Why The First Three Months Had Us Questioning Our Move to Mexico
Three months ago today, our family pulled out of our driveway in Toronto, Canada, and drove to Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it?
Yep. We just pulled out of our driveway & drove to Mexico. Just like that.
And in some ways, it WAS that simple.
When you want something badly enough, you make it happen. No matter how many roadblocks get in your way.
The Vision
Arjan and I knew that this one-year adventure was an opportunity of a lifetime.
An opportunity that we had created.
This was not a job-offer or a pre-designed home-swap. Nope. It was our vision. One that was forged from a deep-rooted awakening.
I mean WTF are we doing working during the peak hours of the day, during the prime years of our lives...barely having energy for each other and for our kids at the end of the day?
It’s whack.
So, we moved to Mexico, where all of our worries would disappear and all of our dreams would come true.
Ummm…nope. If only.
The Prep
In the weeks before we left, I was a stressed-out-momster. For reals. The mental load of moving countries and having to fit all of our belongings into our Nissan Sentra, had me going through lists every night in bed.
Is our home move-in ready for our tenants?
What if we come home in the Winter? We need to have cold-weather-clothing ready.
Do we need a permit or insurance or anything else for our car to cross the borders?
Is it lame that I am packing my Vitamix? (clearly...no!)
The Road Trip
The 16 day road trip was honestly, AWESOME. We got into our groove as a family, listening to music, knitting, and reading aloud on the daily. We managed the entire trip with no screens in the car…huge parenting win! We camped in cool spots (and some not-so-cool), and every day was an adventure.
The four day drive through Mexico was the true highlight. The journey through the mountains was incredible. Breathtaking views in every direction for hours on end.
The Reality
Then we arrived to Puerto Escondido, our long-awaited final destination.
This is where the true challenge began: adjusting to a new language, a new culture & essentially, a new life.
It took two full months for our girls to voluntarily walk through the doors of their school.
TWO MONTHS.
This is not an exaggeration. Every day, we were faced with tears & resistance. It felt like we were putting our children through torture every time we dropped them off. (Yes - it is an all-Spanish school & they are slowly learning the language.)
Had we made the wrong choice in moving here? We thought this experience would be a gift for them, but it was turning out to be their nightmare. It had us questioning our choice, every single day.
The Shift
Until one day, something changed. We weren’t fighting about school over breakfast. We weren’t hearing “I hate school!”, anymore. And there was (dare I say it?!) a certain ease to our days. It took me two weeks to fully believe that we had overcome this hurdle.
And, what a hurdle it had been!
A two month emotional marathon. Phewf.
The Lesson
So, dear friend, I remind you: YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS.
You too, can take one small step that will lead you to your dream destination.
The hard moments will pass, and the sweetness that you will experience on the other side, will be worth it.
Take it from this mama, who “just” got in her car and drove to Mexico with her family.
Big Love,
Allison xo
Allison Villa is a psychotherapist & founder of House and Hook. She specializes in keeping couples’ thriving throughout parenthood. As a wife and mother, she understands how raising a family affects the romantic relationship and the challenges that modern parents face. With Allison’s virtual therapy practice, online monthly membership program & course, this keepin-it-real-mama teaches busy couples to live with intention & to use simple time-efficient strategies to connect with each other.