Expats Like Us
A podcast series exploring life as a U.S. Expat in Mexico. Topics include preparing to move to a new country, navigating your new home and finding your passion as a retiree.
Expats Like Us
Diving into Expat Life: Retiring on the Riviera Maya
Imagine swapping the intensity of military and IT consulting for the serene beaches of the Riviera Maya. That's exactly what our guest, Jose Galarza, did, and in this heartfelt chat, he unveils the tapestry of his life's new chapter. From embracing the local culture to discovering the joys of scuba diving, Jose's transition to expat life is a trove of insight for anyone dreaming of retirement abroad. He candidly shares both the hurdles and triumphs of adapting to a new community, offering a realistic glimpse into the adjustments and fresh passions that come with such a significant life change.
Retirees eyeing Mexico as their personal paradise will find Jose's journey enlightening. His thoughtful reflection on selecting the perfect spot to settle—balancing the draw of nearby US comforts with the desire for coastal living—paints a vivid picture of the strategic planning involved. When it comes to preparing for a life outside your native borders, financial foresight and healthcare considerations take center stage. Jose's story is an invaluable guide for aligning your retirement destination with your lifestyle aspirations, ensuring your golden years are as golden as the Mexican sunsets.
For those mesmerized by the silent dance of sea life, Jose's deep dive into the world of scuba diving will have you yearning for the weightlessness of underwater exploration. Beyond sharing the mental and physical benefits of this aquatic activity, he navigates listeners through the practicalities of certification and gear, ensuring even novices feel prepared to take the plunge. Wrapping up our conversation, we play a lighthearted round of 'Que Padre and Que Malo,' contrasting the highs and lows of expat life in Mexico, with community spirit shining as a beacon of the expatriate experience.
We are incredibly thankful for engagement and stories from our listeners, who have found their own sense of 'home' across the globe. Stay tuned as we continue to share the wisdom and wanderlust of those who've charted their unique international courses. We'd love to hear your comments and questions. Email them to expatslikeus@gmail.com
For more information and content, follow Expats Like Us on Facebook and YouTube
remember, life will not be the same as it is back home. Don't expect to find a place that is the same as where you came from. That's not what you should be looking for, especially if you're moving to another country. Where you're going? The idea or the advantage of moving to other countries is to experience different cultures, lifestyles, foods, et cetera. My point is, my thing is enjoy the ride, don't fight it, don't try to change everything because you're not going to change. You really need to adapt and understand how things work in the country that you move to.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Expats Like Us exploring the world of US expat life in Mexico. In each episode we'll meet new people and hear their personal stories. We'll also learn more about the expat life and get a few tips on everything from making your move to settling in and living your dream. Let's dive in. Welcome to Expats Like Us. We're your hosts Bob Busse and Chris Kowalski.
Speaker 3:Today we're thrilled to be talking to one of our friends and fellow expats, Jose Galarza. Jose and his wife Nancy moved to the Riviera Maya around 10 years ago. Jose is here to share his experience in moving from his home in the States to living full-time in Mexico and adapting a new life in a new country. As an avid diver, Jose is also going to share some insight into the most popular sports in the area. Hi, Jose, and welcome to Expats Like Us.
Speaker 1:Hi guys. Well, of course, thank you for having me on your podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks so much for joining us. So tell us a little bit about, for background, your life in the United States and what career you had before you retired.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I've had sort of an interesting background, if you will. My my prior life. I went to university to Puerto Rico and I went to ROTC. There. I graduated and uh, and so my first real job, if you will, was in the army. I was in the military and uh, interestingly enough, my, as I said, my plans for a short career I figured I'd go back to Puerto Rico after four years turned into a 20 year career which had us traveling all over the world. So I finally retired in 1973 at the ripe old age of 41.
Speaker 1:So of course at that point you got to keep doing something, and so I moved on to a career in technology in the private sector, while in the military I'd gone to graduate school. I'd done graduate work at the University of Southern California and then later on I went to Vanderbilt and got a master's degree there as well. So I'd done some and my area of focus was really in quantitative methods. So it was sort of a fairly easy. It was involved in technology and whatnot. So it was a fairly easy transition into private life. Of course, the projects we did were different from the military.
