3 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Moving My Son to Mexico
In 2020 my son was four and a half and we were living in an RV, looking for a new place to call home. Colorado didn't fit anymore. Then I read a post in a single moms travel group about a mom who found her place in Playa del Carmen. Not long after, we were there too.
Families ask me the same questions I had back then. These are the three things I wish someone had told me.
1. You don't need a big sign
People expect a dramatic reason. I didn't have one. I had a feeling that home didn't fit anymore and one small reason to go look.
Within a week or two of arriving, I knew in my body that we belonged there for that season. If you're waiting to feel certain before you even visit, you could wait forever.
2. Don't ship your house
Almost every shipping story I've heard goes the same way. Boxes get stuck in customs. Some things never show up. Others arrive with fees nobody planned for. Mexico feels close enough that moving your stuff should be easy. It rarely is, and that goes for bringing a car too.
Keep the few things that truly matter to you. Put them in storage or leave them with family. Buy the rest once you land.
3. You're going to miss home
Somewhere in the first 90 days it hits. Your kids miss their room, their bed, their toys. Then it's your turn. You don't have friends to call yet and you haven't found childcare.
For my son and me the hardest part was speed. In the US you're in and out of the bank in minutes. In Mexico everything takes longer. We still miss that sometimes.
So say it out loud before you go: we're going to miss things and that's okay. It lands softer when everyone sees it coming.
The rest is in the guide
I put everything else into The Smart Family's Guide to Moving to Mexico. It's 42 pages, written for parents and it's free.
Not sure which city fits your family yet? Take my 3-minute quiz and get your best match.
Comments