Episode 111 and Episode 112. This event was a presentation for hospital administrators in rural counties. [15:46] That left the rest of the visit for the Millers to get their stuff done. They got the car registered and inspected and bought Mrs. Miller’s food supplements, which filled the car. They also got their bicycles serviced and ready to go — except for the pedals on Mrs. Miller’s bike, left in storage, so Marc ordered new pedals from Amazon.com.mx! [16:26] The Millers filled the rest of their time reconnecting with as many people as they could. They got rid of stuff from storage and started re-packing the car. Marc shared pictures of the packed car on Facebook. They ended up with about 13 milk carton crates filled with supplements and clothes. [17:08] They left some stuff behind to pick up in October and end their rental of their storage room. [17:21] The Millers drove back to Laredo on Sunday evening and had appointments at the Laredo Mexican Consulate Monday morning to apply for Mexican resident visas. They needed two passport pictures for each of them, filled out applications, 12 months worth of bank statements or investment statements to show adequate assets. [18:01] You must show that you’ve had over $100K in assets over the last 12 months or $2,400 a month in pension income or Social Security for a permanent visa. For a temporary visa, you must show $20K in assets or $1,200 a month in pension income. The Millers both qualified. [18:34] Mrs. Miller applied for a permanent resident visa and Marc applied for a temporary resident visa. The car is in Marc’s name, and you cannot bring a car into Mexico on a permanent resident visa. [18:56] Their appointments were for 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. Mrs. Miller got in about 9:40. Marc got in about 10:30. They were out by 11:15. They were at the Mexican Consulate a couple of blocks from the border. It was fairly easy. [19:20] The Millers chose to do it in Laredo, instead of at the Mexican Consulate in Austin, is that in Laredo they do lots and lots of these visa applications and they are not very “picky.” [19:38] The Millers have a neighbor, John, in Ajijic, who had applied through the Consulate of Mexico in Dallas. He had to return to the consulate six times. The Laredo consulate runs like clockwork. They get people in and out. It’s a very, very busy place. [19:59] The next morning, the car packed to the gills, the Millers crossed the bridge to Mexico at about 7:00 a.m. Marc drove into the “nothing to declare line.” They looked at the car and looked very quickly in back, saw a bunch of milk crates and the bicycles and they said, “Go.” [20:30] However, if they had seen the supplements in the milk crates, or the cat food on the top of the car, they would have charged duty on these items. Marc had an inventory of the food supplements, so they were prepared, if asked. [20:49] The Millers next drove to the immigration office where they processed their passports. Interestingly, Marc unknowingly dropped his passport in the parking lot. He didn’t have it when he went into the office, so he ran out. A young Mexican gentleman picked it up and handed it to him. Marc wiped the sweat off his brow and thanked him. [21:23] Passport in hand, Marc went into the immigration office and processed through. Once they have processed their visas, they have 30 days to complete, so Immigration approved them for 30 days. They also got their Temporary Import Permit for the car for 30 days. They crossed the border and drove to Matehuala. [21:59] They could not get a reservation at their regular hotel. The Las Palmas Midway Inn was full! Instead, they found the Hotel Casa Real Matehuala. The reviews on Hotels.com were mediocre. They checked in around 3:00 p.m. It was not a “dump.” It was old and worn, but clean. They each had one frayed towel, no washcloths. [22:44] There were two beds and two bathrooms! It was right across the street from Walmart, so they did a little shopping there. Then they ate dinner at their favorite restaurant in town, at the Las Palmas. [23:05] Then people started streaming into their hotel. Marc says they looked to be people traveling for work, in industrial service trucks. Marc says their hotel absolutely filled to the gills by midnight. It was noisy, but clean. It was $50 for the night. [23:45] The next morning, the Millers did not rush to get out. They got to Ajijic about 3:00 p.m. It was a fairly easy drive and they ran into no problems. There’s only one short section of about 10 miles that’s not on toll roads. Each day, the Millers spent about $35 to $40 in tolls. [24:11] When the Millers got home, Marc immediately contacted their lawyer for an appointment. The lawyer told them the sooner the better. They needed 15K Pesos, or about $700. The bank was closed when they needed the money, so Marc pulled money from the credit union and from the bank through ATMs and got enough. [24:56] On Friday, the Millers went to the law office, processed and filled out all the forms, and learned they needed pictures made, both front view and side view. They did that on Saturday. The pictures had to be from a studio and they were 150 Pesos for each set. That came to 300 Pesos or about $15 for both of them to get pictures. [25:27] The attorney was able to send all the paperwork to the immigration office and had their passports back to them by 3:00 p.m. The immigration office should get back with them in about two weeks when they will go and get fingerprinted. [25:58] One of the things Marc noticed in returning to Ajijic was that he did not like living in Austin anymore. He did not like the noise. He did not like having to drive everywhere. The mass transit is not acceptable to him. He does not like the packaged food. Marc and his wife are eating all fresh food in Ajijic, and he is down to 170 pounds at 6'4". [26:48] It was a very stark contrast, being back in Austin, and it was not the city that he remembered. [26:55] Marc hopes this gives you a good feel for the process. By the time this episode is published, the Millers should be very close to having their resident visas. Please read Marc’s fascinating blog post of March 25 on banking abroad to understand the issues of accessing your money in another country. [27:25] Marc hopes you enjoyed that episode. The Millers have spent nine of the last 12 months in Mexico. Their current plan calls for them to return to Austin by car in October. Marc will likely fly to New Jersey for a high school reunion, and possibly some audience meetups. Marc has a huge following in the NY Metropolitan area.[27:52] In 2020 the Millers will likely return to the U.S., sell the car, and either go carless or purchase a Mexican-plated car. Marc’s attitudes about money, environment, and the culture he desires have changed a lot, in the last 12 months. [28:09] Listen to Marc’s interview with Queen Michele in Episode 119 to hear her similar story of how she has been transformed from leaving the U.S. and moving to the North Shore of Lake Chapala. [28:23] Marc thanks you for listening to this episode. [28:26] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for more than 50 members in the Beta phase of this project. They have crossed the 50-member threshold! Marc will be recruiting new members for the next cohort in a few weeks. [28:41] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [28:55] This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [29:12] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [29:34] Please come back next week, when Susan Lahey, the co-author of the Repurpose Your Career books tells her story of going from a journalist to a freelance writer. This is an encore episode with an update on her move to Portugal. [29:48] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [29:52] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-121. [30:00] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

In this episode, Marc interviews Queen Michele, author of the book, Considerations: A Guide For Moving Abroad. Queen was raised in Detroit, Michigan. In the first half of life, Queen became a schoolteacher, teaching second grade in a Catholic school. She then taught into the Detroit Public School System and was in administration for a while. She married and had two children. In 2002, she was an administrator for a startup charter school. She had started with the school but they did not renew her contract. She had been divorced for a couple of years. She moved to Las Vegas when it was booming. She went to teach there and also have some sunshine in her life. She lived in Vegas raising her children for 11 years. When her daughter was a freshman at the University of Reno and Queen was 50, she had a paradigm shift. Listen to this remarkable episode.   Key Takeaways: [1:03] Marc welcomes you to Episode 119 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings you this podcast. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:34] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc can reach, the more he can help. [1:54] Next week, Marc will be interviewing John Tarnoff, author of Boomer Reinvention: How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50. Marc interviewed John in Episode 19 but wanted to do an update with him. [2:08] This week Marc has a very special interview with Queen Michele. Queen is a former schoolteacher and administrator who chucked it all in her mid-fifties to move to the North Shore of Lake Chapala and has now written a book called Considerations: A Guide For Moving Abroad. [2:30] Marc introduces Queen and welcomes her to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Queen shares her biography, from Detroit to Las Vegas and more. At age 50, when Queen’s children were in college, her cousin in Atlanta asked her to come down. [5:17] Queen moved to Atlanta and taught there for a couple of years. After 27 years in education, she was burnt out. She retired with a reduced pension at age 52. She started fun jobs to supplement her pension. She drove for Uber, she rented her home for Airbnb. She was a secret shopper and a merchandiser. [6:50] Queen took a remote job with a software company critiquing curriculum lessons and uploading them to the cloud. Her favorite gig was as a shuttle driver for a transportation company that serviced the railroad, taking engineers and conductors to and from their train in the railyard. [7:19] It got to the point when she realized she would always have to work to supplement her pension, and it might not always be fun. [7:58] That’s when Queen ran across an article in International Living on the 10 best places to retire. Queen read the article and started researching those 10 best places. One resonated very strongly with her: the Lake Chapala area in Jalisco, Mexico. [8:28] The area had three attractions for Queen: the Spring-like climate, considered the “third-most perfect weather in the world”, the cost of living compared to her pension, and the vibrant expat community. In her research, Queen came across The Lake Chapala Society that appeared to be laying out the red carpet for expats. [10:00] Queen began her research. She first joined Facebook groups affiliated with the area. She was attracted to the Ajijic Hiking group and Everything Lake Chapala. Then there was a foodies group and a group on where you can find dependable drivers, a Moving to Mexico group and a Moving to Mexico By Yourself group. [10:38] There were so many different Facebook groups. She started joining the groups and following the questions, which were the same kinds of questions Queen was asking. Questions about visas, healthcare, and transportation. When questions were answered, Queen would take those leads and research the questions, herself. [11:09] She asked Google “How do I get a visa to move to Mexico?”. She asked what are the types of visas. From that research, she developed a binder separated in categories of transportation, visa, healthcare, rentals. The research became all-consuming for Queen. [11:35] Through that, the decision was made, “I’m moving to Mexico.” Queen had never been to Mexico, except for a four-day cruise to a tourist area in Ensenada. So the research was really important to her.[12:08] She planned to do a Focus on Mexico visit for a few days to learn more about the area and answer her questions. She considered teaching English as a second language with a TESOL license. A program would allow her to live with a host family and take a four-week course to begin teaching. [13:40] As Queen continued to research different aspects of the Focus on Mexico and TESOL programs, she was finding enough information on her own that she wouldn’t need a paid program to get set up. She found that didn’t want to teach, anymore. [14:09] That decision led Queen to come to Mexico, trusting that what she had researched and planned for would fall in place for her. She researched, prepared, and planned for a year. Besides the research, Queen had to plan for the downsizing of her current life. She learned it would be too much trouble for her to bring a car to Mexico. [15:23] Queen took the year to downsize, sell her car, and close her accounts with other preparations for moving. The car would be too expensive to nationalize in Mexico, so she sold it before she moved. [16:10] Marc emphasizes that when you move to Mexico, get rid of all your stuff. Queen found it very freeing to downsize her possessions. She sold her car to her neighbors two weeks before she moved. [16:42] Queen learned through the Facebook groups what it was that she would need in Mexico that she couldn’t purchase there. Queen traveled to Mexico with just two pieces of luggage, three medium boxes, and three storage bins in different sizes. Whatever wasn’t packed, Queen let go. [17:25] Queen stepped foot on Mexican soil at the Guadalajara Airport on December 1, 2017. She had already housing arranged online — a cozy one bed, one bath condo in a small town right off Lake Chapala, San Antonio Tlayacapan, between Ajijic and Chapala. It is on the paved road that runs around the lake. Short bus rides are 7 pesos ($.35). [19:57] A lot of people come without cars so they walk or use the bus or taxi. [20:21] Queen started visualizing her new life in Mexico months before she arrived. She had activities she wanted to do, including hiking, volunteering at the dog rescue and at the theater. She wanted to spend time writing. She had her first day planned out from the time she landed to her dinner, at Adelita’s. She had seen the menu on Facebook. [22:18] Things aligned for Queen as she set her intentions and had visualizations, down to every event unfolding almost perfectly. She did have some hiccups, but they worked out. At the airport, Manuel, a man she had contacted on Facebook months earlier about transportation, was waiting to give Queen a ride instead of letting her take a cab. [24:05] Manuel drove Queen into San Antonio where her landlord met her with a key, showed her to the apartment, accepted the rent, gave her a hug, and left. Queen unpacked a few things and headed off to dinner. Queen knew exactly where Adelita’s was. She had spent hours on Google Street View going up and down the streets. [24:53] Queen knew from Google Street View how to walk to Adelita’s, and so she did. She cannot describe the feeling she had, having arrived and walked to dinner as she had planned out. She did fall once on the cobblestones on the way! [25:37] Queen bounced back up, dusted herself off and continued to Adelita’s, sat at the bar and ordered what she had intended on ordering, and met her first expat friend. They were both from Atlanta! [26:11] The area is almost like a college town. Nobody knows anybody, but everybody is so helpful. Queen says she has met more friends in San Antonio than she did in her Atlanta neighborhood. She arrived December 1st; February 5th was her 55th birthday. She had a birthday party on the rooftop of a bar with 30 of her closest friends. [27:25] Queen had connected with the Ajijic Hiking Club, which is very well organized on a shoestring budget. She started hiking two weeks after arriving. She knew where and when to show up. Queen describes the trouble she had keeping up with people 15 years older than she was. This was her first hike but she was inspired by it. [28:40] On the hikes, Queen met fascinating people from all over the world. It’s a great organizations. Half of her birthday party friends were from the hiking group. Others were people she had met at restaurants and bus stops. One of her hiking friends had suggested she take Yoga, so she did. [29:23] Queen feels like part of the community. She says you will find the most friendly, helpful people with smiles on their faces. Queen began waking up from the first day with a smile on her face and joy in her heart. Besides hiking and Yoga, she started writing. [29:49] Queen says her book was birthed during the very first year of arriving. After getting so much help from websites, she became a person answering questions on those sites for others. Through those questions and answers, Considerations was born. [30:38] The book has 10 chapters, each chapter being a consideration, based on Queen’s experience. She doesn’t tell anyone how to do it. She tells what she did and what worked for her as a single, middle-aged, African-American female. The number of African-Americans Marc has met in the area, he can count on one or two hands. [31:13] The book was easy for Queen to write. It explains the things she did, on her own, to move. She suggests considering visas, downsizing, healthcare, finances. [31:55] Queen receives $1,100 each month and that is her only income. Her rent is $500. With good budgeting, she lives a very comfortable life on the remaining $600 a month. She buys from the open market and lives like a local. [33:15] Marc says, if you want to live like an American, you can. You will pay for it. He is helping a couple with Tangerine Travel. One had food allergies and Celiac problems. When she got to Mexico, it all disappeared. Marc saw an article that blamed Roundup for autoimmune food problems. Mexican local farmers do not use Roundup. [34:11] Queen mentions that she lost 40 pounds and has kept it off since her lifestyle changed. Living like a local has made a difference. Queen buys vegetables, fruits, shrimp, chicken, salad vegetables. She makes shrimp salads, grilled chicken salads, shrimp pasta, chicken pasta. She makes small meals that last quite a bit. [35:31] Queen shops at the Market in Ajijic. Marc goes to the Market in Chapala. Marc shares a story about buying a pineapple from a walkup abarrotes (grocer’s shop) just down the street, for his morning smoothie. What cost him $1.50 might have cost $8.00 at Whole Foods. [37:17] Queen didn’t expect all the self-discovery that came from moving to Mexico. It took her to higher states of consciousness than she ever thought she would have. She is blissful and happy. The spiritual aspect of personal growth is available in various platforms. Queen is involved in some amazing communities that help her grow. [38:40] Queen has learned a lot of Spanish words. She is working on stringing them into a conversation. She knows she needs practice. [39:11] Marc is using Rocket Spanish and will become an affiliate. He is picking up conversational phrases. He talks about chatting with a haircutter in Spanish. Marc talks about the Ajijic Art Walk. Three quarters of the artists were gringos, who picked up their art after arriving. Half of them learned from YouTube lessons. Others took classes. [41:14] Queen talks about the many musicians, artists, poets, and writers who have come to Lake Chapala in this next phase of their lives and are rediscovering the arts. Queen attributes it to the energy and the vibration that resonates with the spirit. You catch that frequency and you ride it. [41:53] Queen looks forward to writing articles and short stories about her journey as it relates to higher states of consciousness that she is experiencing in San Antonio. That’s what she is learning and that’s what she would like to write about. [42:32] Marc thanks Ashton for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [42:38] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Marc suspects Queen will find  something in the next year that will fulfill her and bring in some money! [42:52] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for almost 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is currently recruiting new members for the next cohort. [43:06] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [43:20] Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [43:43] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [44:04] Please come back next week, when Marc will have a great discussion with John Tarnoff. [44:10] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [44:15] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-119. [44:24] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