Speaker 1:So in the last stage of my civilian life I spent 18 years with the largest IT consulting firm in the world and we were helping clients all over the world in implementing technology. And where was that at? I was based in Dallas, the Dallas area, but you know I worked all over the world Europe, asia, latin America. At one point I ran the IT region for Latin America for several years, from Mexico all the way on down. So yeah, so kind of, like I said, a varied career all over the place, but yeah, that was kind of it in terms of career.
Speaker 2:Okay, so what inspired you to retire when you did Well, I know the military that's retiring at a pretty young age.
Speaker 1:Right? Yes, of course, at 41, nobody's well, I don't know too many people who are really ready to retire at that point. But in my most recent career in IT consulting, you know it was really the work was long hours, constant deadlines, high stress. It was sort of the nature of the business. Spent a lot of time traveling, like I said, I traveled all over the world but it kept me from home a lot. And in fact when I was offered that position I told my wife, nancy, are you ready for this? You know, because I'm going to be spending a lot of time away from home and at that point in our lives our children were growing. I'd left the house, which left Nancy at home by herself. As a military spouse she had learned to adapt. I mean, that's kind of the nature of the military, because I was always a lot of times away from home. But I felt like we needed a break. Things were really getting really stressful at work and it was just like at that point we had purchased our place here in Mexico, thinking we would be moving down here, and my original plan was to work remotely while in Mexico Now, back then, if you will, technology like having internet at your home was not available and we'd have to go to the wellness center and whatnot, and so I mean that whole limited availability of internet services at the time.
Speaker 1:I had to make a choice. You know, I either delayed or moved to Mexico because I simply could not work for Mexico it was just not an option or retire and complete our move here. And so you know, we looked at our finances Basically we were doing okay at that point, the kids were gone and we were okay. So you know, we looked at our finances basically we were doing okay at that point, the kids were gone and we were okay. And so you know, the choice became obvious, like we either continue to live in the US or come down here and just kind of enjoy life here and just pursue some other. So that was kind of how we ended up down here.
Speaker 2:Okay, and what attracted you to Mexico specifically and this area and this area?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know it's interesting. There are a number of factors and you know, when we started talking about where to live and retire, we looked at a number of different options, including, you know, the obvious choices that people look at. You know, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and other parts of Latin America, but this was at the top of our list. You know I had traveled a lot for business in Mexico so I had some familiarity as divers. We had previously traveled to Cozumel here I had never really come down to Tulum. This was kind of new to me because my air focus was sort of different, but we had some familiarity with the area.
Speaker 1:But when we started narrowing our options, Mexico's close proximity to the US really became a factor. And the ease of travel again, we were living in Dallas at the time and the fact that you could catch a flight. You know, two hours, 15 minutes. You know we'd always liked Europe, you know. So that was one of the places we had considered, but that was so much more difficult for friends and family to visit there. There, uh, versus versus mexico, and you know ultimately also the the language was was certainly a factor. You know the fact that you know we're uh native speaking, you know, uh, spanish, and so it was easy, that whole adaptation for us to move to mexico. So here we are so.
Speaker 3:So why uh king town aro? Why not some of the other areas? Had you explored that, or is this your Right.
Speaker 1:So we had, we thought so. Again, one of the things is being close to the beach. That was a factor and we'd actually thought we would move to Medioc because we really liked that whole place, whole place. And even though we had knowledge of the area and again, I'd been diving in this area before we hadn't it wasn't really like. This area wasn't really at the top of our list, interestingly enough.
Speaker 1:But we came down here for an investment property, we purchased some property here and we came down to close on that and we sat in on a presentation from the developer of Tao and we didn't buy at the time, but we purchased our investment property but didn't buy here. And at that time this was pure jungle. There was nothing here, it was all on paper, there was nothing, it was just trees. But we went back home and Nancy and I sat down and said look, let's look at the options that are before us and see what do we want to do. And so, like several weeks later, after we got back home, we said you know, this really feels right. You know, we'd walked the sort of Nancy got the vibe, so to speak, and we really liked the area and so we called the contact person we had for the developer and said, yeah, okay, we're in, sent our deposit and so forth, and you know, the rest is history, so to speak.
