My move to Mexico is soon.

Tomorrow I finish moving all of my belongings to a storage unit and my car is going into a garage.

One way flight to Cancun on Sunday, moving to an apartment in Playa del Carmen on Tuesday.

The following week I have my 2nd immigration appointment for Temporary Residence approval. After that I can enter/exit Mexico freely as a resident. 

Feel free to ask any questions....the temp visa was a real bitch to get. I am now an expert in that department.

Good luck.  Should be a great adventure.  Don't drink too many cervazas.  Stay away from the narcos and do your work before you visit the beach.  

Fiesta at Auto's casa.

Beers are ~$1.44

Middle road tequila shot ~$3.84

posted by Automatik

Beers are ~$1.44

Middle road tequila shot ~$3.84

Always watch the shot pour.  Helps avoid the occasional Mickey Finn.

Why?

posted by Fletch

Why?

Why not?

Single, no kids. Low COL. Work remote. Live by the beach. That's pretty much it.

Are you fluent in Spanish?

posted by Automatik

Single, no kids. Low COL. Work remote. Live by the beach. That's pretty much it.

I have a buddy in a similar situation who works in IT..he has been traveling around staying in airbandb's for about a year now and loving it... he has been to london, dallas, st. pete, vegas, that i can recall off the top of my head.  He usually chooses based on a good deal he can find.

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

Are you fluent in Spanish?

Bumping this just because.

No I'm not, but I can get by. I've strictly been dating Latinas for over a decade, so I should be much better. But to be honest....I just never really gave a shit and didn't put in the effort.

Now at 37 I'm full steam ahead. Using it everyday, private lessons twice a week. It's not fun, but I'm improving. People who say Spanish is easy to learn are full of shit. Maybe at a young age, but as full time working adult...it sucks. Work all day then its time to turn on "Spanish mode" when my teacher arrives. Sometimes my brain just stops working and I go blank. Just gotta keep plugging. 

posted by Automatik

Bumping this just because.

No I'm not, but I can get by. I've strictly been dating Latinas for over a decade, so I should be much better. But to be honest....I just never really gave a shit and didn't put in the effort.

Now at 37 I'm full steam ahead. Using it everyday, private lessons twice a week. It's not fun, but I'm improving. People who say Spanish is easy to learn are full of shit. Maybe at a young age, but as full time working adult...it sucks. Work all day then its time to turn on "Spanish mode" when my teacher arrives. Sometimes my brain just stops working and I go blank. Just gotta keep plugging. 

It’s gotta help that you’re in a Spanish speaking culture, but I’m sure it’s hard.  Language learning at that age is against the grain.

Hope your move down there and your experiences are going well.  

The rules that you simply just have to know throw me off all the time. Now I understand why people complain about learning English. 

Sure I can say certain things well, but I throw in a minor mistake that screams “gringo.” 

I have mastered the numbers though, that has helped tremendously. 

How many people in your area speak English?

Good luck.  Tequila helps with the Spanish. 

posted by ernest_t_bass

How many people in your area speak English?

It's a tourist/international town town, so a decent amount. I do regularly come across locals who speak zero English though....waitstaff, bartenders, taxi drivers, etc. 

I've been on several dates with women who don't speak a lick of English. Hell of a challenge.

Booze definitely gives me more confidence.

Living down there should help. Plus, you're giving the effort, so they will appreciate it and be more willing to tolerate and help.

I was near fluent in French after 10th grade. Didnt take it anymore because I tested out of it as a Jr/Sr and in college. Completely forgot 95% and even some basic words that anyone would know. 

Then went to Paris for 6 weeks to work the French Open and stay a week extra on either side. I was back to like 90%. 

And English is a ridiculous language. It's hard to learn a new one, but those cultures follow the same rules through and through, for the most part. English makes no damn sense. 

I took French in HS for 2 years. Lost all of it quickly. I wish someone would have smacked me and said to stay with it. 

If I could do it all over again, I would have taken Spanish the entire time, HS through college. Like most Americans, I thought..."why do I need this?"

posted by Automatik

I took French in HS for 2 years. Lost all of it quickly. I wish someone would have smacked me and said to stay with it. 

If I could do it all over again, I would have taken Spanish the entire time, HS through college. Like most Americans, I thought..."why do I need this?"

My school started French in Kindergarten and required all the way thru 10th grade (11/12 if you didnt test out). You had a 6th grade option to switch to Spanish, but I didnt want to start over haha. Wish I wouldve, cause Spanish is more valuable than French...even though I didnt use it in my everyday life.

Can you understand Canadian French? Like people from Quebec? Sounds insane. 

I have a friend here from England. Her ex husband is from Puebla. They have a 5 year old daughter, born in Mexico. I met her last week. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fluent in Spanish and English, but also speaks with crazy local slang. It blew my mind. 

I haven't ever been up to French Canada. Within a week of being in Paris I started to understand quickly and then just had to think of the response. That took almost a month. The final week I was able to communicate with taxis/restaurants/etc without sounding like a dweeb. Still made some dumb mistakes like the correct word but wrong meaning in context. 

Watch the movie The Decline (Netflix), its a survivalist flick. Filmed in Quebec. 

italki has been an immense help for me in Italy. Some people just have the ear for languages, and I’m not one of them. 

Once you figure out the conjugations, search “top 1000 words in Spanish” and make flash cards. 

Also, don’t be a dipshit like me and try to structure your sentences from English to Spanish. It’s ok to simplify and not overthink sentences.  Good luck.

posted by Automatik

It's a tourist/international town town, so a decent amount. I do regularly come across locals who speak zero English though....waitstaff, bartenders, taxi drivers, etc. 

I've been on several dates with women who don't speak a lick of English. Hell of a challenge.

Booze definitely gives me more confidence.

Were going to see you on 90 day fiancé soon. 

Are you still in Playa Del Carmen?

Got back a few weeks ago. I renewed my residency last week. 3 more years then I'm permanent!