In this episode, Marc interviews Ashton Applewhite. Author and activist Ashton Applewhite has been recognized by The New York Times, The New Yorker, National Public Radio, and the American Society on Aging as an expert on ageism. She blogs at This Chair Rocks and speaks widely at venues that range from the United Nations to the TED main stage. Ashton has written for Harper’s, The Guardian, and The New York Times, and is the voice of Yo! Is This Ageist? The author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, Ashton is a leading spokesperson for the movement to mobilize against discrimination on the basis of age. Marc hopes you enjoy this episode.   Key Takeaways: [1:11] Marc welcomes you to Episode 118 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Career Pivot brings this podcast to you. CareerPivot.com is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you, free of charge. [1:43] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls. Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc can reach, the more he can help. [2:05] Next week, Marc will have a special interview with Queen Michele. Queen is a former schoolteacher and administrator who chucked it all in her mid-fifties to move to the North Shore of Lake Chapala and has now written a book called Considerations: A Guide For Moving Abroad, by Queen D. Michele. [2:19] This week, Marc is interviewing Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism. [2:30] Marc introduces Ashton and welcomes her to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [3:29] Ashton believes short bios are always best. Marc loves her book, This Chair Rocks. Marc is writing a series on ageism and a lot of it comes from Ashton’s book. [3:45] Ashton self-published her book three years ago, and sold it last year to a new division of MacMillan, which is bringing it out on their inaugural list on March 5. Ashton started thinking and writing on aging about 12 years ago because she was afraid of getting old, although she didn’t recognize it at the time. [4:17] Ashton started interviewing older people who work and researching longevity. She learned “in about 30 seconds” that most of her ideas about what it would be like to be old were wrong. [4:35] Ashton shares some facts about aging. When she started her research, 4% of Americans over 65 were in nursing homes. In the last decade, that has dropped to 2.5%. [5:13] Older people, in general, have better rates of mental health than the young or the middle-aged and are better at dealing with negative emotions like anger, anxiety, and fear. The awareness that time is short does not fill older people with dread. They are less afraid of dying. [5:45] Ashton was surprised by the U-curve of happiness. People are happiest at the beginnings and ends of their life. The psychological underpinnings are that children live in the moment because that’s what they know, and the oldest do it because they are aware that time is running out, so they cherish the moment and appreciate things more. [6:13] There are exceptions. Ashton was very skeptical of these findings at first, thinking they interviewed only happy people. It turns out that the U-curve of happiness is independent of culture, health, wealth, or marital status. It is a function of how aging itself affects the healthy brain. [6:50] Ashton started to feel a lot better about getting older and she became obsessed with why so few people know these things. [7:00] Marc reminds listeners that Jonathan Rauch, the author of The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better After 50, was a guest on Episode 78 of this podcast. [7:11] Ashton expands the dictionary definition of ageism. We are being ageist any time we come to an assumption about a person or a group of people on the basis of how old we think they are. That they are “too old” or “too young” for whatever the assumption involves. Ageism cuts both ways and younger people experience a lot of it. [7:58] People think ageism is “an old-person problem.” Older people bear the brunt of ageism in the U.S. Not so much in Mexico, where Marc lives. The U.S. is a deeply youth-obsessed society fueled by our popular culture. [8:19] Ageism affects young and old. If you bridle at your boss being much younger than you, that’s ageism. [8:35] When you are ageist, you are discriminating against your future self. All prejudice is based on what sociologists call “othering” — seeing a group of people as other than ourselves. It could be another sports team. It could be other religion. It could be other nationality. The weird thing about ageism is that the other is your own future, aging self. [9:11] Ageism is rooted in denial. We pretend that we will not age — as if that would be a good thing. [9:46] Marc listened to Ashton’s TED talk and admits that he is an ageist! Ashton says we are all ageist because our culture has trained us to be ageist. Ashton says the first step in confronting bias is knowing that you have it. Everyone has prejudice. What we can do, if we want to, is become aware of our bias and not use it to guide our actions. [10:29] You can’t challenge bias, unless you are aware of it. Once you start to see ageism in yourself, that opens your eyes to seeing it in the culture around us — in magazines, on TV, and in conversations. You will see this is a widely shared issue that requires collective action and that we can do something about it if we come together. [11:07] Marc has noted that he uses the phrase CRS (can’t remember stuff). The moment can be funny but the discrimination it engenders is not funny, nor is the way it affects our own perception of ourselves in society when we never think to challenge those values but internalize them. [12:22] When you start seeing “the first sign of dementia” as you turn a certain age, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, all too easily. As these negative stereotypes become more potentially relevant, we tend to act as though they were true. That is really bad for us in every aspect of our lives. [12:58] Marc belongs to a hiking club with seventy-year-olds; Marc finds them to be positive role models. Ashton says it is important to remember that most of us will not be outliers. Most of us will end up in the middle — still able to do the things we really love doing, even if we do them differently than we did at age 20. Sex is a perfect example. [14:52] It’s important not to have a vision of “aging well” that consists only of the extremely active and the extremely healthy. Some part of our body is going to fall apart; not all of it. Some parts of our brain are likely to work less well. 20% of the population escapes cognitive decline, entirely. [15:17] We set ourselves an impossible standard by telling ourselves, “I have to keep hiking that mountain as fast as so-and-so.” A lot of people don’t have access to the gyms and the healthy habits. Acknowledge that we all age in different ways, at different rates and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. [15:52] The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College published a blog article “Careers Become Dicey After Age 50”. Marc says the audience for this podcast is seeing ageism in the workplace. How do you eliminate ageism in the workplace? [16:25] Looking at the culture as a whole, diverse workplaces are here to stay. Diversity makes companies more profitable and better to work at. Let’s put age on the list as a criterion for diversity. It is blindingly obvious that it belongs there, but nobody thinks of it. [17:05] If everyone is the same age in your workplace, question it. What is the reason used to justify it? It is not true that older workers are expensive, less creative, or less reliable. Older workers are slower at physical tasks but they hurt themselves less often. Older workers make fewer mistakes, so it’s a wash. [17:49] Research shows that, especially in creative industries, mixed-age groups are the most effective. There are intergenerational initiatives springing up in workplaces all over. Chip Conley wrote Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder, which is all about mentoring. [18:11] Chip went to work at Airbnb in his fifties and realized he had digital intelligence to learn from younger people while they had emotional intelligence to learn from the older people. [18:24] Marc Freedman wrote How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations, by Marc Freedman. The title means we live forever if we contribute to the younger generations and those contributions live on after we are gone. [18:41] Marc Freedman’s book talks of intergenerational housing, programming, educational issues, where people of all ages support each other, learn from each other, and tap into what each age group has to offer. [18:59] Marc notes that the multi-generational family is incredibly common in Mexico and it’s refreshing to see. Marc sees women carrying their grandchildren as they walk. [19:28] In much of the developed world it used to be the same and then industrialization and urbanization promoted institutions that made age important in a way it hadn’t been. We also started living a lot longer and “old folks” homes cropped up. Schools began to be divided into ages. Nursery schools were created. [19:53] When you divide groups of people, segregation makes room for discrimination and prejudice. [20:07] Marc talks about the young white male culture of the tech industry. The Austin Business Journal called it a real problem. Technology Review ran an article shining a light on it a couple of years ago. It has received more attention because it became a problem for people at the top of the food chain -- educated, white men in their 30s. [20:50] Ashton says the quote that burned into her brain was a guy who went to a dermatologist for Botox, hair plugs, or both because he had a key interview and he said “I can’t look like I have a wife, and a mortgage, and two little kids.” [21:08] What does it say about our society that being a husband and father with financial obligations disqualifies you for employment? Think about the personal consequences of being told that the thing you spent decades getting really good at disqualifies you to continue to apply what you know. [21:39] Marc says we live in very strange times. Ashton refers back to the women’s movement that started as a grassroots movement, decades ago, that forced women to recognize that they were not at fault for the biases against them. It was a widely shared problem that required collective action. [22:23] We will not change things for older people for the better, unless we challenge the prevailing narrative that to age is to fail. Each one of us who is interested in it needs to become an ambassador for that message. [22:53] Marc says that the happiness U-curve is true in his life, comparing his 60s to his 40s. Ashton doesn’t know anyone in their later years that wants to actually be any younger than they are. Jonathan Rauch’s book is coming out in paperback and he interviewed Ashton for the foreword about the social and political context of ageism. [23:46] Ashton makes some final points. She knows not everyone is an activist. One of the best arguments for an anti-ageism campaign is its benefits as a public health initiative. Attitudes toward aging affect how our minds and bodies function. People who equate aging with decline, dismay, and despair, live an average of 7.5 years less long. [24:53] They don’t walk as fast. They are more likely to develop dementia than people with more realistic attitudes toward aging. Look around you at the evidence of the kind of lives old people are living, despite being surrounded by these messages. [25:21] You will be less likely to develop dementia, even if you have the gene that predisposes you to the disease. Rates of Alzheimer's are declining fast. No one knows that because only the alarmists’ side of the picture gets covered in the media. [25:44] There are more cases of Alzheimer’s because there are more aging people in the population and age remains the leading risk factor but the odds of anyone listening to this podcast getting dementia have gotten lower in the last few decades and people are getting diagnosed at later ages. Let’s tell both sides of the story. [26:14] Ashton has been “thinking out loud” about all this in blog form at ThisChairRocks.com/blog. The blogs are searchable by topic, including sources for the facts. It’s all there, available for free. [26:40] Consciousness raising was the tool that catalyzed the women’s movement. Look for the downloadable pamphlet “Who Me, Ageist: How to Start a Consciousness-raising Group” in the blog resources. Ashton urges listeners to download the pamphlet and think about convening a group, ideally of mixed ages, backgrounds, and colors. [27:26] Everyone ages. Everyone faces compound layers of discrimination. If we want the movement against ageism to lift all boats, we also need to address all the other “-isms” that make it hard to grow old the way we would like. [27:47] Marc thanks Ashton for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [27:58] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode. Ashton has been an inspiration to many (including Marc) who are involved in the battle against ageism. [28:07] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for almost 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc is currently recruiting new members for the next cohort. [28:19] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [28:34] Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it’s a community where you can seek help. Go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [28:58] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [29:25] Please come back next week, when Marc will interview Queen Michele. [29:29] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [29:33] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-118. [29:41] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

In this special Episode 100, Marc’s wife, Lotus Miller, is the guest. Marc has talked about the issues from his point of view, so now we hear about her experiences. Listen in for a forthright review of what she has found and what she feels about it.   Key Takeaways: [1:27] Marc welcomes you to Episode 100 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. When Marc launched this podcast late in October 2016, he never imagined you would be downloading this podcast in the thousands of episode downloads per month. Over 45K episode downloads occurred in the first nine months of 2018. [1:58] Episode downloads have tripled since the podcast was featured in the May issue of AARP Magazine. [2:06] Marc certainly didn’t think he would be recording episode 100 outside the U.S.A. A lot has changed since the show debuted. Since the podcast launched, the economy has done very well but not for everybody. Marc has written on the blog that the recovery has been very uneven.[2:28] While the published unemployment rate for Boomers is 3%, many of our generation have dropped out and are no longer being counted. Health insurance is a political punching bag. This is why Marc is living in Mexico — for better health care and cheaper health insurance. [2:54] Who would have thought a few years ago that people over 55 would be so poorly treated by our health system? Our world in October 2018 looks a whole lot different than it did in October 2016. Therefore, this podcast will continue to evolve. [3:13] Marc says thank you to everyone who has written an iTunes review. Marc really appreciates when someone rates or reviews the show. [3:23] Here’s what Marc has planned. He has a series of fascinating guests to interview. Next week Marc will interview Bob McIntosh, a renowned LinkedIn expert who will discuss how to use LinkedIn in your job search. [3:36] The following week, Marc will have Michael O’Brien, who, like Marc, suffered a near-fatal bicycle accident. Their accidents were nearly identical and occurred one year apart, to the day. [4:01] Marc will survey the audience in the coming weeks. Marc would like your input. What do you want from the next 100 episodes? [4:11] Marc will launch a Patreon page in early 2019. Patreon is a platform for performers and content creators to raise money. This podcast costs about $400 a month to produce. Marc will be polling the community of listeners to see if there is an appetite for anyone who’d be willing to contribute to defray the cost for making this podcast. [4:48] For Episode 100, Marc “rattled his brain” wondering what he could do to make this episode special. After consulting a number of folks, including the Podfly team, Marc decided on interviewing his wife, Lotus Miller, on her experiences about their move to Mexico. [5:04] Lotus is not a recovering engineer but a former Registered Nurse and a massage therapist. A lot has changed for Lotus and Marc in the last two years. Marc has chronicled their journey to Mexico on the blog and in the podcast. What surprised Marc is the magnitude of the positive response. You folks like hearing about their journey. [5:26] It has not always been pleasant, like when Marc recorded Episode 29 from Lotus’s hospital room after returning from Ecuador five days early or grappling with health insurance and tax implications. Marc remembers completing his income taxes in Ajijic last April, digging through the insurance company’s portal for claims they had paid. [5:54] Marc is a really smart guy, and he found taxes really difficult. What does the ‘average Joe’ do? It’s ridiculous. [6:06] As Marc records this episode, they are preparing to drive back to Austin. As this episode is published, Marc and Lotus will be on a three-day drive to Austin to empty out their condo and prepare it to be rented. After 40 years in Austin, Texas, it’s time to move on.[6:29] Marc will continue in the coming year to record episodes about their move to Mexico, but maybe not as frequently — you tell Marc what you would like. Marc has been very open about sharing the good times and the bad. It has not been easy, but many of you have told him you appreciate how open and frank he has been. [6:48] Four podcast listeners have visited the Millers in the last four months. If you are interested, ping Marc. [7:01] Marc welcomes Lotus to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. They are recording in the second bedroom of the casita. If it sounds like a concrete bunker, it is! [7:21] It was a year ago that Marc and Lotus first visited Ajijic. The first things that got Lotus’s attention were all the dogs lying on the sidewalk in the sun and often sleeping. There were some dog droppings on the sidewalks. Some dogs were in fenced yards. [9:57] Lotus thought the people in the neighborhood looked comfortable and happy, though not rich. When she greeted anyone in Spanish, they were always happy to acknowledge her with a “Buenos días” or a “Buenos noches.” [10:55] Marc remembers when Lotus greeted a woman with “Buenos días,” and the woman corrected her with “No, no, no, no! ‘Buenos tardes!’” Lotus found the elderly ladies very nice to her. [11:36] As time passed over a couple of visits, what at first seemed odd to Lotus, now she doesn’t notice. The dogs on the sidewalk seem normal to her. Most of them are not street dogs, they are just allowed to run loose. People feed and take care of dogs that are unowned. In general, there’s not much difference between owned and street dogs.[12:57] One dog, Chiclet, seemed to be a street dog, but then somebody took it in. Marc and Lotus give details. [14:09] The weather and foliage were much different from Texas. Everything is so green, in the rainy season. People had ivy on their walls. Trees bloom in the fall, covered with purple or orange blooms. Plans get Lotus’s attention because she loves the outdoors. The town and the lake are surrounded by mountains. [16:07] Lotus notes that the native speakers of Spanish speak much faster than she can understand. Over the year, her grasp of it is coming along. Even in English, Lotus prefers slower speech to faster speech. [17:54] Lotus loves the food in Ajijic. There are a lot of Italian restaurants in Ajijic! Lotus has met a lot of people of different nationalities, which may play a part. Lotus, from Austin, is accustomed to eating Italian food or continental food. In Texas, she rarely ate Mexican food, but she is eating a lot of it now and finds it so much better. [19:06] Lotus finds the quality of food amazing; the sauces are very slowly produced in the morning. Lotus has not been a fruit eater but she is starting to enjoy the mangoes. She does not like the papayas. International companies grow various berries all year long, available fresh at half the price as in the U.S. Farms surround the lake. [21:19] Lotus goes to tianguis or open-air markets. There are three she goes to, the Chapala Market, the organic farmers’ market, and the Ajijic Market. Lotus describes the markets and when she goes. She tells about one woman at the Chapala Market, who chops up a chicken on the spot as Lotus likes. [24:07] The Chapala Tianguis is a sensory experience. Marc talks about the array of goods available there, in at least half-a-mile of displays. [25:00] Lotus discusses the organic market. Lotus soaks vegetables in an iodine solution before eating them fresh but doesn’t need to do that with vegetables from the organic farmers’ market. The Ajijic Farmers’ market on Wednesday is a scaled-down version of the Chapala Market. [27:12] Lotus talks about seafood. It is more flavorful than she has found in Austin. I Kilo of shrimp for about 100 pesos, or about $5. Lotus serves it with no seasoning. Marc notes both he and Lotus have lost weight without trying. [28:12] Lotus tells about riding the bus. The driver takes off while you are still handling the fare. The buses run to cities all around the lake for a few pesos. When the bus is full people stand on the back of the bus and hand their fare up through the crowd. It is not unusual to see school children riding the bus by themselves. [30:11] The back seats of the bus are very bouncy on the irregularly paved cobblestone roads with holes. Some drivers are cautious and others zip around, but they get there safely. Marc and Lotus have ridden the bus to Chapala and to Jocotepec. From Ajijic to Jocotepec (about 15-20K) costs 12 pesos or about 60 cents. [31:51] Sometimes musicians will perform on the bus, maybe with their children. [32:27] Lotus talks about the Lake Chapala Society, where Marc and Lotus are members. They have much to offer expats and visitors. Lotus takes Yoga classes there. Lotus knows of bridge groups, Scrabble, and Mahjong players. They have too many activities to list. They have the largest English library outside the U.S. [33:42] Lotus has been checking out books and reading a lot; not watching any TV since they have been there. She is looking forward to bringing a U.S. DVD player, because the English DVDs she can rent cannot be played on a Mexican DVD player, only on a U.S. DVD player. They are U.S. formatted DVDs and Blu-Rays. [34:21] There are many ponds and so much greenery. Marc and Lotus were eating at an outdoor cafe at the Lake Chapala Society and a very large avocado fell from a tree onto the awning and rolled off. They took it home and ate it later. It was so good. The avocados and other local foods in Mexico are always good and fresh. [35:53] There are grocery stores that cater to expats, with lots of packaged foods. [36:00] Lake Chapala Society assists children in schools and classes and offer art classes for children. They give back to the locals as much as assisting expats. The expat community has created and participates in many nonprofits in the area in the arts and the schools and spaying and neutering dogs and finding homes for them. [37:07] In spite of their daughter’s prior misgivings, Lotus feels very safe and happy in the environment and with the people around her. It is a slower-moving life. Mañana means no more than ‘not today.’ [38:09] Most of the crime in the big cities is cartel against cartel. There are one million American expats living in Mexico, not to mention from other countries. Expats are very welcome by the government and do a lot of good for the community. [38:09] There are a lot of similarities between Austin and Ajijic. Austin grows by 150 people every day. People are also moving to Ajijic like crazy. The rental market necessitated Marc’s and Lotus’s early move, to make sure they got the property they wanted. There’s a lot of gentrification occurring. [39:49] On their first visit, and again, right now, it is a month of religious feast days with fireworks shooting off at 5:00 most days in the morning for a month. The events move from chapel to chapel carrying a statue to represent a saint. There are horses and bands parading as part of it. [42:56] September 16, Mexican Independence Day is a big celebration of performances and fireworks, starting the weekend before. Lotus admires how the Mexicans celebrate things. If you don’t like the noise, “probably don’t come here.” Mexicans celebrate at the drop of a hat. Some chapels, from the 1600s, are rented out for celebrations. [45:03] Lotus is disappointed to miss The Day of the Dead, this year but it will still be there every year. Lotus is looking forward to the dry season, the winter. It should be mostly sunny. The dry season high is usually about 75 degrees F in the late afternoon with the low in the low 50s or even into the 40s. [46:00] Marc and Lotus were there at Easter this year, and the Mexicans really celebrated that, so Marc and Lotus want to know how they celebrate Christmas. [46:19] Lotus would advise first-time visitors to get the book, Moving to Mexico’s Lake Chapala, by Lisa Jorgensen. Marc also recommends this book. Lotus likes a smaller-town feel and that’s what she loves about Ajijic. Ajijic is an indigenous peoples’ name, not a Mexican name, by the way. [47:30] Marc thanks Lotus for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [47:36] Marc notes that Lotus is very much on board with this plan. Your experience may differ. There have been a fair number of divorces after couples move overseas and one just loves it and the other just craves to return to the U.S. [48:01] The one who loves it isn’t always the member of the couple that instigated the move. It’s not as simple as one might think. Half the people who retire overseas, return in less than five years. It’s half for health, and the other half because they can’t handle the cultural change. Lotus is pretty excited about what she has found. [48:59] Watch for the opportunity to help Marc work on the third edition of his book Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, with Susan Lahey. He will be forming a team of volunteers in the coming months to read pre-release versions of new chapters. Look for the sign-up sheet coming soon! [50:19] Check back next week for Episode 101! Marc will interview Bob McIntosh, the renowned LinkedIn expert on using LinkedIn in your job search.