Speaker 2:Jose Galarza, in your opinion, what are some of the most important things people should think about before making such a move, moving to Mexico?
Speaker 1:Boy, that's a. You know, there are lots of things yeah that could go all day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right, exactly, you know. The point is the list is different for everyone. Everybody has their own priorities and so, really, you know a lot of things, some things to think about, but you really need to think about for yourself. You know, I would say to people don't think about what somebody else likes, because you really have to focus on the things that are going to keep you interested, and so you really need to lay out, and, like me, what me and my wife did, we just really laid it all out and wrote it down.
Speaker 1:Hey, pros and cons, for you know, of course I'm more methodical and a lot of that stuff with the engineering background, but the but you choose fits in with your retirement plans. As an example, if you're not a beach person, then maybe a location where the majority of the activities are centered around that, or not. For you, some questions you need to ask are you interested in volunteering or are there some opportunities in the community? Staying at home all day sounds good play golf, fishing, but at some point, you know, or there's some opportunities in the community Staying at home all day, you know sounds good play golf fishing, but at some point.
Speaker 2:You know, yeah, you kind of you can't do it forever, right?
Speaker 1:You kind of get tired of that so you have to look at other options. The other thing is, I would suggest people is, you know, look at your finances right, especially in these times and for those of us who live in Mexico now who've seen our US dollar deteriorate. You know, don't stretch. You know, I know it's good to have stretch goals, but you need to be reasonable when you and finances is a very important part and you know the area that we live in here, which is really tourism focused, is going to be more expensive than other parts of Mexico.
Speaker 3:And so you know, I've heard people, just it's.
Speaker 1:Mexico. It doesn't mean that the cost of living is going to be low and I think we're. We're living that and then we're getting hit with, you know, inflation and the and the dollar devaluation. It's not an official devaluation, but but, effectively, where our, our day-to-day living costs, uh, cost of living, have gone up. Uh, you know, moving up, moving to another country is a big deal and things are not going to be what we're used to back home, wherever that may be.
Speaker 1:So before you make a decision to move someplace, make sure you spend some time living there first, rent a place for a few months or a year ideally right and figure out if that's really where you want to live. Remember, life will not be the same as it is back home. Don't expect to find a place that is the same as where you came from. That's not what you should be looking for, especially if you're moving to another country. The idea or the advantage of moving to other countries is to experience different cultures, lifestyles, foods, et cetera. My point is, my thing is enjoy the ride, don't fight it, don't try to change everything, because you're not going to change. You really need to adapt and understand how things work in the country that you move to and not attempt to make it.
Speaker 2:We see examples of that a lot. We've known a few people that move down here are going to retire here forever and something's not right. They can't change it and they're on a plane back to the state that's right exactly.
Speaker 1:It's unrealistic expectations that people don't really again like, even though we were familiar my wife and I were familiar with Mexico we still had never lived here and so we'd vacation there. It's very different when you vacation in a place versus living there, and until you do that, there are a lot of things you know, sometimes something as basic as going to the grocery store or opening a bank account and so forth, which is certainly frustrating here.
Speaker 3:A lot of people think it's American, cheap, you know. It's going to be the exact same, just cheap.
Speaker 1:Precisely, precisely, yeah, anything like that, it's not.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've had that experience. We've both had that experience along here, moving with our wives and everything, and yeah, it's a different thing. But those that adapt can find a very worthwhile life down here, a very rewarding life down here.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Patience. Yeah, we all learn patience. My wife has a saying that says in Spanish paciencia y fe patience and faith.
Speaker 3:That's really the mantra that she's like when things start getting a little rough being in the military. I'm sure you knew patience.
Speaker 1:Yes, right, absolutely.
Speaker 2:One of the things that I tell people when they talk about moving to Mexico. What would I do differently? I would start learning Spanish way earlier than I actually did. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, people just need to make an effort, because when you go to places and even if you don't, you're not fluent just the fact that you make the effort you're going to be accepted much more easily than if you just go walk in and do you speak English.
Speaker 2:That's really not the optimal way, not the way to introduce yourself to the person giving you your car license.
