Sustainable Expatriatism Chapter One

We started thinking seriously about moving out of the USA in the late 1990's. As we reached middle age, we began to think about retirement and its inherent problems. Would our Social Security and retirement funds be enough to support us? What would happen when we could no longer drive a car? How could we go to the doctor, shop, and so on? Public transportation in the city where we lived was available, but did not cover the area where we lived. There were serious issues to be faced.

Some significant changes had already occurred in our lives. Doug was diagnosed with a debilitating disease and could no longer work. Though covered by insurance, the cost of the medications and health care he needed were straining our budget to the breaking point. The changeable Midwest weather exacerbated his symptoms, necessitating even more medication and physical therapy sessions. The future looked bleak. His illness, though not thought to be progressive, nevertheless would never go away. The cost of medical care and prescription drugs would take a bigger chunk of our budget with every year that passed.

We had to do something. Staying in the Midwest was not option because of the weather. Warmer areas of the USA were too humid, were prone to hurricanes and other natural disasters we weren't willing to face, or were too expensive.

One alternative we researched was buying the prescription drugs Doug needed from either Canada or Mexico. The costs were much lower than the same medications in the USA. However, our insurance would not cover these drugs, so we would have to pay for them out-of-pocket, which was more than our co-pays for USA-made drugs. That was not an option.

In doing research into prescription drug costs in Mexico, we discovered that not only were prescriptions and medical care cheaper, the cost of living was cheaper as well. That caught our attention. Maybe we could find a place in Mexico that had good weather, good public transportation, and would allow us to stretch our retirement dollars a bit further.

We read everything we could get our hands on about traveling, living, and retiring in Mexico. Frequently during our reading, we came upon the terms "sustainable tourism" and "expatriatism" and "expatriate." While we had a surface understanding of the words, we thought a more in-depth understanding was in order so if and when we decided to move to Mexico, our adjustment would be a bit smoother.

In addition to reading and researching about Mexico, we decided it was time to start getting a grip on Spanish. Doug had studied Spanish in high school and college, so he had a head start. Cindi studied German in high school and college, so had some experience in learning a second language. Doug decided to study at home and used two excellent Spanish programs. Cindi decided to take Spanish classes at the local junior college.

After several years of research and eighteen months of Spanish study, we decided it was time to take off for an exploratory trip to Mexico. We attended language school and did a homestay with a Mexican family for two weeks. It was a great experience and confirmed that Mexico was where we wanted to live.

When we made the move, we thought we were prepared. We had a grip on the language, knew quite a bit about the history of the country, and understood something of the culture.

Though we have had some surprises thrown at us in language, traditions, and culture, the biggest shock was not Mexico or the Mexicans. The biggest shock had to do with some of our fellow expatriates.

We made an assumption that other foreigners who choose to live in Mexico were just like us. We thought every foreigner studied Spanish before moving here and continued to work on gaining fluency after making the move. We thought every foreigner realized Mexico had a unique, interesting culture and would want to embrace the culture and traditions. We thought every foreigner wanted to live amongst his or her Mexican hosts. We thought every foreigner did as much research as we did in order to fit into his or her new home.

Boy, were we wrong!

While a great number of foreigners are just like us, many are vastly different.

We've observed several changes in our adopted Mexican town over the five years we've lived here, some good and some not so good. The changes caused us to recall our earlier research about Mexico, sustainable tourism, and expatriatism. If sustainable tourism is something to strive for, could we apply those principles to expatriatism? Is there a way to expatriate that would not impact the new town negatively?

We will examine those questions and provide some answers in this book.

Defining Terms

First, we need to define the words expatriate, expatriatism and sustainable tourism.

To expatriate, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, is to withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one's native country. Therefore, an expatriate is a person who is no longer a resident of his native country. He may or may not have allegiance to his native country.

The majority of expatriates we've met live in Mexico but still hold allegiance to their native lands. Many American expatriates in Mexico follow national politics as well as the political situations in their hometowns. Many vote in Presidential, state, and local elections by absentee ballot. Most retain their American citizenships (contrary to a rumor we've heard from some Americans, you do not give up your American citizenship just because you choose to live outside the USA or obtain a residency visa in the new country).