In this episode, Marc explores healthcare, insurance, automobiles, shipping food supplements, house rentals, the internet, visas, public transportation, and downsizing. He explains his plans for the next year while continuing to run his businesses from Ajijic.   Key Takeaways: [1:22] Marc welcomes you to Episode 96 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast.[1:34] If you’re enjoying this podcast, Marc invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. The more people you share it with, the more he can help. Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, Overcast, TuneIn, Spotify, or Stitcher. Share it on social media, or tell your neighbors and colleagues. [2:03] Last week, Marc answered LinkedIn questions with his ‘partner-in-crime,’ Mark Anthony Dyson.[2:10] Next week Marc will return to the career pivot evaluation series “Can Sara Repurpose Her Career?” for Part 3 of four parts.[2:16] In this podcast episode, Marc will be discussing a variety of issues around their final decision to make the move to Mexico. This will include things like healthcare, health insurance, automobile insurance, automobiles, shipping food supplements and medications from the U.S. to Mexico. You can’t get everything in Mexico. [2:38] Marc will talk about leasing property in Mexico, and their move. Finally, Marc will talk about shopping to set up their house. Don’t plan on bringing your “stuff” from the U.S. Just get rid of it and buy used or new stuff in Mexico. [2:58] Marc and his wife made the decision in the last two weeks to “push the button” and sign a lease on a two-bedroom, two-bath Casita in central Ajijic, Mexico. The number one factor in making this move is the absurd behavior of the U.S. Government and the healthcare and health insurance industries. [3:18] Marc wrote about this in a post called “The Looming Healthcare Insurance Catastrophe for Baby Boomers.” Marc’s prediction about rates has come true. Marc’s health insurance provider has asked the Texas Insurance Board for a 34% rate increase in 2019. Marc already pays $1,358 per month premium for a $10,000 deductible policy. [3:50] In two-and-a-half months in Mexico, Marc’s wife has seen an endocrinologist, a hematologist, a dermatologist, had blood work done and had her teeth cleaned. Overall they have paid about $150 in fees. She has been treated by doctors with credentials from top universities. The three doctors spent a total of four hours with Marc’s wife. [4:19] Mrs. Miller’s blood was drawn at a local clinic but for about 200 pesos ($10.00) more, the nurse would have come to their house. The Millers have researched a variety of health insurance policies and a worldwide policy, excluding the U.S., with a $2,500 individual deductible, will cost them a little less than $2,000 per year. [4:43] If Marc stayed in the U.S., health insurance for him and his wife would have cost $2,000 per month. They could take a worldwide policy that includes the U.S., with a $5,000 individual deductible for something less than $4,000 per year.[5:01] The world-wide policies don’t cover pre-existing conditions but Marc’s wife’s out-of-pocket expenses have been very low. [5:15] Marc talks about a couple near them in Mexico who are both enrolled in Medicare. They don’t carry coverage in Mexico, and for anything major they go to the U.S. Another senior covered by Medicare returned to the U.S. when he had a heart attack. [5:43] Another senior in their Introduction to Spanish class came down with pneumonia. She was admitted to the top cardiac hospital in Guadalajara and for two nights her total cost was $1,500. She was thrilled with the treatment and the care. The doctor even made a house call to check in on her. [6:14] Marc and his wife are in Mexico for the health insurance and healthcare. Then they had to face questions about bringing their car into Mexico. Mexico does not want your American car there. Marc put up a blog post about it last week and talked about Visa levels. On a temporary visa, you can bring a U.S.-plated care into Mexico temporarily. [7:04] You cannot sell your American car in Mexico. After four years you have to take it back to the U.S. and dispose of it. Mexico wants residents to buy Mexican cars. With duties and taxes, cars are more expensive in Mexico. [7:21] Marc has not investigated all the aspects of car insurance in Mexico. In an accident, you need to call your insurance agent first, and then the police. [7:40] Mrs. Miller takes certain food supplements and a thyroid medication that she cannot get in Mexico. She is a Genesis Pure distributor and uses the products. Genesis Pure does not ship to Mexico. There are shipping companies in Mexico to facilitate that with an address in Laredo, Texas where you ship your products. [8:16] The products are taken through customs by the company, duty is paid, the products are taken out of the box, reboxed and shipped to the company’s address in Ajijic. Where it is picked up and the customer pays for the shipping and the duty on the products. Just ship small amounts at a time, as the reboxing is not careful or gentle. [9:36] When the Millers go back to the U.S. in October, they will bring as much of the supplements with them as they can when they drive back. On every trip back to the States, they will bring more. [9:52] The next issue is renting property in Mexico. Many people just buy. Marc is not planning to do that. You pay cash to buy property in Mexico. There are no mortgages. Everyone has recommended to the Millers to rent. They are in their fourth location in the area. They decided they wanted to be in the center of Ajijic. [10:33] Marc’s original plans were to come down in June for three months, then again in September, for three months, and arrange for a long-term rental property in January. That would not work. The rental market in Ajijic is so tight that rental agents are asking people for more properties to rent. People are moving from both Canada and the U.S. [11:12] At least a third of the expats are Canadian. The high season is October through March. [11:27] There are two ways to acquire rental property. One is through a rental agency and the other is from an individual. Individuals rent by word of mouth. Marc didn’t have the connections, so they contacted a couple of Realtors® and with their direction, connected to three or four services. They ended up choosing Access Lake Chapala. [12:41] Julio was their agent. It is important to understand what comes with the rental, and what the costs are. Some expats want to rent a property that is fully furnished and where everything is paid for.[13:17] Water is included in the rental. It is usually paid annually. The water flows from the city to an underground cistern on the property. Then a pump moves it to a rooftop cistern. This provides the water pressure to the home. No one drinks the water, though it is potable. Marc gets a 5-gallon jug of drinking water delivered for 20 pesos. [14:24] Taxes are also included in the rental. Then there are the internet, gas, and electricity. A poll and air conditioning take a lot of electricity so it can run high. April and May are the hottest months. Otherwise, you don’t use air conditioning. [14:56] Marc looked at several places where the internet was not installed. The incumbent carrier is TelMex. It is ADSL. There is no guarantee you can get a line at a specific property. Marc turned down a property because the internet was not installed. [15:34] Marc was advised over and over again, if the internet was not installed and where you could test it, not to rent that property. [15:46] The lease looks very different from a lease in the U.S. It is in Spanish. An unofficial English translation is provided on the back, but Marc found a local expat attorney, Spencer McMullen, to go over the lease for him. In Mexico, the landlord does not have to fix any problems on the property if they don’t affect health and safety. [16:44] Most Gringo landlords don’t play those games. Written into Marc’s lease is a clause that if the repair costs less than 900 pesos ($45-$50), Marc is responsible, and if it costs more, the landlord is responsible. The landlord is Mexican and has a very good reputation. He manufactures furniture and fully furnished the casita with nice furniture. [17:28] The Millers found the casita right in the center of Ajijic. It is going to be noisy, particularly around the holidays. Some of the expats head to Puerto Vallarta for the holiday season. The Millers will head back to Austin in early October and not return to Mexico until mid-November, so they will miss the Day of the Dead, November 2nd. [18:05] Marc will empty their condo, saving only a few keepsake pieces from his parents. You don’t want to ship furniture to Mexico. As it goes through customs it is not treated with care. Also, American appliances do not fare well with Mexican power surges. [19:14] Appliances in Mexico are really cheap and don’t last through too many power surges. Marc will bring a VitaMix with him and leave it unplugged most of the time. [19:38] Ajijic is a very transient community. There are a lot of second-hand stores where items are inexpensive. Juan, the landlord gave some basic Kitchen cookware. They are buying utensils, a cutting board, and large knives for fruits and vegetables. They picked up coat racks and hat racks and custom cat trees at bazaars. [21:03] People find it hard to give up their stuff when they move but it is best. The Millers only live in a 1,000 sq. ft. condo in Austin, so they’ve already downsized once. They are not attached to a lot of their stuff. Marc has his mother’s urn. They don’t have a place to bury her. Marc does not know if he will bring the urn to Mexico. [21:36] Marc wrote in the recent blog post about the visa needed to bring a car to Mexico. Marc will get a permanent visa so he can get a bank account. Mrs. Miller will get either a tourist or a temporary visa so she can keep the car. Marc is thinking about getting rid of the car on the next trip back to the U.S. and not have a car in Ajijic. [22:43] Public transportation on the north shore of Lake Chapala is very inexpensive. It’s very easy to get around. Buses run all the time for seven to nine pesos (35 to 50 cents). [23:15] The point is to live like a local and not like a tourist. There are a lot of gringos who don’t assimilate. They drive everywhere and keep to themselves. Marc has a 71-year-old neighbor from Dallas who has no car and walks everywhere. He has lost five inches in 18 months! It is also easy to eat healthy in Ajijic. [24:08] Marc has been getting lots of positive feedback about both the blog posts and podcast episodes. Reach out to Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com, or leave a comment at CareerPivot.com/Episode-96/ with any questions. [25:56] Click back next week, when Marc will continue with “Can Sara Repurpose Her Career?”   Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com “The Looming Healthcare and Insurance Catastrophe for Baby Boomers.” “How to Move Abroad and Take Your Job With You – Part V” Genesis Pure Access Lake Chapala TelMex Spencer McMullen Chapala Law   Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on the iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon.   Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Get more information and sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has five initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life. Those in the initial cohorts are guiding the direction of this endeavor. Marc is in the middle of recruiting members for the sixth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, mastermind groups, branding sessions and, more importantly, a community where you can seek help.   CareerPivot.com/Episode-96 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Overcast through the Overcast app, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.   Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com