Speaker 1:Yeah right, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 3:So what sort of unexpected things that perhaps surprised you during your and after your move.
Speaker 1:You know, for the most part I haven't been familiar with Mexico and haven't spent a lot of time here on business and traveling.
Speaker 1:There were not too many surprises and, and you know, for us coming from from Puerto Rico, we found that there were a lot of similarities in terms of the bureaucracy in Mexico I think that's something we inherited from the Spaniards or whatever but there really were not a lot, though I mean there were certainly some things.
Speaker 1:I know that one of the shock factors, if you will, is when we purchase the home and all of a sudden we go do our closing. You get this sticker shock with closing costs. In the US You're used to much more reasonable, uh, and here it's this big unknown and you know, or like you know, you take possession of a property and you don't have title. I mean, it's just things are done differently here and that's something that you really have to, uh, have to understand. But you know, I I think we were, for the most part, we were well prepared and again, uh, you know, having come from Puerto Rico, I think the way things are done is fairly similar to Mexico. There are certainly a lot of differences, but for us it wasn't the big shock that it is for other people.
Speaker 3:Any advice that you would have for people just starting to think about retirement and moving to a foreign country?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, absolutely Don't jump into your decision lightly. You know, do a complete like financial inventory, especially like younger folks that don't have Social Security Medicare. You know, health care in Mexico is inexpensive compared to the US. Absolutely, I mean, we do pay out of pocket to see our primary care physician, but you really need to be prepared for those unexpected expenses if you end up in the hospital for some reason. I mean, you know, for those of us as we get older, you know, the availability of health care is certainly a big concern.
Speaker 1:And, again, one of the advantages that we had is, with me being former military, I had access to the benefits, benefits of military healthcare that you know, even if I had to pay some amount out of pocket, you know, I could get through the, through the military healthcare system what they call TRICARE would, uh, would help with those expenses. But you know that that, to me, that's one of the one of the big, the big things. Uh, you know, start looking at locations, different locations, early, and if you're like we started thinking about retirement years before we actually, you know, took the leap, and so think about what are the things. Back to what I mentioned earlier.
Speaker 1:You know what interests you, what do you like you know culturally, the food, the music, I mean all of those things, because you're going to be, you know, living sort of surrounded completely by that. If that's something that you know, if you don't like certain things, don't expect that you're going to find exactly what you had back home, because you're going to have to deal with what's available. So really do your research before you make a decision to move. And you know again, as we mentioned earlier, right, you know, take extended vacations to the areas on your list, you know, sort of try them out before you make that decision. Don't just jump into something. You go to a sales pitch and it looks amazing.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:And all of a sudden you decide You're going to make a ton of money off this place until you move here, and then you can live here.
Speaker 1:I've heard that so many times. And some people who are no longer here, that thought they were going to pay for the house with all the money they were going to make. Pay for the house with with all the money that we're going to make by renting it and it's just, you need to be realistic and I think one of the challenges that people have is simply they, they have unrealistic expectations when they, when they make they, they have to sit down and really think through all of that stuff.
Speaker 2:I think a lot of people don't think beyond retirement. You know, for that I kind of am guilty of that myself. I thought, okay, this is going to be my retirement day, I can't wait. I'm entirely focused on that, without thinking beyond that a whole lot, you know other than moving to Mexico yeah no absolutely Then everything's going to fall in place.
Speaker 1:Well, you know there are going to be some bumps along the way, but if you've actually thought through a lot of stuff, it's not going to be as painful. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So one of the things Chris and I have both learned when we retired, it's the importance of physical and mental activity. What sort of things do you do to stay physically and mentally active?
Speaker 1:Well, you know, again, as a diver, I swim as much as I can. That's really the big thing. Take walks. My knees and ankles and everything are kind of shot after so many years, especially in the military. They've certainly changed how they do exercise back then. So really long walks, you really want to keep active. I like to read, but sitting on the couch and watching TV is just really not very healthy, not what you need to do. But I dive as often as I can and so diving is kind of interesting because it can be strenuous exercise.
