Not everyone wants to be a nomadic expat forever. At some point, it may feel like it is time to settle down. But before you do, it helps to do a longer “trial stay” to see if it’s the right fit.
Mike:
After traveling for 18 months, moving every week or two, it was finally time to enter Phase 2: the one-month stay. We finally agreed on Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and on Victoria, Canada for our initial stops.
Eileen:
Not bad choices at all! They were both beautiful places that were very international. But we soon found that staying for a month is a very different experience than visiting for a week.
Mike:
For sure. When you go somewhere for that length of time, with the possibility of eventually settling there, you can’t have a tourist mentality. You need to meet people who live there, manage your time, and immerse yourself in the local community.
Eileen:
I really liked that we reached out to contacts in each city before we even arrived. Through a previous volunteer opportunity in Cartagena, Colombia, we were able to connect with an amazing NGO near Puerto Vallarta.
Mike:
Also, thanks to Facebook postings of our whereabouts, our time in Victoria included get-togethers with the sister of a friend from Scotland and the cousin of a friend from Phoenix. Meeting with the locals gave us the opportunity to ask questions about what it’s really like to live there—and get honest responses.
Eileen:
I think the hardest part was figuring out how to spend our time. We were not there as tourists, but we also weren’t part of each local community. After the first few days of visiting the major sites and hunting down the best coffee shops, we had to admit we were a bit lost.
Mike:
I agree. At that point, it became clear we had to create a routine as if we were “at home.” For me, re-establishing an exercise routine was not too difficult when there were miles of beaches to run along. I also was able to carve out some time each day to work toward my TEFL certification.
Eileen:
I got back to working on improving my Spanish—easy in Mexico, not so much in Canada. Thanks to the wonders of technology, I was able to continue teaching my ESL classes via Skype.
Mike:
We did check out local foundations in each place for volunteering opportunities. I also couldn’t pass a bulletin board without reading the flyers with local activities. To be honest, I think it takes a lot of work to get involved with a community and feel you really belong.
Eileen:
And that, my dear, is what next summer is for. I can already hear that beach calling our name!
Have you found your “happy place?” If so, we’d love to hear where it is and why.
by: Mike & Eileen Brill-Wagner