Marc shares with the audience more about his upcoming move to Mexico including a big announcement on how the move is progressing. Key Takeaways: [2:12] Marc welcomes you to Episode 91 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. If you’re enjoying this podcast, Marc invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. Please subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, Overcast, TuneIn, Spotify, or Stitcher. Share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues so Marc can help more people. [2:49] Next week, Marc will interview Dawn Graham, author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers — and Seize Success. Dr. Dawn Marie Graham, Ph.D. is one of the nation’s leading career coaches. She is the career director for the MBA program for executives at the Wharton School, where she counsels business leaders. [3:11] A licensed psychologist and former corporate recruiter, Dr. Dawn Graham hosts the SiriusXM Radio’s popular weekly call-in show, Career Talk and is a regular contributor to Forbes. [3:26] This week, Marc will be talking about the first six weeks of his family’s transition to being temporary expats in Mexico. This is a three-to-four month visit. This episode is a follow-on to Episode 86 where Marc discussed their drive from Austin to Ajijic, Mexico. [3:44] The Millers arrived in Ajijic on a Saturday late in June and Marc’s first challenge was getting all the technology to work. [3:53] The WiFi in the Airbnb they rented wasn’t very good. It is through TelMex, the incumbent landline carrier. They provide ADSL service but the connection is shared between two houses and the cable router is in the other house, so coverage is poor. Marc bought a WiFi extender and an Ethernet cable at Steren (like Radio Shack). [6:05] The second problem is that the cell phone service is not very good. They get 3G data. Marc was getting a low signal for a while, but it has gotten stronger. [6:51] The next step was to find stores. They found a small “dollar store” and bought a slow cooker, a blender, a racket-sized electric insect swatter, and household items. The store opened the insect swatter package and slow cooker to make sure they worked when they bought them. They later bought a bug zapper from Steren. [8:10] Next, Marc found a gym. He chose Zona Gym, a basic gym for 550 pesos for two months or about $12 a month. He also bought a cat tree from a man at a Bazaar who makes them custom for 1200 pesos ($60). It would have been more than $200 at home. [9:28] Mrs. Miller set a Saturday appointment for an endocrinologist through the Quality Care Clinic about three weeks before the trip. At the appointment, the doctor spent two hours with her looking at her history, then set up an appointment for a hematologist, two days later on Monday. The endocrinologist appointment was 700 pesos or about $35. [11:06] On Monday, Mrs. Miller met with the hematologist for an hour. The cost was also about $35. Mrs. Miller, a former nurse, was thrilled with the care from both doctors. [11:28] After about three weeks, the Millers were fairly settled in. Marc was running his Career Pivot Community Mastermind calls. One night, during a seasonal storm, the Internet connection failed. So he ran the call off his iPhone 3G network without video. Marc was getting about 1Mb/s upload speeds, which is low for video. [12:31] Marc talks about Chicklet, the street dog in the neighborhood. He was an abandoned dog. Marc started leaving food for him. He was getting fed by a lot of people. Finally, an expat family took him in, so he has a home. Ajijic has plenty of street dogs and some roof dogs! You may hear some of them in the podcast. [14:52] There is a lot of construction in Ajijic. The housing market is hot, mostly due to the number of expats moving in, both renters and buyers. Marc says some buy within three days. This caused Marc to accelerate their search for a rental property. [15:20] Marc’s original plan was to arrange a rental now for January when they would return to Mexico. The rental market is too hot for that. Big Announcement: Marc is about to sign a lease for a two-bedroom, two-bath casita a block from the main plaza in Ajijic. [15:55] It will be $950 a month, which is $200 to $300 more than Marc was planning to spend. It is new construction and part of a gentrification development in the middle of town. Marc renewed their membership at Lake Chapala Society. A volunteer there, Marguerita, is a real estate agent. She gave Marc some leads on apartments. [16:35] Marc also talked to their neighbor Lori, a real estate agent. Marc learned that you have to move quickly to get a rental. They also looked on some Facebook groups. They first looked at a unit in La Floresta, a neighborhood built in the 50s and 60s. There are a lot of four to five bedroom homes built for Guadalajarans for vacation homes. [17:48] Then, they looked at a property in Riberas but there was no internet installed. Marc didn’t want to take the chance that they couldn’t get a good installation there. After looking at a couple more places, they found the casita that they chose to rent. Marc lists the deposits they need to put on the rental. Marc found cats are a problem in renting. [20:05] The casita has secure off-street parking and a private courtyard. There are about $4,000 in deposits due up front. Marc doesn’t have a bank account in Ajijic so he is pulling 7,000 pesos at a time from ATMs. That’s $390. It’s an all cash society. [20:53] The next steps are to finalize the lease. They plan to move in on September 3. Marc needs to get a lawyer to review the lease and talk about immigration status. After that step, Marc needs legal advice on taxes and running his business from Mexico. [21:29] Marc has located a health insurance broker. Marc completely expects his ACA plan to blow up next year. Marc and his wife are currently paying $1,358 a month for a $10,000 deductible policy. Next is an appointment to get their teeth cleaned. [22:06] Marc needs to locate a property manager in Austin for their home there. As Marc accelerates his plans to rent, he has time set apart to buy some things for the rental, including a much larger cat tree. [22:51] The last thing is to find a new gym because they will be two or three miles from Zona, which is walking distance from his Airbnb. Marc has not put 20 miles on his car since they arrived in Ajijic.[23:14] They take the bus everywhere. They took the bus one weekend to Jocotepec on the western end of Lake Chapala. They took the bus another weekend to San Juan Cosalá also on the lake. Next weekend, they will take the car into Guadalajara. [23:37] Mrs. Miller needed her Birkenstock boots repaired. Marc tells how they found Umberto, a shoe repairman, through the Gringos Ajijic & Lakeside Facebook group. It was 300 pesos ($15) to put new soles and heels on them, made out of tire tread, in a week. Umberto is also the lead singer at the Chili Fest. Everyone loves him. [25:40] Facebook is the place to go to find different people’s experiences. [26:11] Marc will be in the unit one month, pay the electric bill, then drive back to Austin for a period to get the condo ready to rent. [26:37] Marc has figured out that what they are going to save on health insurance will fully pay for their housing expenses in Mexico. At the same time, Marc expects that renting out their Austin condo will also almost cover their housing expense. [27:01] The housing in Ajijic is 30% to 40% higher than Marc thought it would be. The market is exploding. [27:11] All the rental units they looked at are fully furnished. [27:29] Marc had thought they would start renting in early January, but it was just not possible. No matter how well they had planned, they have had to adjust plans as they learned more. [27:49] They also met the man who makes the cat trees. Ignacio (Nacio for short) is a 75-year-old retired Mexican general manager. He is going to build a six-foot-tall that will be weather resistant for outside use. [28:07] In a couple of weeks, Marc will start the next career pivot evaluation series with “Can Sarah Repurpose Her Career?” Sarah (not her real name) is employed, a closet creative, and a structured anarchist. He personality is quite interesting. Marc has seen all aspects of her personality in other clients, but not in the same person. [29:42] Check back next week, when Marc will be interviewing Dawn Graham, author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers — and Seize Success.   Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers — and Seize Success, by Dawn Graham TelMex Steren Radio Shack Walmart Mexico Airbnb Zona Fitness Club in Mexico Quality Care Clinic Chapala iPhone 3G Wireless Zoom.us Lake Chapala Society La Floresta Riberas del Pilar Jocotepec San Juan Cosalá Guadalajara Gringos Ajijic & Lakeside Birkenstock   Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on the iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon.   Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Get more information and sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has five initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life. Those in the initial cohorts are guiding him in this endeavor. Shortly, Marc will start recruiting members for the sixth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, mastermind groups, branding sessions and, more importantly, a community where you can seek help.   CareerPivot.com/Episode-91 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Overcast through the Overcast app, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.   Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com

Marc shares with the audience more about his upcoming move to Mexico and how the move is progressing. Key Takeaways: [1:29] Marc welcomes you to Episode 86 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast and invites you to share this podcast with others. The more people he can reach, the more people he can help. Please subscribe, share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues. [2:05] Next week’s episode should be part three of a four-part series called “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” But it’s not recorded yet, so if it’s not ready, Marc will play an encore interview of one of his favorite career pivoters, Mike O’Krent. [2:27] This week’s episode will be about driving to Mexico in the last week of June. You may hear a difference in the audio. Marc is recording in Mexico, in a house just outside of Ajijic. Listen for potential bird songs, barking dogs, or who knows what else? [2:56] On June 20th Marc and his wife packed the car to prepare for leaving on the morning of the 21st. There wasn’t room to take the slow cooker or the blender. This was emotionally jarring for Mrs. Miller but just another problem to solve for Marc. [3:44] Marc’s son works for the Navy; his daughter-in-law works for the Department of Defense. They warned Marc that this was a dangerous drive. Marc had hired a driver from Ajijic, so he was not worried. Around 11:00 a.m. they started driving to Laredo. Halfway there, Rex, the cat had a panic attack. Eventually, he curled up at Marc’s feet. [5:05] They arrived in Laredo and had a room at the La Quinta on I-35. Marc confirmed with JP, their driver in Mexico, which bridge to take from Laredo across the border. There were five choices. [5:57] Crossing the bridge, they pulled into the customs line to declare their cats. Nobody asked to see Marc’s documents. As they pulled away, they met with JP, and he took them to the immigration building. Marc would not have found it without a guide. One immigration building served all five bridges crossing from Laredo. [7:05] Leaving the cats in the car, Marc and his wife started filling out immigration paperwork. There were multiple places to go to complete the process. There is a tax of 533 pesos to enter Mexico or about $25.00. Then they needed a Temporary Import Permit for the car. That was convoluted and they had to pay to copy their papers. [8:23] From the time the Millers crossed the bridge to the time they were processed through was about one hour. They started driving to Matehuala, about the halfway point to Ajijic. Periodically, Marc would take a screenshot of Google Maps to text to his son, so he would not worry. [8:58] The entire trip was taken over toll-roads. It happens that the State Department approves of the same route Marc took. Every expat they had met assured them of its safety. There were trucks and more trucks, mostly going to the U.S. When Marc had crossed the border, the lines coming North were much longer than those going South. [10:01]  It was convoluted to cross the border. Marc would not have figured it out without help. About 30 miles in, you run into the formal immigration office. You can’t go through it if you missed going through immigration at the border. There is a lot of daily border crossing just for shopping that never gets more than a few miles from the border. [10:52] Marc has not added up the tolls yet but estimates that in two days, the tolls exceeded $100. The roads were very good. There were cows and horses in the medians and side of the road. It’s free grazing. Don’t drive at night or you might hit a cow or horse. [11:55] Central Mexico is gorgeous. It is high desert. As you climb the hills, you will get caught behind overloaded trucks going very slowly. They stayed at Las Palmas in Matehuala. Las Palmas is pet-friendly and it has a good restaurant. [13:40] Saturday morning, they departed for Ajijic. About halfway there, they stopped at a rest stop. JP was listening to Mexico playing Korea in the World Cup Games. But, he turned the car off, left the air conditioner and the radio on at the rest stop. The battery died. JP flagged down someone to give them a jump. Everyone carries them in Mexico. [15:27] They arrived in Ajijic in the late afternoon. After settling in, they went shopping for a blender at WalMart and a slow cooker at a dollar store on the square in Ajijic. Since then, they have bought a WiFi extender, a cat tree, and other items they couldn’t fit in the car on the way down. [16:28] Chapala is about a mile from Riberas del Pillas, the mostly expat community where Marc is staying. They are renting a one-bedroom 800 square foot house for $620 a month. They went to Chapala for market day. Marc bought one Kilo of strawberries for 25 pesos, or $1.25. Fresh whole chickens are inexpensive. [17:30] See Marc’s blog post about the business aspects of working remotely in Mexico. The internet is not the best; he is in an AT&T dead spot between two towers. He is working through the problems. [18:17] They are settled in. Marc recorded this episode on July 3rd. They have been in Ajijic a little over a week. The cats are settled in. They will stay for 12 weeks. They need a long-term rental for later this year. [18:54] Marc explains why he hired a driver from Laredo to Ajijic. He has been in the wrong place at the wrong time in other countries more than once. He was in China for the SARS epidemic and also for the spy plane scandal in 2004. Other occasions made him glad to have local support. The level of stress was reduced greatly by a driver. [19:53] JP proved to be good for conversation as well about things related to Mexico and the U.S. One topic was how the end of NAFTA caused a huge spike in Mexican gas prices at the pump. Marc noticed gas prices are about twice what he was paying in the U.S. High fructose corn syrup and American foods are causing an obesity epidemic. [21:43] As more expats come to the North Shore of Lake Chapala, they drive prices up for housing and rental. Local Mexicans are being priced out. This is similar to what’s happening where Marc lives in Austin, Texas. [22:07] Look for more on Marc’s move to Mexico in the coming weeks. Marc is getting feedback that people are enjoying hearing the processes of his move. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments for this podcast. Marc will do an episode on his move about once a month. [24:19] Check back next week, when Marc will either air the third part of “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” or the episode recorded with Mike O’Krent.   Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Careerpivot.com/Juan Running a Business in Ajijic Mexico Episode 007 with Mike O’Krent   Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on the iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Get more information and sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has accepted five initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life. They are guiding him on what to build. He is recruiting members for the sixth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, mastermind groups, and a community where you can seek help.   CareerPivot.com/Episode-86 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there.   Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com

In this episode, Marc covers the steps of relocating abroad and securing the resources for safe and healthy living for his family while running his business full-time.   Key Takeaways: [1:14] Marc welcomes you to Episode 79 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast and invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. Please subscribe, share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues. [1:46] Next week, Marc will interview Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO and Co-Founder of IRelaunch. IRelaunch is the leader in career re-entry programming. IRelaunch works directly with 40 Blue Chip companies to develop, pilot, source for, present in, and publicize re-entry internship programs and hiring, focusing on those with career breaks. [2:28] In this episode, Marc will talk about the next steps the Millers will be taking in becoming expats in Mexico. But first, Marc announces plans for another “Can You Repurpose Your Career?” series, similar to Episodes 48-51 from October 2017. [2:57] If you would like to go through this process anonymously with Marc on the podcast, please email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. [3:12] For his new listeners, Marc reviews the purpose for his family’s planned move to Mexico. For the last year, Marc has been chronicling his experiences relating to the move. Marc blogs about it on his website and covers it in his podcast. Listen to episodes 55, 66, and 74 for background. [4:19] Marc’s expat journey began back in October 2016 when he received the 50% rate increase for his Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance. Marc and his wife are both in their 60s and self-employed. The Affordable Care Act was not affordable for them, but it did allow them to get insurance. Then came the election and uncertainty about the ACA. [5:16] At the same time, Marc’s sales pipeline completely dried up. By the first half of 2017, Marc’s business was off 60%. Marc and his wife focused on what they could control. Over the years, they had talked about becoming expats, so they decided to do that.[5:57] In the Spring of 2017, they visited San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico. On a trip to Cuenca, Ecuador, Marc’s wife collapsed. Back in the U.S., she went into the hospital. The bills were expensive. Marc started his community membership website then. [6:30] They made their first trip to Ajijic, Mexico on Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico, close to the Guadalajara airport. Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico. There are many convenient flights there. You can do just fine in Ajijic without learning Spanish. [7:50] Marc posted a question on the Chapala.com web board looking for an endocrinologist. Within 48 hours he had 28 responses. [8:08] In March, Marc and his wife rented a garage apartment in Ajijic for four weeks. This was $825 for the four weeks. It was close to the main square and the farmers’ market. Their goal was to travel there and behave like they were living there. In four weeks, Marc had lost three pounds with no formal exercising. The food was healthy. [10:06] Marc talks about the next steps. Marc’s wife leaves her job at the end of May, after 15 years. She’s been making $25K working two days a week. [11:11] Marc and his wife want to keep their taxable income this year under $61K. One dollar over that means they would not get ACA tax credits. Your healthcare options for retiring pre-Medicare are getting pretty ugly. [12:15] Marc’s next step is to meet with a Medicare consultant. Medicare does you no good outside the states, but you get a big penalty if you don’t apply at age 65. [12:37] Marc is canceling all their mail catalog subscriptions and magazines. They will rent a house from the end of June through the end of September, halfway between Ajijic and Chapala.You can’t just drive across the border. You need a TIP, or temporary import permit, and your title. You also need Mexican car liability insurance. [14:38] This time they will drive down with a hired driver. [15:32] Marc will probably sell their second car. They are making Mexican doctors appointments before they leave. They are getting some documents certified, like their marriage certificate. [16:29] They will bring their cats with them. Pets need an international form signed by the vet within 10 days before you hit the border. They have Marc’s mother’s ashes in an urn and they’re not sure what to do with them. [19:14] Don’t drive at night in Mexico. [19:48] Marc talks about the doctor’s appointments they will have. He also talks about  setting up a long-term apartment rental for the next trip in January. [20:39] Marc will dispose of just about everything when they get back to the States, and put a few things in storage. They will meet again with their Medicare consultant. They will meet with tax lawyers and CPAs to make sure everything is in order. They need to learn what kind of Visa they will need. [21:49] Schwab has a really good money market fund where they refund all out-of-country ATM fees. They also need to establish an Austin-based mailing address. This allows Marc to maintain his Austin-based business. Marc describes the services of a mailbox company. [22:50] Marc’s plans are to be in Ajijic on January 2019. [22:58] Marc notes the tax implications of being out of the country most of the year and how much money you can earn abroad before it is taxed. [23:45] Go to the show notes and leave Marc a comment or question and he will get back to you. [24:02] Marc’s goal is to be out of the country for 12 months next year, except for return visits. They will continue to explore various cities and areas of Mexico, Panama, Belize and Costa Rica. [26:23] Check back next week, when Marc will interview Carol Fishman Cohen CEO and Co-Founder of IRelaunch.   Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com IRelaunch AARP Podcast Recommendations “How to Move Abroad and Take Your Job with You” CareerPivot.com/Episode-48 “Can Tim Repurpose His Career? Part 1” CareerPivot.com/Episode-49 “Can Tim Repurpose His Career? Part 2” CareerPivot.com/Episode-50 “Can Tim Repurpose His Career? Part 3” CareerPivot.com/Episode-51 “Can Tim Repurpose His Career? Part 4” CareerPivot.com/Episode-55 “Why The Millers are Moving to Mexico and How They Will Do It!” CareerPivot.com/Episode-66 “Marc Miller Examines His Uncertainty About Moving to Mexico”CareerPivot.com/Episode-74 “Marc Miller’s Journey from Procrastinating Introvert to Enthusiastic Expat”Blue Cross Blue Shield “When Uncertainty Strikes, Focus on What You Can Control.” FlexJobs.com Roger Whitney: Retirement Answer Man Podcast Episodes 212, 213, 214 Yellow Bike Project Del Webb IRelaunch iPhone Amazon Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has three initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the fourth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, mastermind groups, and a community where you can seek help. CareerPivot.com/Episode-79 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com

April -September 2018 is filled with opportunities with Living Miracles Worldwide Spiritual Community. From online retreats the first weekend of May through July, to and end of May Quantum Immersion retreat in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico, to the Strawberry Field Festival at the Living Miracles Monastery in early August, the opportunities to connect and join abound. David Hoffmeister shares the context of these opportunities for unwinding the Mind back to God. Check out this brief audio.

