Life is a Beach Mexico-First blog post

The reason for this blog is to hopefully entertain my readers on an adventure of life. This is a story’s about  Loss, Love, Faith, Travel, Adventure, and Laughter. Along the way I will pass on Travel Tips of the Riviera Maya Mexico and the new life as Expats adjusting to life in Mexico. 

The story of two Dream seekers move to Mexico 

This is the story of 2 people who had felt love and life might have been taken from them at the age of 59. One lost his first love to Heaven who thought that love could never to be found again… the other Her daughter ABBY was called to heaven by God at only 16 and her loss which only a parent could even imagine. 

Just a few short months ago the journey began from an internet date for breakfast at Juan in a Million restaurant in Austin and now continues together as man and wife to a beach town in Mexico.

I hope this story as it unfolds can bring hope and dreams to someone who thinks life is in the rear view mirror and not on the wonderful road God has planned for you ahead!

I plan to take you along our journey as we sell all we own,pack up the car with our Dog and clothes on our back and travel across Mexico to our new life on the white sands of Mexico!

I hope the lessons along the way from the legal crossings to another country to the challenges of a new marriage will bring knowledge, joy, hope, and I am sure a few laughs to all who follow this crazy adventure of two strangers brought together by chance and God.

Before we crossed the border into our new life we stopped to fill up with gas and one last rest stop. As I looked up while watching my new bride walk back to the car I saw the first of many signs from God ( we will call them “Spiritual Similarities” ) above her head was the SIGN of the gas/restaurant        

“ABBY’S MEX-FOOD” 

We knew were not alone on this journey of…

Life, Love,and Laughter! 

“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was.Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” 

                                                        -Rumi 

Contact info:

LifeIsABeachMex@yahoo.com

Yoga – Myth

Source: Yoga – Myth 

Expat Independence Day

ExPat Independence Day 
expat – a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country. 

So what might an Expat reflect on their first Independence Day from Home? 

An American Expat reflecting about his Country’s Birthdate while watching turtles nest on Mexican sand …
241 years ago our Country declared with a Declaration of Independence they were a UNITED 13 original STATES that stands ONE NATION UNDER GOD.. A UNITED STATES of AMERICA . 
Everyday Nancy and I discuss our daily experience of just living life differently instead of watching TV , News, and the negative fighting on our HOME land. 

Believe me it’s not all Flip Flops…Living out of the pure convenience of the USA is a daily challenge ! 

Our reward is how must it enriches us socially, culturally , and most of all spiritually. We have been made so welcome and we just try to give back more in return. The cross-cultural, mutually beneficial sharing that occurs when expats meet locals and other expats is a type of harmony from GOD. 
My Birthplace is my first Home -TEXAS-(formally known as Mexico) 

As a Child I was socialized on the JERSEY shore in a magical time of the 60’s ( one of the original 13 States) 

As an Adult I returned for my final education and life,HOME, back to TEXAS 

My travels took me to many amazing places but my HEART has always brought back to Riviera Maya Mexico.
So no Fireworks today , not a lot of Stars and Stripes, and We will miss the annual Rockport Family reunion …but we keep the pride of such a Special Nation started by American Expatriates searching for freedom of expression of Religion and from Persecution. 

We are a Country of GOD and we live in a World of GOD’s Children. 
So now we live within our HEARTS for our HOME, but we live for GOD in our HEARTS, and GOD has no boundaries just a UNITED LOVE for All of the people of his Kingdom. 
GOD BLESS AMERICA! ( all of it ! ) 

and GOD BLESS The WORLD! 

Lifeisabeachmex@me.com 

Lesson of Loss

Source:  Lesson of Loss 

Driving across Mexico

Driving across Mexico 
Let’s Taco About It! 
Our first adventure was the 4 day drive from Texas to Mexico and the Riviera Maya. 

Step 1- Mexican Consulate in the US apply for “Residente Temporal” for approval as Temporary Residents once approved then register the car with the Mexican Consulate and papers to start a process which is another story or two by itself. 

Got our traveling papers for everything from Marriage license, car titles , list of goods and receipts of purchase, medical records, Mexican auto permit ,insurance, residente temploral application to the Dog’s shot records and passport. We Sold everything in a garage sale,a dollar at a time, except what would fit into our Ford Escape. 



Step 2 – crossing over into Mexico…

This is where we made our 

1st mistake-

No lying … the Border of Mexico is a scary place on both sides of Texas. When the Custom agents waved us on we cruised so fast we failed to stop at immigration and get our tourist card or FMM (“Forma Migratoria Múltiple”). This allows you to stay in the Country so basically we were Illegal immigrants. I will later tell the story of how that almost got us deported and had to drive to Belize and “get a favor” to stay in Mexico. If you travel to Mexico remember…You MUST keep that tourist card ! 

