The time has come to fly our wings and move on to drier ground. San Pancho has been a great first landing spot for us in this new chapter of our individual and collective lives as a family.
We were able to introduce ourselves to our new country, a new culture, a new language in a supportive, interconnected, small community. We nationalized our automobile and boat, and became permanent residents. We were finger-printed, had our mug shots taken (yes, that is Neosporin acting as a hair gel to slick back our hair for the required ear exposure),
Permanent Resident Mug Shots
traded in our California license plate for Nayarit ones, confirmed our retirement, educational, and income status, played the paper-work dance…We made the move, two feet in.
Our children have feasted and flourished in ways never imagined, and have experienced life like they never would have had we stayed in the states.
My husband has had the time and space to disconnect and decompress from a career in the line of duty as a First Responder/Firefighter, and to spend quality time with his wife and children.
Me? I am no longer single-parenting, have learned to surf, no longer sit in rush hour traffic for hours on end, am immersed daily in Mother Nature, have learned to breath in the moment. Most importantly, I am enjoying every single day with my family. What a gift.
The journey is in motion…the story is unfolding every day. We are not closing this door, just opening another.
San Miguel de Allende is calling to us. We have researched and considered various other places in Mainland Mexico: Querétero, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Valle de Bravo, Cuernavaca, Xalapa…
But at the end of the day, San Miguel has marked itself as our next destination.
The Magnificent San Miguel de Allende Parroquía!
San Miguel de Allende is deemed a “pueblo mágico” in the state of Guanajuato in Central Mexico. It is a historic, artistic community with a unique Colonial charm. Known for its narrow cobblestone streets, impressive courtyards, and fine architectural details, San Miguel has been declared a World Heritage Site, due to its well-preserved historic center, filled with buildings from the 17th and 18th century. Lots for us to explore!
Climate? According to all the research we’ve done, San Miguel has a pleasant year-round spring-like climate. The average day is brisk in the morning, warm and sunny in the afternoons, and cool in the evenings. At 6400 feet above sea level, both the humidity and the temperature is kept down and the air is clean and refreshing. Sounds inviting.
Looking at the monthly averages for rainfall, it is comforting to know that at it’s maximum, San Miguel receives 5 inches of rain a month during its rainy season, versus the 5 inches in one day that we received this past summer in San Pancho.
I love the jungle, I love its raw, inviting, intoxicating beauty. Its creatures, its critters, its magical play of light and shadows…I love adventuring in it and being able to breath in and soak up Mother Nature in one of her finest displays of life. I will miss it.
But, we are more than ready to move on to drier ground—one with a rich diversity of culture, arts and history.
People have expressed surprise–and some, great surprise–at our decision to leave San Pancho. “But we thought you guys loved it there?” “We thought you all were happy there?” We do, and we are.
This is a move of choice. Yes, there have been certain events that have contributed to our realization that it is time to move on and experience more of this beautiful country, but at the end of the day, we came to Mexico to radically change the lives we were living in the States. To “get of the grid”, detach from the “rat race”, enjoy and embrace my husband’s new retirement, honor our family and the time we have been gifted here on Planet Earth.
We have the ability to do this, the fortitude to follow our wanderlust spirits, to see this world outside of a prescribed formula….
We are not a religious family, but a deeply spiritual one that operates by our own individual and collective code of faith, integrity, honesty and kindness.
Living in the present is our guide. There are bumps, there are valleys, there are highs and lows for sure. We are not afraid to venture down the road less traveled.
If not now, when?
Stay tuned….
The O’Grady Adventure continues!