Speaker 1:When you're swimming, like in this area, you see a lot of currents and whatnot, but you don't have the stress on your body and on the joints. Water is great for people with bad joints because you don't really have to deal with all of that stress. In terms of staying mentally active, we've been engaged from the beginning in terms of our homeowner association and getting all of that started up, that painful process for several years, and other community activities, like originally we were involved with organizations in Tulum we had a community in an area called Koba. Out there it's called Yakshay. We're a small school we're sponsoring. So really the point is get involved. Now you know, of course, with us it was a little bit easier because of the language and we had that advantage, but you don't really need to speak the language to volunteer. You know there are really a lot of opportunities, but you need to do something you know in order to stay active and just keep your mind engaged.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Yep, I think we've all found that out and I, you know that's. That's probably my one piece of advice to people thinking about moving down here is think about how you're going to stay active. Yeah.
Speaker 3:You know how are you going to spend every day. Yeah Right, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:Catching up on all the Netflix series is really not.
Speaker 3:Yeah, after a couple months, that gets old.
Speaker 2:Okay, we're going to take another break here on Expats Like Us talking retirement in Mexico and all of the things that go along with that. Jose, we know you lead a very active life in retirement and we're talking about being an avid scuba diver. How did you first become interested in scuba diving?
Speaker 1:Well, you know, growing up in Puerto Rico, the beach was part of our life. It's sort of what you did on a regular basis and in fact at one time I thought I would study marine biology. So it's always been an interest of mine. But you know, that interest was always with me. So about 30 years ago, while I was still in the military and we were living in Texas, me and my wife decided to, you know, sort of let's do this and become certified. Now, certainly, getting certified in Texas in a lake is quite different, where you can barely see out in front of you. But you know, that was the opportunity we had and we traveled to Puerto Rico and here to Mexico and stuff to dive, to Puerto Rico and here to Mexico and stuff to dive. But you know, in fact, when, when I was looking at a place to retire, uh, the options for diving were absolutely a major consideration, because that's something that that we love to do.
Speaker 2:Well, in this area of Riviera Maya, this is some of the best diving on the planet. Yeah, no absolutely.
Speaker 1:You know you've got the great Barrier Reef in Australia and the second largest Barrier Reef the world is is right here. So, uh, I mean it's the diving here is is amazing and it's just really yeah so what are the physical requirements?
Speaker 2:and I mean, I assume there's some mental requirements too I mean as far as not being claustrophobic and right yeah, yeah. So tell us what's required to become a scuba diver?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean the thing is, there are really not many requirements but, as you said, sort of being of sound mind is very important. When you're diving you're really in another world and, while exciting, it can also be very stressful If you're claustrophobic. I mean, that's really the common problem that people have when they go underwater. They just kind of are surrounded and they they look up and they've gotten, you know, 30, 40 feet of water above them or more Right, and so it just kind of freaks you out, so to speak. So you really you got to make sure that you're able to relax. You know that's kind of the to be a successful diver you need to to really have that right the mindset.
Speaker 1:But in terms of the physical requirements they're really not terribly demanding. There are some things like you need to demonstrate some basic water skills. They talk about swim 200 meters with no time limit, just go in a pool and just take as long as you want and swim back and forth, float and tread water for about 10 minutes, and really those are some of the basic. The whole idea is that you really need to be comfortable in the water. These are, if you will, basic survival skills, so to speak. If you're out there and all of a sudden you get some current that takes you off. You really need to be able to stay, so what we would call an unplanned situation, that you're able to be safe.
Speaker 2:So, jose, what do you find rewarding about scuba diving? For someone who's not a diver, maybe describe what it looks and feels like underwater yeah, well, you know, to sum it up, it's just an entirely different world.
Speaker 1:Uh, underwater it's, it's, it's beautiful, it's, it's exciting, it's relaxing. You know, you're just kind of floating in there. There's so much to see and and it's so beautiful you're, you're just surrounded by by the reef, by fish, all kinds of species. You know the types of fish. You know I've always enjoyed aquariums and I've owned them, and so you I I always tell people think of having, think of it as having your own huge aquarium. Uh, and you're just, you know, every day you get to see something different, because you know things change uh in there, so change in there.
