It’s August, it’s warm and it’s a little soupy but I’m so, so happy to live here in Peñasco! Never, ever have I been happier to drive our pothole-patched Hwy. 8 to get back to my ranchito and escape the oppressive Arizona heat. If I didn’t already own property and live here full-time, this summer would have me looking at ways to make that happen sooner rather than later. Speaking of…met a very nice and interesting YouTuber who has a channel about expats living in Mexico. Brighton West who lives in La Paz, BCS (and Oregon) was in town doing a piece on Puerto Peñasco for his channel “Almost Retired in Mexico”. While most of his videos are more about living and retiring in the La Paz area – as well as Cabo, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, San Jose del Cabo, San Miguel and other parts down on the Baja and south of us, he interviews some interesting people who have some great advice and interesting takes. He talks to a variety of people about all kinds of topics from how to retire in Mexico, building in Mexico, what stuff costs, how they made the decision to move to Mexico – the list goes on and on. Unlike some expat YT channels I’ve browsed over the years, I found his to be well-balanced and authentic – living in Mexico is not all sunshine and roses. It was actually nice to see people in places like La Paz and Playa del Carmen having some of the same hassles we have up here in the “wild west”. While some things are easier in the larger cities, many things remain exactly the same. If you are thinking about a move to Mexico – now or in the future – retired or not – I suggest you check out his channel. Lots of interesting people and good advice. He said the video on Peñasco may be available in about a month so be sure to hit that subscribe button as you watch his other videos.
I haven’t watched all of his videos, but two I found very informative and spot-on were: 1) $800/month in Playa del Carmen where he interviews Michelle (a young gal) who moved to PDC from NYC with her Mom and Grandma. Great video and probably the best all-around advice you can get if you’re considering a move to Mexico. And 2) Moving to Mexico is Not Just for Boomers where Brighton interviews Shari Margolin and Josh Meister who wrote the book, “The Young Expats Guide to Mexico”. I read the book and not only does it have some excellent advice, but tons of useful information. Obviously, there are some differences between moving to and living in Puerto Peñasco and La Paz or Puerto Vallarta, but they do all the heavy lifting for you. I found a couple tiny things that are a little different for us up here and a thing or two I disagreed with, but overall, an excellent read that should be your beginning guide to figuring everything out. Very easy to navigate and understand, cheeky, fun stories, trials and tribulations – they give you the good and the bad, which I very much appreciated. I know the book is available online on Amazon, but sure it’s probably at your local bookstore too. It is on Audible as well, but I would caution listening to it if you aren’t well versed in knowing what the Mexican agencies are and have a decent grasp of the Spanish language – or if you have issues with tons of mispronunciations. (I believe the book is read by AI which is clearly stated.) If you’re reading The Rocky Point Times Newspaper 😊 then you will want an in-hand copy of the book to carry around with you for sure. I found it informative and I’m a 30-year full-time resident, employee, business owner, property owner and troublemaker. It’s much better than the book I’ve been saying I’m going to write for the last 25 years! Very well researched and it will be a handy shortcut for anyone thinking about a move to Mexico or even for newbies who may’ve just purchased property or are thinking about purchasing property, but maybe not moving here at this time. I’m telling you; they did a great job and cover just about everything from working for someone to building a house in Mexico.
Happy summer! Please remember to patronize all of our awesome advertisers who continue to make this paper free and available to all of you. And (even though they don’t advertise), if you want a great spicy margarita, hit up Mauricio at Borracho’s over on Sandy Beach behind the resorts. One of the best I’ve had in town. (If you find a consistently excellent spicy marg or bloody mary, let me know – I’ve been working on my Top 5 list.) See you at the beach!
