For me, life has always been about change, challenge, and
adventure. It is probably why I chose
the profession I was in for more than 30 years.
Stagnation, for me, has at times lead to boredom and anxiety … anxiety
over how to overcome the boredom.
So, it is with those thoughts that during the past couple of
years, change has been brewing.
When we first moved to Mexico more than six years ago, it
was an experiment as much as an adventure.
Would we like living in a foreign country? Would the benefits outweigh the
challenges? In reality, living in Puerto
Vallarta and in Mexico in general has greatly exceeded our expectations. The Mexican people, in particular, have made
living there a dream. We have formed
lifelong bonds with many of them, as they truly have become more than friends …
some are like family. There is also the
beauty of the country, particularly living along the coast where swimming in
the ocean 365 days a year is a reality.
Where we could sit on the patio and watch whales and dolphins playing in
the bay. And there is the culture. I loved the fact that you could be dining in
a restaurant and a group of traveling mariachis would enter, sing a few songs,
then be on their way. Truly
priceless. But … as with many things in
life … change become inevitable. The old
adventure runs its course, and a new one must begin.
With that in mind, we have decided to say “adios” to Puerto
Vallarta. We have put our condo on the
market and will be moving back to California to live in Palm Springs full
time. A couple of things we have learned
living in PV … first, we are not condo people.
We like living in a home with a yard and a pool you can walk out to and
with no neighbors walking overhead or turning up their stereos so loud you
can’t even talk in your own home. We
have also learned that no matter how great the place is where you live, sometimes
you just need a change or a challenge.
So, our new challenge, our new adventure will be moving back
to Palm Springs (where we have only spent a few months each summer) and
building our own home. We are in the
process of buying a half-acre lot with panoramic mountain views. We have looked at lots of contemporary model
homes to get ideas, talked to architects and builders, and are very excited
about the prospects. It will take
time. We can’t start construction until
PV sells, and while the market there is becoming hot again, it still could take
months. But we are patient.
Will this be our dream home? Maybe, maybe not. It will just be fun to open a new chapter. And we both agree that perhaps if several
years after the new place is built we are bored and ready for the next
adventure, there would be no problem selling it, and moving on. Who knows.
We could end up back in Mexico.
Remember, life is ever evolving.
Change is good. Adventure is
better. Grasp it all while you can.