Buying a car in Mexico: it’s one of the best ways to see the country and can be an immensely rewarding way to travel. Check Out All of Our Mexico Posts! This week’s guest has a lot of experience buying a car in Mexico, and she shares her experience here. Aimee and her husband sold everything and left to drive around Mexico with their two daughters, two dogs, and a cat. This is their story. There are lots of twists and turns, so listen in and learn from their mistakes! Buying a Car in Mexico Buying a car in Mexico and then driving around Mexico with two kids, two dogs, and one cat. That’s what Aimee Lynch and her husband Jason did. In fact, they’ve bought three cars in Mexico, and they’re still driving around Mexico right now. Today we talk about their adventurous road trip and lessons they’ve learned along the way. Jason and Aimee are from Iowa, far from any ocean. Then they decided to give Mexico a try and moved to Cozumel, right on the Caribbean Sea. At first, they lived without a car in Mexico. Instead, they lived out of their suitcases. But eventually, the kids wanted to try going to a local school and taxis or walking wasn’t a realistic option. That’s when they decided to buy a car in Mexico for the first time.   IN THIS EPISODE 02:36 Intro 03:11 Why Mexico? Why drive around Mexico? 7:01 Cars in Mexico 09:05 Mobile Mechanics 11:24 Re-Registering the Truck 15:07 Playa del Carmen, the Jeep & Pets 18:31 Leaving Playa del Carmen for Driving Around Mexico 27:51 San Miguel de Allende & Oaxaca 31:50 Car Insurance 35:08 Health Insurance 38:58 Car Maintenance 41:22 Tips for Driving in Mexico 44:57 Destinations 46:53 The Size of Mexico Paperwork: Buying a Car in Mexico Their first car was a beat-up old Blazer. It did the job and was all they needed to get around Cozumel with the kids. They were surprised to discover that paperwork for buying a car in Mexico was surprisingly simple. In fact, all the owner had to do was sign a paper saying that they give the car to you. Simple, right? Wrong. Soon they found out that buying a car in Mexico is a little more complicated than that. When they went to re-register the truck, they hired a lawyer to help with the paperwork. There they discovered that since they didn't have the original title, they technically couldn't drive the car or sell it. Nor could they replace the original title. As Aimee says in the podcast they chose an unusual solution: they gave the car to a local Mexican friend. They were planning to leave Cozumel for the mainland and in her words, they had got their money out of the Blazer, so it was time to move on. Buying a Car in Playa del Carmen Cozumel was a great place to start with their limited Spanish. However, Aimee says that if they wanted to truly immerse themselves in Spanish, they would have to head to the mainland. The Lynch family then moved to Playa del Carmen, where they bought a Jeep Cherokee. They loved the Jeep, but eventually, they decided to drive around the country. The Jeep was not big enough for their family, their pets and all of their stuff. It was time to buy a car in Mexico once more. Using the same Lawyer from Cozumel, they went to a local used car dealer and left with a Chevy Suburban. After some complications with the lawyer, they decided to deal directly with the dealership. The dealer told them to go ahead and proceed with their traveling plans, so Aimee's family left Playa del Carmen on a huge Mexico road trip. They drove from Playa del Carmen to Merida, and then out of the Yucatan Peninsula and up to Mexico City, Puebla, San Miguel de Allende and beyond. Then it was on to Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca before they decided that they wanted to slow down and possibly return to Cozumel for a while. Use a Lawyer When You Buy a Car in Mexico All along the way, they waited to hear that their paperwork was finished. Eventually, the car dealership told them that it couldn't be done and that they wanted to buy the car back from them...at a cheaper price. More details in the podcast. This is when Aimee and Jason realized that the lawyer was probably right. If you're going to buy a car in Mexico, she says, hire a lawyer and listen to them. Fortunately, they were able to work it out. They stood up to the dealership, who backed down and "suddenly became very nice," once they said that they would hire a lawyer again to help. Flying in, Buying a Car in Mexico & Driving the Country There's much more to the story of the Lynch's experience buying a car in Mexico. Make sure to listen to the podcast for the details. We discuss the paperwork you need to buy a car in Mexico and dealing with police at checkpoints. We talk about driving tips, and car insurance (spoiler alert: if you buy a car in Mexico, make sure to buy car insurance, too). Aimee talks about additional benefits of Mexican car insurance that you might not think of. Car Maintenance: Buying a Car in Mexico Buying a car in Mexico is quite cheap compared to the United States. So is car maintenance, although the methods might be different from what you're accustomed to. Aimee tells stories of mobile mechanics who bring the garage to you, and of unorthodox ways of getting a car started. Mexico Road Trip Destinations Once you buy a car in Mexico, where do you want to go? Aimee has some suggestions. She says that having a car in Playa del Carmen was great because it helps give you access to all the amazing cenotes nearby. We can agree that the Yucatan Peninsula is a great place to drive in Mexico. If we were to buy a car in Mexico and stay long-term, places like Merida and Tulum would be a great place to start. The roads are flat, straight and open. That was not the case for the road from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido, on the Pacific coast, she says. Google Maps said it would take six hours, but it took them 10. Full of sharp left-and-right switchbacks, they drove carsick at 20 miles an hour for what seemed like an eternity. Take our advice: go to Puerto Escondido — it's fantastic — but fly in. She also talked about driving in San Miguel de Allende, but more as a warning. They loved driving in Central Mexico, and San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful town. That said, the streets are quite narrow. We would agree. We love exploring San Miguel de Allende with kids, but driving on it's hilly, narrow cobblestone streets would be a headache. It reminds us of Toledo in Spain, actually). Conclusion: Buying a Car in Mexico Aimee and I discuss lots more than buying a car in Mexico, so listen in. If you want to buy a car in Mexico, she's the right person to talk to and it open to questions from listeners. ABOUT Names: Aimee and Jason Lynch, their two daughters, two dogs and one cat Hold passports from: USA Type of travel: Overland travel A few places they've been: All over Mexico — Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Merida, Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca, Jalisco, San Miguel de Allende, Lake Chapala and more.   FIND THEM ON The Everyday Journey | Facebook | Twitter  Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means, at no extra cost to you,  we might receive a small commission if you make a purchase or book using those links. My opinions are my own and I only recommend places/services that I believe will genuinely help you buy a car in Mexico or drive around Mexico with your family. Are you buying a car in Mexico? Did this post help?  Full-on family travel fundamentals. Epic Education Radio is interviews, stories and advice for people who decide to make travel a priority in their family's life...and for those who want to. Tune in each week to hear stories and advice from new traveling families, and hear how they've handled various family travel-related issues like education, socialization, working, budgeting, accommodation, road-parenting, safety, technology and more. We talk gear, websites, apps and other resources for traveling & nomadic families, and answer questions from those who would like to do something similar.

Ana Sofia Lanczyner is the Director of the Mexico Office of Tourism. We address travel concerns people may have about visiting Mexico. But mostly offer some hidden surprises and Magical Cities, as Ana calls them. Lake Chapala and Ajijic, San Miquel de Allende and Guanajuato are cities most Americans may never have heard of. And […]

Marc and his wife have a few reasons for planning a move to Mexico in 2018, but mainly it involves the high cost of healthcare in the U.S. Marc will not retire but will continue to run his company from Mexico.   Listen in for how you can research whether Mexico or Central America is right for your family.   Key Takeaways: [1:28] Marc announces his first audience survey on what demographic listens to the podcast, what you like, and what you would like to hear about in the future. Please take the survey at CareerPivot.com/PodcastSurvey. This will redirect you to a Survey Monkey page. Marc will keep the survey going through 2017 to hear from you. [2:12] Marc reviews the series format of this podcast for new listeners. Each month, the first episode is an expert interview. The second episode is a career pivot interview. The third episode is of Marc’s choosing. This month it is Marc’s story of taking the family and job abroad. The fourth episode of the month is a Q&A episode with Elizabeth Rabaey. [3:06] Marc and his wife are moving to Ajijic, Mexico In this episode, he walks through the decision process and their plan for execution. It started with the October 15, 2016 episode of the Money Matters podcast by Hanson and McClain where they interviewed Art Koff of Retired Brains on best international retirement destinations. [4:17] RetiredBrains.com has a ranking of places to retire overseas. #1 is Ecuador, #2 is Panama, and #3 is Mexico. The analysis considers real estate, expat benefits, cost of living, ease of integration into the community, entertainment and amenities, health care, infrastructure, and climate. The top three destinations were closely-ranked. [5:11] At the same period Marc received his new health care insurance premium at $1,800.00 a month. They decided to look for another plan on Healthcare.gov. The choices were very limited. Marc’s 2017 premiums and medical costs were $20K. [6:35] In November, Donald Trump won the presidency. This created uncertainty around the Affordable Care Act. They visited Ecuador. Over half of U.S. retirees overseas return to the U.S. within five years. Also, those in the 60 - 64 age range now are at a disadvantage. Marc and his wife discussed this several of times. [8:45] Marc read a post on GringoTree.com on assimilation vs. integration. Assimilation is full immersion in the language and culture, standing apart from the expat community. Assimilation leads to more happiness, better eating, better exercise, and a longer life. [10:40] Marc and his wife visited San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, a popular ex-pat destination. Marc found a webcam on the downtown plaza, filled with expats. They booked an Airbnb. Date a location before moving there. [12:09] Marc and his wife went to visit places for one-to-two weeks each. San Miguel is typical of much of Mexico — with lots of fireworks. There were many Canadians, U.S. citizens, and some Europeans. There are no chain pharmacies or supermarkets there but family-owned stores with only the most common medicines and foods. [15:18] San Miguel at about 5,000 feet may cause some altitude sickness. San Miguel is about a 90-minute shuttle bus ride from the airport. Flight scheduling back to the U.S. is difficult. [16:50] The Millers next went to Cuenca, Ecuador. Cuenca was difficult to get to due to flight schedules. Quito and Guayaquil are two other popular cities for expats. Ecuador has some high-altitude cities, such as Cuenca, and most Americans leave there within a couple of years. [19:03] Mrs. Miller was experiencing overwhelming fatigue. They cut their visit after five days. It took three days to get to Austin from Cuenca, and then Mrs. Miller went to the hospital. She was very anemic. [19:37] The fruits and vegetables in Ecuador don’t resemble fruits and vegetables in the U.S., but they are good. Repair or maintenance is offered mañana, by which they mean, ‘not today.’ Bills are paid by check at the bank, not online. It is a cash-based culture. Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar. [20:47] The Millers went to Ajijic in October, and that is their planned destination. Ajijic is on Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico, and just south of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, and is very easy to get to with multiple U.S. flights daily. Ajijic is 25 minutes by cab. Thousands of U.S. and Canadian expats live there in an ideal climate. [22:13] Marc and his wife found the community to be very supportive. Everybody was so nice. They all say Ajijic is the best location in Mexico for expats. There is one paved street in town, alongside the lake. Every other street is cobblestones. [24:46] The Millers are going to go back to Ajijic for a month next March, and shop for doctors, insurance, and rental properties. [25:43] Marc talks about Necessary Endings, a book he considers life-changing. A good gardener will trim a rosebush so the buds that are left will flourish. We need to do the same things with careers, relationships, and more. [27:14] Marc has lived in Austin Texas for almost 40 years. Why is he still there? No other family members live near. Marc can work from anywhere.Taxes are too high. It’s expensive to live in Austin now. The health insurance costs in Texas are high, so they are looking. Austin is an expensive city. [23:29]  In March, Marc and his wife will go down to Ajijic next March, shop for doctors, health insurance, and rental properties. The plan is to go down there for six months to a year, next July. They will also visit Costa Rica, Panama and Belize. Then they will make decision. International House Hunter has given Marc some ideas for selecting a home. [29:19] Marc is not looking for a vacation resort, but for a community of expats and locals populated 12 months of the year. That describes Ajijic. [29:32] The Millers will rent out their Austin home while they travel. They haven’t made a permanent decision yet as to the move. They may come back. This is a journey to take one step at a time. [30:43] Marc mentions a post on GringoTree from Ecuador about health insurance. The state health insurance is about $80.00 monthly. People retire overseas either out of adventure, or necessity. The author of the post and his wife lived on SS $1,200 monthly. [33:30] This is a deliberate and thoughtful journey for the Miller family. [36:06] Next week is the Q&A episode.   Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com CareerPivot.com/PodcastSurvey or CareerPivot.com/Podcast-Survey Survey Monkey Hanson & McClain’s Money Matters podcast Best International Retirement 10/15/2016 Retiredbrains.com/retiring-abroad.html Money.cnn.com/2017/11/09/news/economy/obamacare-early-retirees/ GringoTree.com SanMiguelrealestate.com/san-miguel-de-allende/live-webcam FlexJobs.com Chapala.com/wwwboard/webboard.html Necessary Endings: The Employees, Businesses, and Relationships That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Move Forward, by Henry Cloud Careerpivot.com/2017/necessary-endings-2nd-half-of-life/ House Hunters International CareerPivot.com/Episode-54 Interview with author and career pivoter Susan Lahey Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey The paperback and ebook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. Marc has completed recording the audio version of the book and will be editing it the week of Thanksgiving. He hopes to have it available before the end of November 2017. Marc has a prototype running of the paid membership community of the CareerPivot.com website. Marc has an initial cohort of members helping him. Marc is opening a wait list if you want to participate.Sign up at CareerPivot.com/Community. CareerPivot.com/Episode-55 Show Notes for this episode. You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Marc is taking on new clients. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me or call at 512-693-9132, and leave a message with your email address. Marc will respond with a link to his calendar, to find a time to talk.

http://www.acim-mexico.infoIn this talk with the broader ACIM community in Lake Chapala, Svava opens up with a song. David then begins the chautauqua at 2 minutes and 45 seconds. He speaks of mind training, holy relationship, the fast track to awakening, guidance, sexual assault, and more.Recorded at La Casa de Milagros, Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico on the 15th of November, 2017.http://www.acim-mexico.info

