Time for transition

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.