Mistake # 2 

– we assumed they would take the mighty US dollar -WRONG we made it all the way …gas,food, and Hotels for under the $500 .
Mistake # 3- 

Travel Tip golden rule: pack toilet paper …the first stop that we needed that golden moment we had no toilet paper and either did Mexico. I had to use my pair of underwear…I’m sure the next guy in line said …”Now who would throw away a perfectly good pair of underwear ?…He must have been a Rich man!” …just helping the “SPOILED RICH AMERICAN IMAGE” 

Things Done Well-

Auto Hotels of Mexico 

What we did do right is use the Auto Hotels also known a Whore Hotels. These Hotels you drive in,stay in your car, give your credit card, and they let you pull in to a single garage with one bedroom suite upstairs. Beautiful clean modern room for around $15 a night … the room had room service which they slide a pass through speakeasy type window …the funny thing is on one side of the menu is food, beer, and wine …the other side are sex toys! Great rooms and the only Hotels where we could leave the car packed and secure and stay with our 100 lb Dog. 

The Road less Traveled 

  The first day in Mexico were huge factories and cactus pretty rough but Day 2 and 3 in the mountains of Mexico were some of the most amazing country side Views we had ever seen ! 

Mostly toll roads few pot holes but 85% great highways. Great little cheap restaurants lined the roads and the sites were so amazing we never even turned on a radio for the 4 day trip. 

When we finally arrived in the Yucatán our final destination we stopped to stretch and walk the Dog we noticed a rainbow over a local church and knew we were not alone in our journey of love and new adventures . 

Any Questions just email me@ 

LifeIsABeach@Yahoo.com 

Lessons learned –

Moving to Mexico? 

30 plus years of living in the great city of Austin and people would ask “Why Mexico?”
Besides my decades of experiencing the fantastic culture of Mexico firsthand here are just some world rankings to say “Why Not Mexico”…its not just the blue oceans! 

# 2 -Happy Planet Index (Usa#108)
#4- Quality of life index
(USA#26)
#3 -Best 20 countries to retire
(USA- not in top 20)
#2- Best place for expats to live
#1- Best beach and clearest ocean in the World

The adventure begins….

-Check the box

Yes when selling your world in a garage sale you make some liberating and heartbreaking choices.

Liberating is disconnecting your stuff with who you are. Old memories, old clothes,corporate titles,and an old 67 Mercedes convertible.
Heartbreaking is leaving behind the network of Family of Friends including the 4 legged ones behind to travel to a new culture, new path, new life.

Everything in our new chapter had to fit in a Ford Escape. Duck tape on the kitchen floor was the schematic test for what can go!

Two sets of golf clubs, guitar,
painting, camera, drone, gasoline can, water, dog food, our clothes , and
100 pound collie dog!

The Lessons we have gained from this experience are vast and life changing.

Lesson of this day:

This is a story my Father told me years ago and it’s message is spot on for the lesson learned in my life today. 

“He would tell me :

– Close your eyes and visualize TWO images of yourself. One side you have your prize possessions and your titles and stuff with you.
– The other side visualize yourself bare naked in your Birthday suit!
– If the Two are difference ,Change the way you think today!”

Living in Mexico is as close to living bare naked after a life in the States. In the States we tend to spend our life about making money and the Stuff we have because we have so many opportunities to do so. In the end nobody cares about your Stuff , you hate half your Stuff it you’re being honest. 

Live to have Stories not Stuff …this is ours. 

LifeIsABeachMex.Yahoo.com 

Love at 59

Ok maybe its best we give you a little background like a good Quentin Tarantino movie…lets go back…

My first true love and I adored Mexico we would take a honeymoon every year exploring the different beach communities and fell in love with the people the culture and just the Mexican lifestyle. After her death the passion continued for me returning multiple times each year. After 20 plus years of the corporate sales grind I was at a point to just pack it up and change my daily beatdown of chasing the mighty dollar. On a bet my friends signed me up on a dating site to encourage that I find love in my life again. A few dates and the only thing I was sure is that the dating game at 59 was a bigger train wreck that it was at 20! 

Then came Nancy… On the surface we had not much in common… She lived 300 miles away did not want a long distance relationship and had a requirement of a TALL man ! I loved blondes and blue eyes she has brown hair and brown eyes and I am only tall if I am in Mexico …not a match!

Why we ever decided to have a breakfast date is still a mystery or more like plan from GOD. I wore my boots to be tall and Nancy a vegan for 10 years ate real food…

8 months later Nancy and I surprised our Friends by getting Married by a Captain on his Boat at a going away party. 

We rented or sold our homes, sold or gave away our Stuff away and drove to our new home in a trailer park in Paamul Mexico to start life over at 59 years young. I want to document the crazy hoops and roadblocks we have and will overcome on the way in hopes someone will read this and wake up tomorrow with a new image of what can be…too many days I woke up and said

“good God its morning!” 

Instead of “Good morning God!” …hope you enjoy the ride!