If you think you’ll experience peace and relaxation when you visit or move to Mexico, keep dreaming. Mexicans are party animals. If there is something to celebrate, there will be music, dancing, singing, fireworks and most especially, the loud booms of cohetes and palomas. Cohetes and Palomas 24/7 Today, December 12, is the religious holiday…
Rainy season in Central Mexico has begun. Flowers are blooming on the cacti, grapes are plumping up on the vines and the desert dust is washed away. As romantic as this all sounds, the rainy season in Mexico brings with it a lot of good, a little bad and some ugly. Weather in Central Mexico…
The historical area of Queretaro is a UNESCO World Heritage site studded with beautiful architecture and monuments. Queretaro has grown from an agricultural region to the birthplace of the Independence movement, and helped shape Mexico into what it is today. The museums of Quertaro are an easy way to learn about the history and…
You’ve heard the saying that you “gravitate towards people like you”. I have found in my travels and many moves across the USA and overseas that this saying is very true. When making friends in a foreign country, you attract people like you. Recently I received an email from someone who wanted to move…
It’s one thing to SEE a tradition in another culture, it’s a whole other world to be a part of it. Living in Mexico has allowed us to get to know our neighbors and learn about Mexican traditions and culture. One of those traditions is Las Posadas. Posadas is Spanish for lodging or accommodation. This…
Experiencing Christmas in another country is always exhilarating. What will be similar? What will be different? This is our first Christmas in Queretaro, Mexico. Lights shaped as Christmas trees and stars hang from the lamp posts. Stores are draped in garlands of poinsettias and sparkling lights, and Christmas music blares out of every doorway and…
We did quite a bit of research before selecting the greater Queretaro area to relocate to. One thing we did not look into was what are the local food specialties? Call it dumb luck but we were fortunate enough to stumble onto some fairly remarkable local delicacies, most notably carnitas and barbacoa. Carnitas Santa Rosa…
We were driving to the airport yesterday to pick up my parents during a rain storm. Flooding was everywhere, and Mexicans are horrible drivers even in good conditions. We live 45 minutes away, around a few small mountains on the other side of Queretaro. As we were driving we saw all this white stuff on…
Did you know that Mexico produces and supplies 45% of the world’s avocados? And did you know that Mexico grows 14 varieties of mangoes? One of the highlights of traveling around the world is visiting local markets. Now that we live in Queretaro, the Mercado La Cruz isn’t a tourist attraction for us. It truly…
It’s hard to believe how much we’ve accomplished in our first 100 days in Mexico, and what still needs to be accomplished. Starting a new life in a foreign country is exciting, but it isn’t easy. We aren’t only in a foreign country, but in foreign territory when it comes to the basics of setting…
Did you know that Spanish is either the official or majority language spoken in twenty countries and the territory of Puerto Rico? It’s true! A basic understanding of the language can get you around, but the different nuances of each country can throw a wrench into comprehension. When I lived in the Dominican Republic, I…
Buying furniture in Queretaro is not that different from the States. They have modern and antique furniture stores ranging from Contemporary to Victorian. It’s always exciting to buy new furniture, especially for a new house. On our visits to Mexico last year, we researched furniture prices to make sure we could afford the cost of living…