Mérida Musings:

But first things first, how did we end up here?

Over the past ten years, my wife and I have been exploring different areas of the world to find a spot where we both felt comfortable and safe - not the easiest task for an inter-racial, lesbian couple. We checked out South Africa, Uruguay, and Costa Rica but nothing checked all of the boxes. About four years ago, our son entered the world and as he got older, we realized if we wanted to move we should do it soon. We didn’t want to totally disrupt his routine, if possible, and we really didn’t want him attending schools in the States (for many reasons that I can explain at another time). Last February to April, after a ton of research done by my wife, Aja, we embarked on a few months in Mérida, Mexico without much of an idea of what to expect - what we found was really amazing.

The culture here is very family-oriented and the love expressed within families is palpable. All generations can be seen holding hands walking through the parks and malls. People are friendly and generous - and will try their best to speak English when they see you struggling with Spanish. We loved having so many outdoor spaces available to us, and we loved the ability to live life just a little bit “slower”. We found lots of healthy food options easily and cheaply and our son loved the pools!

We (or I guess I should say I) wasn’t completely prepared for the dramatic weather difference, but we are all adapting…just some a bit quicker than others! In those two months, we found out about the healthcare system (COVID and an ear issue), some of the schools through organized visits, and about just how much of an effort it can be to slow down coming from the States. Just as we finally hit our groove, we flew home and felt the United States energy as soon as got into the airport. Not to say it was terrible…it’s just different. People move quickly, and there’s more of a frantic feeling of anxiety mixed with desperation. Having experienced another perspective, it was tricky to understand if it had always been this way or something had shifted.

Either way, we were ready to go back but didn’t have everything in place that we needed. Over the last 8 or 9 months, we’ve slowly made the shift to be able to move to Mérida for a year - or maybe more if we really enjoy it! We still want to explore other areas, but it does feel nice to have a base that feels safe, warm, and welcoming. We definitely miss our family and friends but have been able to stay in touch…and we’ll be back to the States to visit (and for photo sessions in the Summer)!