Incanto - Cabaret, Piano Bar & Cafe in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  An interview with Owner of Incanto,  Tracy Parks. Also, Puerto Vallarta is having a Craft Beer Festival Nov. 18th and 19th at the Cuale Island, and the First Tiles are up at Tile Park PV.   Listen to The Podcast Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico. That music you were just listing to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa,The El [caption id="attachment_195" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta Mexico[/caption] Dorado Restaurant, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends! This week I have a great interview with Tracy Parks, Tracy is the owner of Incanto, a wonderful Theater, Piano Bar and Restaurant Café that you [caption id="attachment_1878" align="aligncenter" width="239"] Incanto, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] are just going to love, but first, let's get to what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, October 7 2017.   Subscribe On iTunes & Leave a Good Review Subscribe on Android With Spreaker   JR's Meet and Greet Time Change JR’s meet and greet changes time this time of year so as long as you are setting your clocks, make a note that the Meet and Greets at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse , begins at 5:30 instead of 6:30 in the afternoon. I plan to be at a couple of them the first two weeks in January so if you are going to be in town, I just might bring my microphones again and hear from you about what you love to do in Paradise. I’ll be filling you in on that in the coming weeks. Puerto Vallarta Craft Beer Festival I got a text from my buddy Edgar Cisneros who wanted to tell me about an upcoming Craft Beer Festival he says….”I would like to let you know, [caption id="attachment_1876" align="alignright" width="615"] Craft Beer Festival PV[/caption] we´re doing another festival in PV and this time will be the @brew masters a craft beer festival for Nov. 18th and 19th at the Cuale Island. Link to their Facebook page in the shownotes of this episode. Brew Master Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/brewmasterspv/ Last week’s episode about Dia de Los Muertos seemed to hit a nerve with some of you. Funny how death and dying gets the attention of you guys. I got an email from listener Dwight and I thought I would share it with you. Wow, what a podcast! I saw the description and was expecting info about the Dia de Los Muertos, which I got.  Then a completely unexpected turn to actually dying in Puerto Vallarta.  This was VERY informative and interesting and I had always wondered what happens if you die in paradise.  This was always in the back of my mind, ever since seeing the film "The Night of the Iguana".  At the end of the film, …Spoiler Alert Spoiler Alert….okay,,,,,ready? If you don’t know the end turn down the volume or forward this 15 seconds okay? All right stand by 3, 2, 1.   ever since seeing the film "The Night of the Iguana".  At the end of the film the old grandfather recites his poem and promptly dies right there in Mismaloya overlooking the waves.  I thought "I wouldn't mind dying that way, in a beautiful place with family at your side". In the film, the locals said they would take care of burying the body.  But your podcast made it clear all the legal ramifications that one needs to be aware of.  Excellent episode! The line of the year:  "For $1,050 dollars US you can make an ash of yourself in Puerto Vallarta".  I laughed out loud today on the 405! Take care, -Dwight Now Dwight is a cool dude. He lives not too far from me in LA, and we have got to get together for some Mexican food here in town soon. But he is going to Lake Chapala and Vallarta in the next week or two, so I’m going to have dinner with him and pick his brain and maybe even get him to talk about his experiences in paradise and hopefully even a little bit about his take on Lake Chapala. Also I got an email from my buddy Skip from Minnisocold he writes, amoung other things….…- a great job on Dia de Los Muertos. For $1000-1500 USD I told my wife that if I should die in Mexico, I am staying there. The $10K USD savings can buy our son and daughter a lot of airline tickets to visit dad's grave.” So Dwight, Skip, Thanks for the notes. I really enjoyed doing that episode and if you didn’t catch it, check it out. Find out what happens when people die in paradise. Listener Skip also sent me a long list of questions and they are really good questions, so I will take some time Skip, and answer them on the air next week because I am pretty sure my listeners have similar questions, so next week, I have some questions and answers coming to you. Piano Bar Serves as a Happy Hour Area before and after the show [caption id="attachment_1886" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Piano Bar Incanto Restaurant Courtesy of Bob McCuaig[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1883" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Riverside Cafe Incanto, Puerto Vallarta Photo Courtesy of Bob McCuaig[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_1885" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Theatre Incanto, Puerto Vallarta, México - Courtesy of Bob McCuaig[/caption] The First Tiles Are Set in Tile Park PV Natasha Moraga has laid her first tiles in Lazaro Cardenas Park, so the project is under way, but she needs your support so Just reminding you that Christmas and the holidays are on the way and  there are still tiles available for you to purchase so go to www.tileparkpv.com, or go to my shownotes for this episode and you will find the links there. Remember to leave your mark, in Lazaro Cardenas Park, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Parque de Los Azulejos Website Okay, there is so much going on in Puerto Vallarta right now as high season is kicking into gear, and I could make this a 2 hour episode if I wanted to, but hey, a Real Estate agent that you know….me ..needs to work and sell a couple of properties so I can afford to hop on a plane and bring to you, all the cool things happening in Paradise right? So, with that in mind, let’s get to our guest. Incanto - Cabaret, Piano Bar & Cafe in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Last October, I saw this long abandoned building along the Rio Cuale, just down the way from the watchmaker on the Bridge Mario Rosette, you [caption id="attachment_1901" align="alignright" width="191"] Bingo With Pearl at Incanto Artwork Beverly Fairfax[/caption] remember Mario. I spoke with him on the show about Mi Café Restaurant? Well just down the street from Mario’s office and just up the street from the Belmar Hotel, was this large white building, long empty and waiting for a tenant and low and behold they were working on it, and the when I got back in January of this year, it looked like It was getting ready to open. I spoke briefly about it with Gary Beck in January when we were talking about the restaurants of Puerto Vallarta, and then once again in May, when we talked all about the theaters and entertainment here in this wonderful town. The name of the place is Incanto. Incanto Cabaret, Piano Bar & Café. And it’s all of those things and more, and I’m really excited to introduce this place to you, and the creator of this lovely, creative space, Tracy Parks. Let’s go right now to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Incanto Cabaret, Piano Bar & Café…. [caption id="attachment_1903" align="alignleft" width="800"] Sylvie & Jorge Incanto- Artwork Beverly Fairfax[/caption] Listen to The Podcast Acts to Come This Year Bohemia Viva Well Strung 4-part harmony string quartet Gabriel Reyes Spencer Day Chris Kenny Comedian Sean Palasky Théâtre Performances Natalie Douglass Cabaret Mark Hartman Greater Tuna [caption id="attachment_1904" align="alignleft" width="733"] Vanessa Amaro at Incanto, Puerto Vallarta- Artwork Beverly Fairfax[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1902" align="alignleft" width="830"] MexiCanada at Incanto, Puerto Vallarta- Artwork Beverly Fairfax[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1900" align="alignnone" width="610"] The Blond Gypsies at Incanto, Puerto Vallarta - Artwork Beverly Fairfax[/caption] [embed]https://www.facebook.com/nataliedouglasmusic/videos/10150504918235977/[/embed] What Do You Like Best about Incanto? Loves to hear positive responses. Likes to know that he has built a great space for people to enjoy paradise. Favorite Get-a-Way Bar Frida, Puerto Vallarta Favorite Restaurants Tintoque at the Marina Warique, Puerto Vallarta Fajita Republic, Puerto Vallarta (City Diner) Pipi’s, Puerto Vallarta Margarita Grill, Puerto Vallarta Advice to A First Time Visitor Stop Worrying and don’t Plan Everything Take your time day by day Vallarta Botanical Garden Go to the beach and do nothing Slow Down Get with the rhythm Walk around and see how everything works [caption id="attachment_1880" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Photo by Mike Laking[/caption] Located on The South Side of The Old Bridge on The Southside of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico [caption id="attachment_1894" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Incanto Map, Google Earth[/caption] Buy Tickets online and in Advance www.incantovallarta.com Hours: 9 AM-11:30 PM Daily Phone: 322 223 9756  Email: pvmingo@gmail.com 109 Insurgentes, Old Town Puerto Vallarta, 322 223 9756 Facebook Page Incanto Puerto Vallarta Wow, wow, wow, Tracy is a real pro and he has built an oasis right beside the Rio Cuale. You can sit there dining on a delectable breakfast while [caption id="attachment_1905" align="alignright" width="274"] Salvatore Rodriguez at Incanto, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] my buddy Salvatore Rodriguez, you remember Salvatore, the Liberace of Mexico, Salvatore may be there tinkling away at the ivories. So romantic, so Puerto Vallarta my friends. Really. You know, I was getting ready to put together this podcast and the blogpost, and I realized, after looking through all the pictures I took on three different cameras, that my pictures for Incanto had disappeared. They were just gone. I know someday they will turn up, but I was so fortunate to have my buddy and listener Bob McCuaig, from Kamloops Canada in town, and I was watching his antics eating and drinking with JR, and Ray, and he was hanging out at Café Roma, and Bar La Playa, and giving tours of his economy digs at the Hotel Encino Downtown. He outcheaped me and Cheap Debbie, $34 US per night for a big room, right in the middle of town with a pool. Very economical Bob. A man after my own heart.   [caption id="attachment_1906" align="alignnone" width="633"] Artwork Beverly Fairfax[/caption] Thank you Bob for taking those pics of Incanto for me. You can see those pics when you go to the blogpost for this episode of the podcast at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com. Well, that should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. Next week stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message. And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website [caption id="attachment_1896" align="alignright" width="300"] John Russell, JR[/caption] and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message.   And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven't been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven't already all-right? All right. So, thanks to Tracy Parks of Incanto in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, you can get all of the links to everything we talked about as well as photos of Incanto, The Piano Bar and the patio and the theater. Thank you Bob McCuaig from Kamloops, British Colombia. You are the man for stepping in and getting the pictures that I managed to lose but you, you sir were there to save the day. So check out the pictures of Incanto taken my buddy Bob. I have a link to Bob’s work and Photography studio in the shownotes of this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show so thanks again Bob. They are in the show notes of  this episode of the show at puertovallartatravelshow.com So thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!

http://www.acim-mexico.infoDavid shares a Community talk with the broader ACIM community in the Lake Chapala area. Included in the gathering were the topics of "Pinocchio" and the body as a puppet, autonomy, death, mind training, unified perception, and more.Recorded at La Casa de Milagros, Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico on the 8th of November, 2017.http://www.acim-mexico.info

David shares a Community talk with the broader ACIM community in the Lake Chapala area. Included in the gathering were the topics of Spiritual Community, sickness, the resurrection, and the move into Urban Community as Guided by Jesus.

A discussion with Pamela Fuller, a Trip Advisor Destination Expert About The Road Between her Home in Lake Chapala, Mexico and Puerto Vallarta. Also her reviews on some Vallarta Luxury Resorts and Time-Shares. Also Taxi and Uber Tensions Heat Up, Restaurant Reviews and more!   Subscribe on iTunes & Leave a Good Review Listen To The Podcast Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico. That music you were just listing to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The [caption id="attachment_196" align="alignright" width="300"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] El Dorado Restaurant, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends! La Palapa as you know if you have listened to my previous podcasts is one of the oldest restaurants here in Puerto Vallarta. It was built in 1957, and I would like to tell you the story and give you a little history of La Palapa, but I’m going to have Mr. Alberto Perez come on the show, and tell us in his own words, about the history of La Palapa, in an episode coming up in January, so stay tuned for that, but as for today, we have a special show but first, what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, the 5th day of September, 2017. Got this email from listener Cheryl from the great white north, and she writes…. Barry, I just discovered your podcasts. As a 7 month resident of PV  I find your topics so informative. It makes me homesick to come back to paradise. Friends have been going through the effort to become temporal or permanente residents. I think it would be very helpful to do a podcast on this process. We have heard there are changes going on at that office and it is very confusing what we should do when we start my permanente visa in November.  Maybe you could interview someone in immigration? Also, we love the Emiliano Zapata market. Have you ever had breakfast there in the hallway? Eat with the friendly locals. Something everyone interested in the people and culture of Mexico should experience. Thanks again for keeping us up to date in our absence from PV. Can't wait to return! Well Cheryl, great suggestion, actually, a couple of great suggestions for show topics and guess what..? Your wish is my command Cheryl. I’ve got [caption id="attachment_287" align="alignright" width="227"] Lic. Felix Zarate[/caption] a show coming up in just a few weeks with one of my favorite Abogados in Mexico, Licencia Felix Zarate, and Felix will give us the scoop on immigration and he will go through the process with us. He will discuss residency, temporal and permanente, all that jazz. We will talk about immigration. I also am going to talk with Felix about Ejidos. About buying Ejido land. Did you know, that the North American Free Trade Agreement signed in 1992 opened the door to the sale of Ejido land to foreigners? Well, it did. And with NAFTA being rewritten and renegotiated, do you think that something will be changed in that portion of the law? We’ll ask Feliz that and more, so stay tuned.   Interview With Felix and Rhonda Zarate I got another email from Listener Reggie and he writes…among other things… My first visit to Puerto Vallarta was in May 1989. I was 20 years old. And I had only had two semesters of Spanish language classes in my then young lifetime.  A college buddy and myself drove over 2,000 miles (one way) from Florence Alabama to Puerto Vallarta. It took four days. And we only stayed a week. But oh my that changed my life. In 1990 I studied at the University of Guadalajara. I was able to visit Puerto Vallarta three times that year. And I traveled around Jalisco including trips to Barra de Navidad, Ameca and Tequila that summer. He also writes that he met JR on his last trip down… [caption id="attachment_1431" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Casa Isabel, Puerto Vallarta Mexico[/caption] I met him for the first time on my trip this last March. And thanks to your podcast I wasn't so surprised to hear his British accent.  My wife and I actually spent the evening visiting with him which was really fun. I have many suggestions for your show. But reminiscing about my night with JR brings me to a interesting person you may wanna meet and interview.  Isabel of Casa Isabel - http://www.casaisabelpv.com My next suggestion is to meet and interview "Jalisco's Funniest Human Being" - http://www.banderasnews.com/profiles/gil-givens.htm He is the author of three books about his life in Mexico including "Puerto Vallarta on 49 Brain Cells a Day". Ironically, I owned Former’s Mexico on $49 dollars a day on my first trip down. He and his wife own and operate Lucy's Cucu Cabaña on Basillio Badillo. The store re-opens October 24th if you're unable to find him otherwise.  Please let me know if you're able to make contact with Gil. He is a truly magnificent author. So I told Reggie those were both great ideas, and that I had already been in touch with both Isabel and Gil, and as time allows, and if Gil will ever get back into town, I’ll wrangle an interview from the funniest guy in Puerto Vallarta, and spend some time with the delightful Isabel from Casa Isabel, the big Yellow House on the Hill, overlooking The southside and Los Muertos Beach. Stunning views and well, just you wait for that interview and visit. And, as a bonus to all of you listeners, Reggie has also agreed to come on the show, along with his wife, and tell us about his adventures and their adventures here in paradise, so stay tuned for that! Got another email,  from a listener named Sam who writes… Hola, I will be visiting PV for my second time in Oct. I travel solo and like to eat local taco cart or small family restaurant.  I would like to know [caption id="attachment_141" align="alignright" width="300"] Chef's Pass Food Tours Puerto Vallarta,[/caption] your choices, In Old Town. I have also read that a lot of places are closed in Oct? So, I made a list of my favorites and sent them back to you Sam, but your email keeps bouncing back to me. Maybe it’s that CA.GOV address that’s not allowing me to send back to you so Sam, if you are listening, send me a real non-government email address and I’ll get that info over to you pronto before you get boots on the ground in October. As for you listeners, yore going to just have to wait for that list till next week. There’s just too much to cover today. Taxistas Acting Badly It’s been awhile since I have mentioned Uber in Puerto Vallarta, so I think we need to go over some things once again, I have been seeing lots of video and news reports of taxi drivers in Vallarta actin badly. I will post one in the show notes so you can see what I’m talking about. It seems almost every time I see incidents like these, almost 90 percent of the time, it involves an Uber driver picking up a ride in front of a resort or Hotel. Look guys, let’s review how we keep safe and sound and not end up in a confrontation between your UBER driver and a Taxi Driver, or in some cases, many taxi drivers. Remember, I’m telling you this not only for your own safety, but the safety of that poor Uber Driver as well.   Uber is not allowed to pick up at the airport, There are some of you (Debbie G. I’m talking to you Debbie) who are cheap, and insist on adventuring out of the airport lobby with all of your luggage and in the tropical heat, after a long airplane ride from Canadia to Mexico, you [caption id="attachment_809" align="alignright" width="233"] UBER in Puerto Vallarta[/caption] schlep all that stuff up the steep ramp, across the pedestrian bridge and down the other side, and negotiate a ride from the regular taxi drivers at a lesser rate than the federal taxis out of the airport, and we can talk about that now, ummm..no..not now, maybe later, but let’s not summon an Uber driver at the Airport boys and girls. The airport area is crawling with taxi drivers. Too risky. Way too risky a way to start your vacation in paradise. Actually, Debbie gets off the plane, walks across the parking lot to the OXXO right there at the airport, she and her family buy a sixer of cervesas, then they trip across the bridge to the cheaper taxis waiting on the other side of the bridge. Okay, if you want to see some pictures of the bridge, and Tacon Marlin, I’ll post some picture for you in the show notes, so check them out. [caption id="attachment_1463" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Bridge at Puerto Vallarta Airport[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_1461" align="alignright" width="300"] OXXO at Puerto Vallarta Airport[/caption]   Okay back to Uber and your Safety. Do Not summon your Uber ride where Taxis and taxi drivers hang out. At the Airport In Front of Hotels and Resorts In Front of Restaurants and Bars Near a Taxi Stand On the Malecon at the end of Streets that Dead-End at the Malecon Don’t stare at your cellphone while waiting for your ride. Okay, that may be hard to do, but a taxista may think you are watching along as the Uber approaches. When you get into an Uber car, get in the front seat and acknowledge the driver as if they were your friend. Greet them with an Hola Amigo or Que Anda or como estamos? That way, you don’t look like an Uber Pickup, but just friends. [caption id="attachment_1467" align="alignleft" width="300"] Bridge at Puerto Vallarta Airport[/caption] Some of the locals are getting a little fed up with this taxi nastiness and have created some, might I say interesting Facebook groups where they discuss ways to get back at the taxistas. I’ll keep an eye out for you guys. Just stay safe and follow my advice, all will go well amigos.   [caption id="attachment_1465" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Bridge at Puerto Vallarta Airport[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1464" align="alignright" width="300"] Bridge at Puerto Vallarta Airport[/caption]   There’s just so much news this week. The heavy rains that Vallarta has been experiencing have caused some damage of note. One of the many suspension footbridges that cross the Cuale River was taken out by flood waters, so bummer for those neighborhoods that depend in that footbridge to get from one side to the other.  and if you have any thoughts of visiting San Sebastian de Oeste by road, that can be pretty sketchy. The road was closed to traffic due to mudslides and washed out roads for almost 2 weeks and that was a bummer for those trying to get from Vallarta, to this Colonial Town, but even worse for those who were stuck up there, with difficult terrain to follow out from a far less traveled dirt and gravel road to out and it was a mess. Right now, authorities say it's still closed so stay tuned for reports as to when we will be open again. [caption id="attachment_1450" align="alignright" width="293"] Pamela Fuller[/caption] Let’s get to our guest. I have been following Pamela Fuller for a long time on the Trip Advisor forums. Pam is someone I would consider a luxury traveler. She is a Trip advisor destination expert Expat from Massachusetts Lives in lake Chapala, a beautiful ake situated in an extinct volcano in the Altiplano above Guadalajara. Luxury traveler. She has lots of timeshares and you will hear about some of them. Timeshare Properties and Resorts are Plentiful in Puerto Vallarta. My experiences with time share properties, Villa Del Palmar The Lindo Mar Dreams Casa Velas  Velas Vallarta The Now Amber Friendly Vallarta The Canto Del Sol The Crown Paradise Resort The Melia Garza Blanca Vidanta The Grand Mayan The Grand Bliss these are properties that have rooms, hotel rooms, but they are timeshare properties, and they spend a good amount of time trying to get you to agree to sit for a timeshare presentation. We were too young at the time so they weren't interested in us. [caption id="attachment_1448" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Garza Blanca Suite[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1447" align="alignnone" width="300"] Garza Blanca Room[/caption] So that's what you will expect when you stay at one of these properties. She will talk about that. [caption id="attachment_1444" align="alignright" width="253"] Dreams Resort Puerto Vallarta[/caption] Pamela is also a breast cancer survivor; her moto is survived to travel. So she knows about medical care in Mexico and in Puerto Vallarta, so I just had to get her on the show and share her experiences with you so I sent my microphone to Boston Massachutes and had a one on one conversation with Pamela Fuller, from Lake Chapala. Listen to The Podcast Pamela's Favorite Restaurants Bravos Restaurant and Bar, Puerto Vallarta Layla's Restaurant,  Puerto Vallarta Blake's Restaurant and  Bar,  Puerto Vallarta The Food Park , Puerto Vallarta Anejo Limon Restaurant  Puerto Vallarta Sheraton Puerto Vallarta Breakfast Brunch   Thank you so much Pamela for sharing with me and all of us. You are an inspiration to all fellow travelers and adventurers. And such a fount of information and knowledge of the Jalisco Area. [caption id="attachment_1457" align="alignnone" width="300"] Vidanta Pool[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1458" align="alignright" width="300"] Vidanta Puerto Vallarta[/caption] Well, that should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. Next week stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message. And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. [caption id="attachment_1451" align="alignleft" width="210"] Pamela And Michael Fuller[/caption] And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven't been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven't already all-right? All right. So, thanks to Pamela Fuller, Trip Advisor Destination Expert, Luxury Traveler, Breast Cancer Survivor who survives to Travel. I have pictures of her and her husband and all the places she talked about in the show notes of this episode, at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.  And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos! Listen to The Podcast Well, that should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. [caption id="attachment_1452" align="alignright" width="300"] Trip Advisor Logo[/caption] Next week stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message. [caption id="attachment_1454" align="alignleft" width="300"] Velas Vallarta Fun[/caption] And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. [caption id="attachment_1453" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Velas Vallarta Beach Romance[/caption] And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven't been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven't already all-right? All right. So, thanks to Pamela Fuller, Trip Advisor Destination Expert, Luxury Traveler, Breast Cancer Survivor who survives to Travel. I have pictures of her and her husband and all the places she talked about in the show notes of this episode, at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.  And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!  

