Random Thoughts re: Moving to Merida
by Jan Morgan

Some thoughts on your new life in Merida

It has been 6 and a half years since we moved to Mexico from Colorado, where my husband had retired from his Chicago Fire Dept career of 30 years. We lived in Southern Colorado for 8 years, and decided, on a whim, to move to Mexico. Well, actually it was an adventure that we thought we would have, traveling and living around the world. We're still on stop #1.

We lived in Xalapa Veracruz our first 6 months, then moved to the ocean-front town of Progreso in the Yucatan Peninsula. You may only be familiar with the name Yucatan because the Mayas have had more publicity lately than any other time. With the coming of the year 2012, the Maya predictions have been publicized and popularized. And Mel Gibson's movie was a good beginning of opening the ears and eyes of the general population outside of Mexico. Then the ancient Maya site, Chichen Itza, was voted on to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

When you move to a new neighborhood or town, it is very exciting. When you move to a new country it balances the excitement with lots of questions, doubts and fears, in addition to the wonder, fun and adventure. You are on a grown-up teeter-totter of emotion! You feel like you will never get the language, the customs, the travel routes, much less remember your new address. You want to know all the answers at one time, but you surely don't even know the right questions to ask! Some of us want to learn it all by ourselves, others frantically befriend any 'foreigner' they see in the grocery store, on the street or even in the next car. Where we would not ordinarily talk to total strangers, just the 'American' or 'Canadian' look will get a conversation. That familiar "Hi, where are YOU from?" stays on some people's lips for months, just trying to get acclimated in a strange land.

Your days may be spent writing a journal, detailing every moment of your day (like I did) to send back to the friends and family you left behind in your home country. Everything seems so new and charming... the smiles on the faces of strangers on the street, the quiet 'buenos dias' that folks whisper as they go by... you may wonder how did you get by for all those years without speaking to strangers on the street?

Your senses have become either finely tuned, or totally tuned out. You are tuned in to listening to familiar words and phrases, but tuned out to the blur that the language sounds like to you... You seem to tune out to conversations you hear around you, because, alas, you can't understand what they are talking about! But when you overhear a conversation in a store or on the street in English, you think nothing of interrupting, by introducing yourself and asking the conversationalists lots of personal questions...something you never thought you would do in your country of origin!

The days and months speed by, and before you know it you have been in your new home a month. You have figured out how to go to the market or to the grocery store, how to ride the bus (at least one) or how to get from 'point A to point B' in your car. You have started to take Spanish classes to dust off your rolling r's and your terms of address... not even to mention present, past or future tenses!

Some things you will learn (or need to learn) Not an exclusive list... just some random thoughts...

The very first thing you will want to buy is a good map. You can find them in bookstores, and some service stations too. You will notice that Merida is divided into Colonias and Fraccionamientos (new colonias). If anyone gives you and address, you will need to know the Colonia or Fraccionamiento it is in! Most streets are numbered streets, very few have names. Be aware.

How to get Cooking gas...

There are several companies that serve the area. What you need to know before you call (or flag down a truck) is what size tank you want. Some homes that you buy or rent may have the tank already, and it can be a 20, 30 or 40 liter tank, or a 'piggy' (a large tank--about 300 liters)... Know how to say your address in Spanish. How to say (and sometimes spell) your name, the color of the house and your phone number. Whew. (This is also important for ordering other utilities, and pizza)

How to get Telephone, Cable, Satellite and/or Internet Service: Basically similar to getting gas, decide which company you want and know your address. Companies are many to choose from, but popular ones are Telmex and Telcel for telephone, cell phone and internet, Sky Satellite for TV , CableMas for cable, telephone and internet and MasTV (economical choice for primarily Mexican programming for TV). If you have made friends, ask them which ones they use...

How To Find Other Expats:

One of the very first place people go is the Merida English Language Library. You will find a host of old and new expats there every day, plus thousands of English language books and other media. You can read the bulletin board for announcements, and always find some kind soul to talk to. If you are at the beach, you can go to the Malecon in Progreso, and walk around, sure to find several expats there. Check out Buddy's Bar (between 78 and 76) on the Malecon too. A good congretating place.

Good websites to check out:

You will want to read Yucatan Today, in print and online. Also online is a very comprehensive guide to living here: Yucatan Living website. You can find forums and lots of first hand information and opinions at YoListo.com People are welcoming and helpful here, and all of us share that common thread of relocating to a new place.