Speaker 1:So that's kind of the experience that you have While diving. The other thing is you experience weightlessness, right, you're underwater and just really kind of floating on air, so to speak, and your aches and pains disappear, basically because you're really not. In a sense it can be a little bit strenuous, but you're really not putting a lot of stress on your joints and whatnot, so really you're just enjoying everything around you.
Speaker 1:I've always said that it's the least expensive and most effective therapy that you can buy, oh, I bet, when I was working, when things would get really stressed, I'd tell them look, we've got to go someplace where I can just go diving. I was like, I don't need to seek counseling or anything like that.
Speaker 2:I just need to go on a dive, I just need some time underwater.
Speaker 3:She may not agree right.
Speaker 1:Fortunately my wife did agree with that, so she was always very good about it. So does Nancy dive too? Well, you know, nancy was certified but she's had uh problems with hers and one of the things because, just like, when you go on a plane, the pressure will uh will cause uh issues with yours and when you're diving it's the same thing. And so she hasn't been diving for years because of because of that problem. But she was, we were both certified at the same time, but then I continued diving because of the issues that she had.
Speaker 2:So how often do you go diving around here, you know?
Speaker 1:the advantage is like you're so close to everything. But I say I dive as often as I can, but not as often as I like.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure.
Speaker 1:So you know, like we have an arrangement with the local dive center, Alcamel Dive Center, for the folks in Tower we get a special price and you go out there kind of spur of the moment and you're like here it's really good. But you know, we actually like to go to Cozumel because it's a whole different world out there, and I try to go about once a month to Cozumel and then in between just kind of go some local dives here.
Speaker 2:Okay, so what's the difference between right off the shore here and Cozumel? What's the main?
Speaker 1:differences. You know, Cozumel is a much healthier reef and there's so much more to see over there than what you're going to see here. And unfortunately, this area on this side, because of the some would call the excessive tourism, has really done a lot of damage to the reef, and so, while it's still amazing diving, this is one of those things where you see people that come from other places and they're diving in Acomamal and you're like, yeah, this is okay.
Speaker 3:And they're like this is freaking amazing.
Speaker 1:So it's a matter of perspective and I've talked to people who dove in Thailand and Indonesia and it's like so much different. So it's really it's a relative thing. It's certainly much better here in Akamal than many other places that you could go, but you know, when you go over to the island of Cozumel it just kind of takes it up a notch, just a different world than here?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. So what's the cost to learn how to dive?
Speaker 1:So I mean it varies, but roughly speaking it's around $400 to $500 US for that and, depending on whether you do the course, there's some options these days to do part of the course online and then you always have to do your actual dives, have to do them in person. They include, I think it's, two or four dives that are part of that certification process and you know. Beyond that. It's just really a lot of instruction because you really have to just become familiar with all of the equipment that you're going to use for diving, and so even when you do the online courses, it teaches all that, but until you actually practice it, put it into practice.
Speaker 1:You're really not. You know, full course if you really want to go full bore on it. A lot of people come down here and do vacation. They do it in about three or four days and in terms of like getting started, you really don't need much Just a mask and fins, really, and you could always rent those. But you know that's something that you really want, want it to fit properly for you and I don't like the idea of using somebody else's mask on that.
Speaker 1:But you know, beyond that, everything else that, that, uh, that you use, you can, you can rent it. And so you know, once you become, you know, complete your certification and start diving on a regular basis and you can decide what are the things that you want to invest in. I mean, ultimately, if you're diving regularly, you really want to get your own equipment because you get familiar with there are always some nuances between different you know brands or like your called BCD, your, your vest that you use, and so it's always best to have your own. But but you know the cost can certainly add up, but you don't. Really, if you're not diving regularly, it really doesn't make sense to make that, to make that investment.
Speaker 2:I always think of it when I see the groups in Akamal going snorkeling with the turtles and stuff. How many mouths have been wrapped around that? Oh right, exactly. I won't, I won't use a snorkel that somebody else is.
Speaker 3:It's just like oh my God, I don't care how much they've disinfected that darn thing I'm not putting that in there.
Speaker 2:There's been a lot of people use that snorkel.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. So what advice would you have for someone who's thinking about maybe trying out diving, but really hasn't tried it? Where do they start?