Greetings from Chapala/Ajijic Mexico! This talk shares the Joy of holy relationship and the many reflections of Love and a happy State of Mind. People are arriving for visits and to live here in the Lake Chapala area, and I have had the honor of welcoming sisters and brothers from different parts of the world. Many who live in the area are from the USA and Canada, and the community of ACIM practitioners seems to be expanding weekly. In holy relationship we let the happy dream of forgiveness replace the grievances and judgments of the past. In holy relationship we live in harmony, extending the love in our hearts to everyone we meet or even think of. In holy relationship we take a step in our mind toward remembering God within. I rejoice with all of you, and extend the happy and natural State of Mind that God creates and extends.

Gary Beck and I discuss the Entertainment Scene in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Subscribe on iTunes & Leave a Good Review     Listen to The Podcast   Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be to introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico. That music you were just listing to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The El [caption id="attachment_194" align="alignright" width="300"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Dorado Restaurant, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into The Vista Grill. That’s The Vista Grill that used to be up on the hill overlooking the city?  Well now it has a new vista and that is right on the beach where you get the same Vista Grill Menu, and the fantastic Vista Grill service and it’s right there on the beach with a dramatic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course at La Palapa you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner, with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. ! It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends! Today we have a special show but first, what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, the 22nd of August, 2017. The Ocean Grill Closed Down By Authorities Last week I talked about taking a hike from Boca de Tomatlan to Las Animas Beach. Remember? And in that podcast we talked about the famous Ocean Grill built into the cliffs at Colomitos Cove. Well, if latest my podcast has spurred you to give the Ocean Grill a try, hold everything boys and girls, stop the presses, the restaurant has been temporarily shut down by the authorities. Mexico’s equivalent of the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, has put an end to their operation. There are lots of stories swirling around, I have a link to an article written about the closure which you can find in the show notes of this podcast. Hey, listen, I have some information from pretty solid sources as  to what's going on, but for now, I just want you to know that if you currently have a reservation for the Ocean Grill, it will not be honored. They won’t send a panga to Boca de Tomatlan to pick you up and whisk you to Colomitos Cove and the Ocean Grill. They are shuttered at least until further notice.  http://www.elsoldenayarit.mx/cultura/54509-clausura-profepa-obras-e-instalaciones-del-complejo-turistico-ocean-grill-en-jalisco Upcoming Hotel and Resort Reviews One of my friends, Pamela, who lives in Lake Chapala just spent some time at the Garza Blanca Resort just south of Puerto Vallarta and I want to find out what she and her husband thought of the place. But more than that, Pamela is going to talk a little about her timeshares she owns and about the properties in Puerto Vallarta and along the Bajia de Banderas. I would consider Pam to be a luxury traveler. You remember, in the first episode I promised that this show was for the economy as well as the luxury traveler, well this episode will be for you. Imagine if you will, living just 6 hours’ drive from Puerto Vallarta like Pamela, that’s like me driving from LA to San Francisco. Well, that’s what Pamela needs to do to get to Puerto Vallarta. Pretty cool, right? How often would you hit PV a year if you could just hop in the car and drive there? What like, once a month? Well Pamela knows lots of great restaurants all along the bay, and more so stay tuned. Man killed by Crocodile in Ameca River, Puerto Vallarta Remember when me and JR talked about the crocodiles that live in Puerto Vallarta? Well, check out this article from yesterday’s Vallarta Daily.com.. The State Civil Protection and Fire Department of Jalisco confirms that a man in Puerto Vallarta was attacked by a crocodile in the Ameca River while fishing and was found dead. The man was identified as Gerardo Alvarez, 30, Corporal with the 41 Military Zone, who at the time was fishing in the river, located in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta. The report was received on Saturday when the search for the missing man began in the river, but the search was discontinued in the evening. Sunday morning the search was continued at 8:00 AM with the body being recovered at 9:44 AM in the Bay. The exact cause of death and injuries is still being investigated, however experts in crocodiles believe the man was fishing along the banks of the river with his feet inside the water. The crocodile, defending his territory, grabbed the man by his feet and dragged him into the river. The body showed signs of bites from the attack. Okay, so the Ameca river is the river that separates the states of Jalisco and Nayarit. It’s just north of the airport. You can see the crockodiles sometimes just lying there on the sandbars as you drive over the bridge, and there’s signs posted everywhere so heed the warning signs folks. Now crocodiles are actually seen regularly in the Marina, on golf courses. They are around so be aware. I have a link to the article in the show notes to this episode so check it out if you wish. https://www.vallartadaily.com/news/puerto-vallarta/crocodile-attack/   I received a couple of notes and letters and one great review on iTunes this week. The iTunes review is from Leaningoak from somewhere in the USA writes…. Excellent listen for travelers to paradise aka Puerto Vallarta in iTunes by Leaningoak from USA on August 14, 2017 Listening to Barry’s podcast has become very addictive. Before my last trip to paradise aka Puerto Vallarta earlier this year I discovered this absolutely essential listen for travelers to Mexico’s most popular tourist destination. And since returning home I continue to listen each week carefully noting travel tips for my next vacation. I would love to meet Barry in person but for now the world has this excellent podcast to keep us up to date and informed. The podcast has introduced us to J.R. of VallartaInfo.com who has lived in Puerto Vallarta for almost 40 years. We have gotten to hear from full time resident and restaurant reviewer Gary Beck. And then there’s an episode with Gary Thompson, owner of Galeria Pacifico, who graciously donates his time to do free walking tours along the Malecon. All excellent listening and soo much more. Thank you Barry for PuertoVallartaTravelShow.com and your podcasts! Thank you Leaning. I would love to meet with you too sometime in paradise. Let me know the next time you’re planning on coming down and if I’m in town, why not? Last time I was in town I had a meet and greet open mic event at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse and we had a pretty good showing, problem was, some of my interviewees were a little bit sloshed. I mean, some of the interviews were actually pretty good, and I have some of those coming in the next few weeks to come, but man, I listened to some of the interviews and I just can’t use a whole bunch of them. I mean… well, it is a family show. Plus, I’m just not quick enough with the beeper to keep us rated as clean in iTunes. Just saying. Anyway Leaning Oak, we need to have a beer or a Paloma. Oh, I gotta tell you about Palomas but before I get off the subject, I just want you know Leaningoak from the USA, that these reviews keep me going. So Thanks by all means, all of you, and keep them coming in. Please. Okay, back to Palomas. In the interview I had with Jeff Bassett from Sun Sport Travel, Two weeks ago, oh by the way, Jeff wanted me to let all of [caption id="attachment_1384" align="alignright" width="300"] Amy Armstrong, The Palm Cabaret[/caption] you know that he is now full time in the travel agency business, so check out the links again to Sun Sport Travel on my links page. Anyhoo we talked with Jeff about fun in the summer sun.  Jeff and I were going back and forth about Palomas, Jeff saying that he was told that the true margarita was a Paloma, made with tequila, lime and squirt, and I laughed at him. Well, I got an email from my buddy Skip, from Minnisocold, we and Skip says this…. Like Jeff, I like the Paloma (Dove) as opposed to the Margarita (Daisy).  Palomas are less sweet and syrupy to my palate and I like the grapefruit taste. I make them with 4 parts Tequila, 1 part Lime Juice and add ice and either Squirt (Grapefruit soda) or Fresca (the sugar free stuff) to taste. Now I had to look up The Daisy and it’s made as  follows… INGREDIENTS 45mls of tequila 15mls triple sec [caption id="attachment_1363" align="alignright" width="198"] Incanto Puerto Vallarta[/caption] 30mls lime juice 15mls sugar syrup 15mls lemon juice 5mls orange juice Guava soda water   All right then, Who knew, but here’s how I was always taught a margarita was made. [caption id="attachment_1365" align="alignright" width="198"] Incanto Puerto Vallarta[/caption] Ingredients Lime wedge, plus 2 lime wheels for garnish 1 tablespoon coarse salt, for glass rims 4 ounces high quality blanco tequila (see note above) 2 ounces Cointreau 1 1/2 ounces fresh juice from 2 limes Directions Run lime wedge around the outer rims of two rocks glasses and dip rims in salt. Set aside. In cocktail shaker, combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. Fill with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, about 15 seconds (the bottom of a metal shaker should frost over). Fill glasses with fresh ice and strain margarita into both glasses. Garnish with lime wheels and serve. I really like Skip, He’s my kind of guy. We’ve been emailing back and forth. He wanted to know the best places to buy alcohol in PV and maybe in an upcoming episode, I’ll give you all the great tips for stocking up on alcohol for your extended stay in paradise. I mean, what kind of fun do you expect to have if your liver isn’t properly pickled in Paradise Pal? Really! [caption id="attachment_149" align="aligncenter" width="705"] The Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Guide With Author Gary Beck[/caption]   Puerto Vallarta Entertainment Venues [caption id="attachment_1346" align="alignleft" width="300"] Act II Stages[/caption]   Okay Let’s get to the show, Back in February I had a great conversation with Gary Beck, the author of The Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Guide, and we talked all about the restaurant scene in Puerto Vallarta. Gary is a wealth of knowledge and I asked to let me interview him again so we could talk about the entertainment scene in Puerto Vallarta.     So we sat down back in May and talked about the different venues as well as the shows from the previous year. One of the busiest places we [caption id="attachment_1366" align="alignright" width="340"] Danny Mininni[/caption] talked about was Act II Stages and The Red room cabaret, and I thought before we get into the conversation with Gary, I would bring on Danny Mininni, the head honcho at Act II to talk about what’s in store for the rest of the summer season. So let’s go to Puerto Vallarta and talk with Danny… [caption id="attachment_1362" align="alignnone" width="692"] Supermana[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1361" align="alignright" width="691"] Christine Deaver[/caption] Listen to The Interview   [caption id="attachment_1364" align="alignleft" width="213"] Salvatore Rodriguez[/caption] Also, before we get into Gary’s interview I want to introduce you to Salvatore Rodriguez. Salvatore is a Pianista. A pianist with a career spanning 38 years, and one of his claims to fame is that he is a Liberace Impersonator. Salvatore performs at Incanto at the piano bar playing for the breakfast and lunch crowd. But this week, if you happen to be in town, Salvatore will be playing at Incanto, August the 31st.  Here’s Salvatore explaining how he earned his stage name. … Listen to The Interview I like Salvatore a lot, and when I get back to Vallarta in a few weeks, I’m going to do an entire segment on this wonderful man. Stay tuned, Now, Back to the interview with Gary Beck all about the entertainment scene in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. [caption id="attachment_1354" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] The Palm Opening Night 17[/caption] Listen to The Interview Okay, that should do it for this week’s episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. [caption id="attachment_1349" align="alignleft" width="300"] Jazz Foundation[/caption] Next week stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message. And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way [caption id="attachment_1347" align="alignright" width="300"] Nacho Daddy Botique Theatre[/caption] of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven't been to my [caption id="attachment_1367" align="alignright" width="229"] Bohemia Viva[/caption] website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven't already all-right? All right. [caption id="attachment_1350" align="alignleft" width="267"] Teatro Vallarta[/caption]     So, thanks to Gary Beck , Danny Mininni and Salvatore Rodriguez, I have all of their contact information in the show notes of this episode,  at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.  And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos! [caption id="attachment_1385" align="alignleft" width="300"] Varla Jean Merman[/caption] Things Gary Talked About…   Theatro Vallarta Downtown The Jazz Foundation Allende and the Malecon The Palm Cabaret the oldest venue 17 years old. Incanto Cabaret Cafe and Piano Bar upstairs piano bar and  riverside restaurant and cabaret downstairs  Tracy Parks Owner The Boutique Theater above Nacho Daddy Act II Theater and Cabaret with two stages The Red Room and Stages [embed]https://youtu.be/2h17rEDOEO0[/embed] Rob Knight. Elvis Impersonator   [embed]https://youtu.be/auQbIk_6BvQ[/embed] This last years acts Paul Fracassi  Frankie Valli and Legends of the 50's and 60's Tribute Amy Armstrong Entertainment Director at The Palm Cabaret a Singer and Comedian [caption id="attachment_1369" align="alignright" width="214"] Immaculate Miss Conception[/caption] Kim Kuzma singer with Piel Canela or Cinnamon Skin Brittany Kingery...Songwriter Stolie  Singer- Songwriter from Chicago Flamenco Gypsy Music Lacho and Andrea used to perform at circuses Gypsy Rumba Band Alex Gonzalez percussionist plays a box called the cajón. Mikki Prost Tribute Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline Rob Knight. Elvis Impersonator Levi Kreis Singer Songwriter Pianist The Stephounds Tap Dancers Ty Herndon Country Singer Elvis Martinez and Jorge Acosta Spanish Music Los Bambinos Brothers Band [caption id="attachment_1373" align="alignright" width="555"] Libre[/caption]   Duende Music Group Bohemia Viva Female Impersonators Including Dueling Drag Divas Cher, Diana Ross Miss Conception  theme shows Sutton Lee Seymour  Mama Tits Group of 4 female impersonators Kinsey Sicks at Act II Two plays this year at Act 2 Avenue Q and Casa Valentina [embed]https://youtu.be/xz72HZgn4nw[/embed] Gary Becks Facebook Page www.facebook.com/groups/PuertoVallartaShows More of Beck's Best 2015 Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Guide Beck's Best: Kindle e-book: www.amazon.com/dp/B004NEVX7I   

