Life Abroad Archives

Rainy Day, Dream Away

A small tropical storm is moving past Isla Mujeres today, so we are all socked in with wind and rain. While the island tremendously needs the moisture, along with the rain brings a few ‘uniquely’ Caribbean problems. Hmmm.. where to start? Since my lovely wife bought me a scooter, I have been remiss in driving the Vocho. These are the problems of abundance I have to deal with! The rains, rather than bringing a rinse for the accumulated salt, will wash the salt into the corners and send the rust into overdrive. Everything here rusts. The cargo rack on the back…

Feliz cumpleaños para mi – Happy birthday to me! My beautiful and wonderful wife bought me a special present this year. I am not saying how old I am – 49 – but this is a present that takes me back to being a kid all over again! The Italika Vitalia 150 is a throwback to Italian styling, with a Mexican flair. So far, with 25km on the clock, I am loving it! The release for the seat storage is a bit odd. I am sure I will figure it out in time, but it takes me a few tries…

I was just reading a blog post about some millennials’ most embarrassing travel moments. All-in-all, not that interesting… at least from a real traveler’s perspective. Maybe they just need some years and some miles to understand what true ’embarrassment’ is! It got my wife and I talking about the moments we have had over the years that definitely qualify as ’embarrassing’… As she pointed out, spending time in any place where the native language is not English forces a good traveler to live in an almost constant state of low-level embarrassment. You are never really sure you are extoling the tastiness of…

Every place, every culture, every peoples – have their way about them. We go to Europe and stand in awe of the work/life balance of the Italians, the diligence of the Germans, the loyalty of the British. We travel to Malaysia and see a wonderfully tolerant and welcoming culture. In our time in Australia, we found a genuine spirit that pervades the people. As every place and culture has its own wonderful elements, so too does it have a few less desirable traits. Let me be very clear, I love Mexico. I love the heart of the people, the depth…

Over the last week, Diane has been in Boston visiting her elderly aunt (shhh, no one tell her I called her that!). Modern air travel being what it is, she was taken from a tropical, island lifestyle and plopped back into her ‘old world’ in a matter of a few hours. Having made a few similar trips over the past few months for my work, I understand the immediate shift that is required to get ‘up to speed’ and in tune with a big city in the United States. It is not easy, even though it is automatic. Fortunately, our Global Entry has…

A few years back, when we were staying in Mazatlán, I contracted dengue fever from one of a seemingly insignificant series of mosquito bites. In my life, I have been lucky enough to have only endured a few medical conditions of this type, food poisoning, valley fever, stomach flu, etc. Dengue is another level of misery. It makes all of the others pale by comparison. Living on the Caribbean, we take great pains to ensure we reduce the number of times we get bitten by mosquitos. Of course you can’t totally eliminate bites, so lowering your chances is the best…

As our housesit on Isla Mujeres comes to an end – for this period – we are looking at where the next few months will see us. My job is settling in for a couple of long-term contracts that mean I will only have to be onsite rarely, which opens – quite literally – up a world of options for our next locations. Diane has been working on some long-delayed dental work (which will be the subject of a whole other series of posts), so we will need to come back to Mexico in the spring to complete the series…

Just when you think you could not add anything else into a great evening with friends, sitting on the back deck watching the sunset over the Caribbean, along comes a storm that produces a waterspout… with dolphins swimming by, jumping out of the water… and then you notice that the water in the pool is sloshing. A quick check of earthquake monitoring site lets you know that on top of all of that, the Earth at your feet is literally shaking. Yep, just when you think that Mother Nature is putting on a good show, she ups the ante and…

This morning started out with hope. The clouds were building and a large storm formed just offshore. It was close enough for us to hear thunder rolling across the still Caribbean. But it was not to be. The clouds blew away and the humidity dropped. The stillness returned with its friend ‘heat’. We’ve retreated to the side porch where the wind comes (if there is even a puff) from the south. It is amazing the difference it makes! I know that when rain does come to the Caribbean, it comes with a vengeance. I will be careful for what I…

A look back at 2007 and our first week in San Miguel de Allende. This trip was our first realization that David could actually work, successfully, from almost anywhere, and it changed our lives. Behind the heavy wooden doors of Posadas de las Monjas we found true sanctuary. David and I have been here for 6 days and can’t seem to find a compelling reason to leave. The word posada means a place to rest and rest we have found. The original buildings served as a monastery and the complex is a maze of walkways and small staircases that open into…

Rainy Day, Dream Away

Feliz Cumpleaños Para Mi

Ooops! – Embarrassing Travel Moments

Sometimes, It All Catches Up To You

Lost In My Old World

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Dreams of Sicily

Waterspouts and Earthquakes (and Dolphins)

Rain, Why Doth Thou Taunt Me?

San Miguel de Allende: Posada de Las Monjas

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