Mexico is known for a lot of things, both good and bad. Tacos, wrestling, mariachi bands, hot weather, beaches, kidnappings, drugs, etc. Whenever I tell people I live in Mexico, I feel like one or more of these images pop into their mind (usually beginning with the bad). Truthfully, life in Mexico for this digital nomad has been pretty peaceful. I’ve had my ups and downs and moving from Canada to Mexico was not the smoothest transition, but I am grateful to call this beautiful country my home.

>> Watch this Instagram Reel for a glimpse of My Life in Mexico! <<

Why did I move to Mexico?

“So why did you move to Mexico?” is usually the first question people ask. Most expect me to reply with the typical: it’s cheap, the food, and/or the climate. It’s true that I love Mexican cuisine and, in Puerto Escondido (where I first lived), the climate is perfect for this heat-loving nomad. As well, the lower cost of living was obviously appealing at the time. That is until COVID-19 hit, and prices skyrocketed because of digital nomads and increasing gentrification. Regardless, my decision to move to Mexico was more complex than what most people assume. Truthfully, my overall view of Mexico was fairly optimistic because the information I had received throughout my childhood from family members and friends was mostly positive.

Why I decided on moving to Mexico instead of a ‘safer’ country

It is no secret that Mexico has a daunting reputation for violence (especially against women), drugs, kidnappings, and dangerous insects/animals, among other things. When growing up in Canada I was constantly exposed to the less-than-favorable news coverage and popular opinion regarding Mexico. However, I also lived vicariously through family and family friends who travelled to and/or lived in Mexico. I remember my uncle’s tales of him driving with friends through Mexico in a camper van, starring in western movies along the way. My parents would go to Mexico nearly ever year, renting a car and driving through different states exploring. In other words, we weren’t exactly the media-fuelled, Mexico-fearing, resort-bound family that you often encounter in Canadian culture. So when it came time to move, I had more knowledge and less fear about Mexico than I did of most other countries.

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Why did I move from Canada to Mexico at all?

Now you might be wondering why I moved in the first place. What was wrong with Canada?

Here’s the thing… After graduating from university I broke off my engagement, sold my possessions, packed up a suitcase, and took my first solo trip to the island of Kauai (Hawaii). A bad accident in Kauai sent me straight back to Canada with broken bones, a broken heart, homeless, jobless, and a hopeless mess. During my long recovery and battle with depression, I lived with my parents. Eventually I found an amazing apartment which I was later evicted from, sending me straight back to the blowup mattress on my parent’s living room floor. Toronto was facing a housing crisis at the time, and finding any sort of accommodation was impossible.

In my mind, there were only two options: (1) move further away to a smaller city or (2) relocate to a different country so I could make the most of a bad situation, and at least explore the world a little in this time of uncertainty. Since I had already uprooted my whole life and had a taste of paradise when traveling to Hawaii alone on a recent solo surf trip, I wasn’t really interested in Option 1. Plus I had always dreamed of becoming a good surfer, and I felt this was my opportunity to move somewhere I could improve my surfing. So one night when my family was sleeping I booked a one-way ticket to Puerto Escondido, Mexico and told them the exciting news the next morning.

Digital nomad life in Mexico

When the time came to move I luckily already had a successful and lucrative online teaching career, so it didn’t really matter if I stayed in Canada or not in terms of supporting myself financially. I had been teaching using two separate English-learning platforms for quite some time and was enjoying earning cash from the comfort of home. The best part about this type of work is you only need a computer, stable internet connection, and headset to teach from anywhere in the world. The “stable internet part” would become the real challenge in Mexico, but I had plenty of backup solutions to keep me earning money teaching while traveling. Since then, I’ve signed on with other teaching companies and still teach from time to time when I need extra cash.

So that pretty much sums up how and why I ended up moving from Canada to Mexico as a digital nomad. But like I said, the transition to life in Mexico was far from smooth (i.e., language barriers, dengue fever, zika virus, and yet another broken heart). Be sure to check back for new posts to learn more about my life and crazy adventures in Mexico. I will be posting new content every week on Tuesdays (and more frequently when possible)!

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