An Interview with Helen Mlynarski from Maadri Apparel and Clothing, Al Sellers from Twisted Palms Lounge, and More. Plus, Uber Coming to Puerto Vallarta. Listen to The Podcast! Subscribe on iTunes & Leave a Good Review       Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be to introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico. That music you were just listing to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The El Dorado [caption id="attachment_194" align="alignright" width="300"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Restaurant, and now, at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into The Vista Grill. That’s the Vista Grill that used to be up on the hill. Well now it has a new vista and that is right on the beach where you get the same Vista Grill Menu, and the fantastic Vista Grill service and what’s best, is it’s right there on the beach with a dramatic view of the Los Muertos Pier. You’ll recognize the pier with its stunning sail like structure, all lit up at night with beautiful colors. You can enjoy dinner under the stars, with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. ! It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends! Today we have a special show but first, what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, the 19th of June, 2017. [caption id="attachment_50" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Puerto Vallarta Webcams[/caption] The rains have arrived right on time in the tropics, I checked out the Cuates and Cuetes web cam on June 15th, at around midnight and guess what I saw. Yep, lots of rain. The next morning I checked the cam and it was a sunny beautiful morning, then when I checked on the night of the 15th, rain again! So JR, you are absolutely correct, June 15th right on the button. So the temps and the humidity are rising, the rivers are flowing and the flora is greening up. All is good. So, some big news for you, UBER, the ride hailing juggernaut is coming to Puerto Vallarta and the Cab Drivers Unions are not happy about it either. According to an article in Mexico News Daily, and I will read from the article… Monday, June 12, 2017 [caption id="attachment_809" align="alignright" width="233"] UBER in Puerto Vallarta[/caption] Coming soon to PV: Uber vs. taxi drivers Ride-hailing service looking for drivers, but taxis are preparing for battle There’s a battle brewing in Puerto Vallarta: Uber’s coming to town. The app-based ride-hailing service announced on the weekend it would be setting up in the Jalisco city as well as in Nuevo Vallarta in the Riviera Nayarit. The company has begun looking for drivers in both areas but has not announced a start date. But as far as Puerto Vallarta’s taxi drivers are concerned, there won’t be one because Uber does not have the necessary authorization to operate in the municipality. “If it’s necessary that we have to demonstrate we shall do so in a peaceful and respectful manner, but we’ll do it with all our families,” said Jaime Aguilar Mejía, general secretary of a local taxi drivers’ union. He said there are some 3,000 taxi drivers in the municipality. Many of the locals feel that the presence of UBER will force the cab unions to improve the cabs. In fact, the article goes on to say… …Mayor Arturo Dávalos Peña held a meeting Monday with representatives of the two main guilds of taxi drivers in Puerto Vallarta, in which they expressed their concerns about the potential entry of UBER, and stressed that their program to improve service is already well underway.  The mayor conveyed his interest in improving taxi service in general for the benefit of all Vallartenses. "We want good service... and that is your task," he said, stressing the importance of taxi drivers implementing more competitive rates. The Union officials explained to the mayor in detail the process of vehicle renovation that is well underway, as well as the taxi driver training and accreditation courses aimed at improving their service.  They also pointed out that they are working on the implementation of a digital platform to diversify the service and said they plan to go to the Jalisco State Secretary of Transportation to request authorization.  "What we can do is improve what we have because as a tourist destination we do not want mobility problems. Every city wants to have a better public transportation system and good taxi service; and you are in the best position to take advantage of the demand in Puerto Vallarta, which you can do by updating your cars and training your drivers," the mayor added.  Dávalos Peña reiterated that the municipal government is open to supporting initiatives aimed at benefiting Vallartenses, especially in the issue of modernizing and improving public transportation in the municipality. The mayor recalled that the process of modernizing the urban bus route was also detained, while users are still waiting for an improvement in this public service. Okay Puerto Vallarta lovers out there, how do you feel about UBER coming to Vallarta? Do you think they are needed? Personally I have had generally good experiences with cab drivers in Puerto Vallarta. Sure I’ve have had different experiences with cabs in Puerto Vallarta over the years. As I said most of them are good. Very few, not so good. I recall one from last [caption id="attachment_188" align="alignright" width="300"] Local Customs Puerto Vallarta with JR in PV[/caption] October. I had forgotten to pack my power cord for my laptop and I was sort of in a panic. I real estate agent on vacation without a laptop is no Bueno. I had several escrows going and plenty of work to do from paradise so I needed to find a power cord, and pronto.  Now, time to get my computer up and running so I used the wife’s phone to locate an Office Depot in the Hotel Zone, that’s another story but anyway,  I write the address and instructions for the taxi and go out in search of one of the omnipresent yellow cabs. One stops and when I asked him how much, he said 100 pesos. Sounded good to me so I got in. This driver was pretty young and was not talkative. He drove like a maniac to boot. I speak Spanish fluently. Not crappy Spanish, I speak college level Spanish. I went to school in Mexico City, so THIS Gringo speaks Spanish, Mexican Spanish so I do expect to have conversations with the Mexican people I converse with. This guy did manage to ask me if I needed him to wait for me while I shopped. I thought about it for a few seconds, remembering Mr. Toads Wild Ride, and said it wouldn’t be necessary as I didn’t know how long it would take for me to get this deed done. He said that it would be cheaper for me if I just let him wait for me. “Okay I say”, not believing my own words as they tumbled from my lips. It would be cheaper. Remember I love a bargain. Inside the thankfully air-conditioned Office Depot, I ask a sales associate for a universal power cord for my laptop and low and behold, he leads me to the Holy Grail! So very happy with my new purchase $40 US, not much more than I would spend at home,  I exit to find the taxi who can’t believe his luck that it only took me 10 minutes to find what I wanted and complete the purchase. He drives me back to the Malecon and says $250 pesos. WTF?  I say hey, you said the return trip would be less than the 100 pesos we agreed to for our one way trip. At the very most you should earn 200 pesos. He mumbled something to me but not wanting to cause a fuss, I figured the 50 pesos would suffice as a $2.50 US tip for waiting for me. Whatever! Compare that experience to a ride I took back in January. I had just finished my last interview of the trip and walked out of the Salty Caesar looking for a cab to take me to the airport. I walked up to a taxi driver who was waiting by his car and asked him for a price for a lift to the airport. He told me and I agreed. He went to lift my two bags and I warned him they were heavy because they contained two bodies. He hesitated, smiled and lifted them into the cab. We talked about what I was doing in Vallarta, we talked about him, his family, his home, his dreams, all in Spanish of course. When we get to the airport, he looks at me and says, let me help you get those bodies out of the trunk. I pay the man, I reach to shake his hand and he gives me a big Hug instead. Wow! Wasn’t expecting that! I wanted to talk to some locals to see what they thought about the whole Uber mashup and well, reached out to my friend Pam who lives in Lake Chapala, she is a gringa from Boston and here’s what she said. I asked her if cab fares were similar in Lake Chapala, Guadalajara and other areas, she is pretty well traveled and here is what she said,… Prices..Guadalajara and Chapala on par with PV as long as you know your fares. Hate to say it..but my blonde hair, Boston accent scream give a higher rate . Lol. I usually know my fares first. My son's both bilingual taught me that...gringo tax hehe.  Uber, well, it is in Guadalajara and will drop off in Chapala but is not about this area. It created quite a disturbance in Guadalajara. Since I am only an occasional taxi user, though I do use more often in Guadalajara as is just easier sometimes than driving and parking. I rather just use the regular taxis. In PV..I find the taxis plentiful, though they will take advantage if possible (not all of course ) , but either way I will not be using Uber any time soon. Is a good wake up call for the taxi unions though...and taxis without AC in humid PV with woman dressed for night..uh..think. I do not pay extra for AC and if dressed require AC. .The glowing,  windblown look is not becoming. .lol. just some additional thoughts on taxis there for you. We park our car now and use taxis in PV just too much trouble taking car out if close, finding parking etc. PV is comparable in price to Guadalajara. That’s interesting because I’m hearing from locals that they are expecting better service and better prices when uber makes it’s entrance into the market. Whichever way it goes, you can almost guarantee there will be some big time pushback from the Taxi Union. I have a link to the article from Mexico News Daily as well as a link to UBER Puerto Vallarta which as I said earlier, is not quoting any prices and is saying that as of now, they do not operate in the Puerto Vallarta Nuevo Vallarta areas. Not yet! http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/coming-soon-to-pv-uber-vs-taxi-drivers/ Link to Uber Puerto Vallarta   https://www.uber.com/cities/puerto-vallarta/ Okay enough already with the Uber Stuff. I want to hear from you about this, Do you think we need Uber in Puerto Vallarta? Do you have a Taxi Horror Story? Do you have a Taxi Hero Story? Send me your story by clicking on the CONTACT US tab at the top of my website, and leave a message. Maybe I’ll read your Taxi in Paradise Story in a future episode. Listen to The Podcast Listen, the best advice I can give you is for you  to remember to ask how much before you or anyone in your party gets into the cab. I have a fare chart in the blogpost to this episode 24 of the show. If you don’t speak Spanish, get instructions from the Concierge at the place you are staying. You can also listen to episode 8 where we talk about customs, taking taxis and safety tips with JR. [caption id="attachment_817" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Plaza Romy Shopping Center[/caption] [caption id="attachment_820" align="alignleft" width="352"] Helen Mlynarski From Maadri Apparel and Clothing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Okay lets get on with the show. I ask my listeners to reach out to me and send me a message if there is something that I should be talking about, you know, like I say at the end of each of my shows. So I was contacted by Helen Mlynarski from Maadri Clothing located in Plaza Romy. She tells me that I should do an episode about Plaza Romy. Now I had to think for a minute because I know I had seen a sign like on the back of a building or on a wall somewhere that said Plaza Romy, but I just couldn’t figure out where. As it turns out, there are a bunch of places in Plaza Romy that I know about and that I have patronized over the years, but just didn’t realize I was at Plaza Romy. You will recognize many of these places if you know Vallarta, Places like Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse where JR has meet and greets every Tuesday evening at 6. Make sure you see him when you are in town. Buy him a drink. Tell him how handsome he is. Ask him to speak real pretty and stuff. Maybe not. Then there is Monchis Sports Bar, Aroma Café. You may be familiar with these establishments because they are on Lazaro Cardenas, but if you look a little closer, there is a walkway between Aroma and the Sports bar, and you will enter the inner sanctum of Plaza Romy. You will find A whole bunch of places, but I really wanted to talk with Helen and see what was her path to Vallarta, to have her tell you about her place Maadri, and then she took me around to introduce me to some of her friends. We didn’t have time to see and talk with everyone, that would be another hour, but let’s go right now to Plaza Romy in Puerto Vallarta Mexico and Talk with Helen Mlynarski of Maadri Botique. The last interview in this visit was with Al Sellers from Twisted Palms Lounge. I was alerted to this place earlier by my friends Ray and Cheri, and you are going to hear from Ray and Cheri really soon in an upcoming episode, but since I knew I was going to meet up with Ray and Cheri at Twisted Palms, I came back in the evening with my microphones and talked with Al Sellars, owner of Twisted Palms. [caption id="attachment_810" align="alignnone" width="389"] Al Sellers Twisted Palms Lounge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Now you will find all of these other great places in Plaza Romy and I invite all of you to check out the links to all the businesses in Plaza Romy. Hey, they even have parking guys! I will have maps and cool pictures provided by Helen. And to you Helen, thanks for inviting me to Plaza Romy. Your fellow businesses owe you a small debt of gratitude for your reaching out to me to help spread the word about Plaza Romy. Plaza Romy Businesses and Links Maadri Apparel and Clothing Monchis Sports Bar Facebook Page Kelly's Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse Facebook Page Aroma Cafe Facebook Page Twisted Palms Rooftop Lounge Extra Virgin Art, Puerto Vallarta Gato Gordo Cigars Votre Salon, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Vallarta Ink Studios Tattoos  Superior Tours Vallarta Icker Sea & Beachwear  Galeria Serendipity Tell Helen that you heard about her place on the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show and ask her about her show specials. Tell Astrid and Al and Lisa that you heard them on the podcast. They will get a kick out of that. Okay we are through for today. I hope you enjoyed our adventure at Plaza Romy.  Next week stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico and other surprises and Puerto Vallarta Travel tips and ideas.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message. [caption id="attachment_814" align="alignleft" width="129"] Astrid Van Dam Superior Tours Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can [caption id="attachment_813" align="alignleft" width="287"] Aroma Cafe[/caption] get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. So, thanks to Helen Mlynarski from Maadri, check out the links to her website website www.puertovallartatravelshow.com episode 24. And hey, thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos! [caption id="attachment_819" align="alignright" width="409"] Pour Favor Puerto Vallarta[/caption]                     [caption id="attachment_836" align="alignright" width="1000"] Extra Virgin Art, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] [caption id="attachment_845" align="alignright" width="1000"] Renzas Restaurant Italiano, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] [caption id="attachment_842" align="alignright" width="768"] Kelly's Pour Favor, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] [caption id="attachment_843" align="alignright" width="768"] Vallarta Ink and Tattoo, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] [caption id="attachment_841" align="alignright" width="768"] Dog Listening to Bad Jokes...Really![/caption]                 [caption id="attachment_844" align="alignright" width="768"] Monchis Sport Bar, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption]