It's crazy to think I've only been in Cabo for 2 weeks because I feel like a TOTAL LOCAL. Since childhood, I've been able to adapt to new areas and orient myself very well practically by instinct. I give much credit to my parents too for always treating me like an adult, never excluding me from things, places, or people because of my age. That exposure along with the confidence building via encouraging me to do things on my own has led to a self sufficiency that I'm very proud of. One example is of my first day in school in the US. I only knew Spanish and I was 3 or 4 yrs old, in Montessori. So I made up my own "language" and the other kids somehow understood me! Eventually that morphed into pretty good English;)
The few weeks between deciding I was going to move here and when I actually flew over, were spent reading everything I could get my hands on regarding Cabo, and talking to everyone I knew that either vacations here frequently or lives/has lived here. Logically, when my family came down to help me with the move, I already had a list of things to do, people to see, and an understanding of the area stretching from San Jose to Cabo San Lucas that truly puzzled some locals.
I am elated to share the constantly growing knowledge of a place that I'm falling more and more in love with every day with absolutely everyone! It's fascinating talking to all the foreigners (Mexicans from elsewhere, included) that now call Cabo their home, and hearing nothing but joy in their hearts and feeling their contagious positive outlook on life, because this paradise breeds inner and outer wealth.
For blue collar Mexicans, Cabo is a land of opportunity. Fueled by tourism and back on a rocket ship of growth and development, there's the chance to make a living in a beautiful, clean, and safe environment. For wealthy Mexicans, it offers a beach retreat that isn't saturated with traffic or crime, nor overly Americanized in a distasteful way. Frankly, one of the things that stood out the most to me about Cabo compared to other vacation spots in Mexico is that, aside from the key spring break locations downtown, Cabo attracts classier people (both nationally and internationally) - and I'm not talking about rich or poor, but the real definition of class- behavior, education, and culture.
Americans and others from around the world, particularly love Cabo because of its unique location, near perfect climate (350+ days of summer sunshine with little to no humidity), famous fishing waters, large Marina, easily accessible international airport (you can fly anywhere in the world 7 days a week!), and dozens of outdoor activities (golf, tennis, cycling, stunning beaches for swimming, snorkeling, diving, paddling, zip lining, ATVing, dirt biking, cross fit, yoga....pick one!).
From all walks of life, and whatever their intention for vacationing or living in Cabo, people find enthusiasm and opportunity to live out their dreams. As both a Mexican and American, I relate to all of these views, and personally feel the energy and beauty of Cabo changing my life by the minute!
That said, I must admit hesitance of moving to Mexico in general, for the same concerns that many Americans and other foreigners hold: lack of safety, corruption, and economic instability. However, these assumptions couldn't be farther from the truth. I felt very ignorant supposing that the troubled years of the nineties and early 2000s of Mexico City ("express kidnappings", getting mugged on the street in broad daylight, the almost lethal air pollution, etc) hadn't improved in the least.
But letting the worries of one the largest cities in the world cloud judgment of quiet and far away beach towns, is absurd. When I hear comments about "all" of Mexico being unsafe because of misrepresented news stories being cast abroad, it really disappoints me. Don't we have the common sense to know that anywhere in the world if you're a drunk girl coming out of a bar at 3am, something bad just may happen to you?! Or yes, if you're talking with the wrong people in obscure places about things you shouldn't, that could lead to trouble. I take care of myself at night in cities like LA and NY just the same. But all the negativity from the drug/cartel reports is just silly. Their beef is with government or whoever else may be getting in the way of their business. Some tourist coming to relax at an all inclusive hundreds of miles from the border has nothing to worry about.
As is written on my website (www.cabobytatiana.com), Mexico's economy actually prospered through the US crisis of the last few years. It is currently the 14th largest in the world, growing at a rate faster than any South or Central American country. According to our current President, private companies plan to invest $8.6 billion in tourism projects throughout Mexico over the next three years.
What's more, and I am a prime example of this scenario, is thousands of Mexicans educated in excellent public or private schools in the US that are unable to find visa sponsorships for work are coming back to Mexico to feed the economy and improve the country in every aspect. Many of those young professionals came from very poor working class families in Mexico and are now slowly shifting their generation and their children's into the middle class. Ironically, while Mexico's middle class is growing, or dare I say coming into existence for the first time, the US middle class is on a devastating slide, increasing the gap between rich and poor much like Mexico has had for decades.
Let it be clear- I'm not writing this on some high chair all of the sudden trying to either psychologically feel better about my departure from the US or bash on its government and economy for no reason. I love the US, I always will- it pains me to see this evolve and to hear numerous Americans tell me in person, that they moved to Mexico, or are planning to, because they are tired of the US auto destructing with its obsessiveness over rules and regulations and being run by nothing but insurance companies and lawyers. I QUOTE.
What I hope, is that all or some of this information, educates some as it did me, and spreads a general awareness of our quick judgment of other countries and cultures, as well as that of our own.
Also, I hope it increases the desire of more of my foreign friends to come visit;) haha.
Oceanside 70.3 #14
1 week ago