Speaker 1:Yeah, the nice thing is that a lot of these dive centers have a familiarization class right. They'll do sort of an intro and what they do. There is just some basic instruction on the equipment and how to use it. You're going to have a regulator that you're breathing through. You've got your vest that you need to inflate and whatnot as you're going through that whole process. But the idea is to get you comfortable with breathing underwater.
Speaker 1:That's really the big thing that people just kind of freak out, and so that regulator that you put in your mouth that's gonna help you breathe. You've got a tank on your back, and so these familiarization courses are designed for people as I've never done this before, not ready to commit to a full course, but I really want to see what it's about and so what, what the dive shops will generally do again, I said it's it's roughly around $100, $, $90, $100. And you do the intro course, which in many cases it's two tanks. You go two immersions, you go in twice and then if you decide, wow, this is something I really want to do and become certified, most of the shops will then apply that $100 to your certification course.
Speaker 2:So do you do this like in a swimming pool, or do you go right out into the ocean?
Speaker 1:No, you really need to here. They do it in the ocean, right Back in the States. They'll do some of that, but you know you'll have swimming pools that are maybe 15 foot deep. It's like what we did, ours, but you know that whole formalization and they don't go very deep, but probably about 30 to 40 deep. It's a sort of what we'd call a shallow immersion. But that's really kind of the get the experience, and so you really, I think in a pool you learn how to use your equipment, but that whole experience of getting in the water, in the water Right.
Speaker 3:Yeah right.
Speaker 1:And just you look up and you're surrounded by this whole thing and you really need to do that, right.
Speaker 2:So that's a lot about scuba diving and it sounds like fun and I would like to try it someday, but I feel a little claustrophobic. When I put on a mask and all intro course once we were in Hawaii and he decided he went down once and he said that's it, I'm done, I'm done. I'll be in the parking lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wait up in the boat. But you know you really need to do that to really understand sort of and if you're claustrophobic, that's you know. The whole idea is just relax when you're all there. That's always how I tell people, just like, don't stress out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'd love to try it too. I just have too many other hobbies right now that.
Speaker 1:I don't think I have the time to do it.
Speaker 3:What advice would you have for people considering retirement in Mexico and what are some important things they should think about before they make the move?
Speaker 1:Well, you know, chris, it's some of the things we've we've already discussed. You know, try it out before making the leap. Do your best. You know, like what you mentioned earlier, bob, learn some spanish or whatever. The language is right. You know, whether it's mexico or portugal or whatever that may be, make an attempt to to learn some of the language. A life is going to be much easier if you make an effort to learn the language and the culture. You know a lot of people will go and move into these places, like what we live in here. Most are expats from the US or Canada and they don't go beyond that. You're really missing a huge opportunity.
Speaker 3:Kind of the point of moving yeah exactly.
Speaker 1:Why don't you stay wherever you are? The other thing I think is important don't stress over this small stuff. And guess what? It's all small stuff, exactly, exactly. That people just make like we mentioned earlier. It's like they'll come here and all of a sudden they deal with some obstacles or whatever, and they pack it all up and they're gone.
Speaker 1:They really need to relax and enjoy the ride.
Speaker 1:As I mentioned earlier, you know dealing with government agencies can be very frustrating in a foreign country.
Speaker 1:You know dealing with government agencies can be very frustrating in a foreign country, you know, and it's stressful and I get it right.
Speaker 1:But you know you have to adapt, you know roll with the punches, so to speak, because otherwise you're not, you're not going to survive, and you know, do not I repeat, do not expect things to work as they do back home. It's just not the whether it's losing power without warning that we deal with here or having to spend hours at the bank to just you know, whatever it is you want to get done, it's not the same. You know one of the frustrations for me and I've kind of gotten it like I was so used to paying all my bills online back in the US and I finally got to the point where I pay most of my bills online now, but it's not a simple process like what we do in the US and it's just something you need to recognize and just don't stress over it, just don't you know, it does seem to me that that sort of thing like paying bills online has become much more prevalent around here than even when we moved here three years ago.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely. You know to give credit to the. You know whether it's the power company or the water company. They've made that whole process. Or even, like you know, for those of when we paid our taxes this past year did it online. Never had to like previously. You had to spend hours.
Speaker 2:Who knew you could do that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, spend hours in the sun while you waited to go in there and pay your property taxes. And now you just do it online and boom, you can even print your receipt. So you know, in defense of the government, they are trying to make things easier but, it's just, you know, governments really really don't move as fast as we'd always like them to.
Speaker 2:I do remember seeing online somebody had gone and gotten their residency and they said it took three hours and I sat in line for three hours and it was brutal. My God, you should be so thankful I remember thinking that is the quickest I've ever heard of anybody getting residency.
Speaker 1:You should be thankful it was only three hours and not three months.
Speaker 2:But the first thing I thought is that guy's not going to be here in six months. Yeah, precisely.
Speaker 1:If he thinks three hours is a very long time, he's got a long. Yeah, that's actually. Yeah, that's a great experience, yeah.
Speaker 2:So one of the things that we've been doing on some of our later episodes here is we play a little game called Que Padre and Que Malo, and that's one thing that you love about life in Mexico and one thing that's Que Malo, which is a little, maybe, harder to adapt to. So what's one thing you would describe as Que Padre and one thing for you that's Que Malo?
Speaker 1:You know for me Que Padre would definitely be the great community we have here. I think this place is absolutely amazing and we've made a lot of friends here and I mean that's really what makes your life, you know great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, fulfilled. Right, that's the right word, thank you, you know, you, just if you lock yourself in your home and don't socialize with folks, that's just really not very healthy. And I mean the community here we have some amazing neighbors and people help each other, I mean, and that's that's really a lot of what makes this a great community and in terms of the Kambalo is sort of what we've been talking about. It's the whole bureaucracy. You know I'm I'm just not a very patient person by nature. So you know, having to deal with ineffective agencies, the banks or whatever it is, you know can be extremely frustrating. And you know, having worked in IT, consulting and helping companies improve operations just leaves me shaking my head. It's like this doesn't need to be that hard, but you know, they're really very slow. Bureaucracies are slow to change, and so it's one of those things you learn or doubt. My wife is much more patient. She's willing to stay in line for three hours. I'm like, no, if it's not done now, I'm out of here.
Speaker 2:I'm like so I'll pick you up honey in a couple hours, and even after as many years we've been here, I'm still working on it.
Speaker 1:That's certainly one thing that I'm still working on.
Speaker 3:It's a constant struggle. How many years have you been in Mexico full-time?
Speaker 1:So we moved here in 2013, so about 11 years ago, but in terms of full-time, pretty much about 10 years. 10 years We've been here, yeah, so it's been a while.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, well, thank you, jose Galarza. Thanks for sharing your story of moving to Mexico and pursuing your passion, and for the great tips and insights that you provided.
Speaker 1:Thank you, folks, and have a great day everybody. All right, thanks, take care.
Speaker 2:In each episode of Expats Like Us, we're going to teach you a new Mexican slang word. This is a term used primarily by Mexican-Spanish speakers. Today's word is Chido Chido. By Mexican Spanish speakers, today's word is Chido Chido. Thank you, erica Kowalski from Mi Vida Margarita, tell us what chido means.
Speaker 3:Awesome.
Speaker 2:Awesome. So in what way? How would you use that in a sentence Tu carro está bien, chido you have an awesome car. Okay, chido, I think I've heard that you know moving around in Mexico a little bit, but I guess I never knew what it meant. So it must be good news if somebody's saying cool.
Speaker 3:Yes, that is awesome.
Speaker 2:All right, chido Gracias, chido gracias. We'd love to hear your thoughts on today's topic. Just look up Expats Like Us on Facebook or send us an email at expatslikeus at gmailcom. You can also see the video version of today's discussion and all of our discussions on our YouTube page. Follow, like, subscribe and leave us a review. Thank you to today's guest, jose Galarza. Thanks also to my co-host, chris Kowalski, and co-producers Erica Kowalski and Sherry Busse. Most of all, thank you for tuning in to Expats Like Us and thank you for interacting with us on social media. Next time we'll bring you more firsthand information about your international move. Until then, remember our homes are not defined by geography or one location, but by memories, events, people and places that span the globe. Thank you.
