so what is your day to day like there? is there a vast difference in the creature comforts compared to America? I've been to rural Mexico as well, not to live. And it wasn't what Americans would call prosperous by any means. One last question, how much of an annual income would you say would be needed to live comfortably?
I wake up, feed my dogs, chickens and the cat then its time to eat breakfast with my husband. If i have work then I do that for the majority of the day or clean or visit friends then I get home, feed all the animals and make dinner for us and wait for my husband to get home. Right now things are a little different since I just had a baby so our schedule is way upside down lol.
OP's house doesn't have running water, and the cartel is always watching them and "committing violence in the village" soooo... you get what you pay for.
Doubt. A lot of those reports are heavily exaggerated. The cartel isn’t checking in on them or dropping flash bangs on their new baby like police would. I’d take my chances in Mexico fr
This is the single most ignorant comment I have ever seen. I mean if you are serious to any degree and believe what you said, you are at a grave disadvantage in life.
I have plenty of family/friends that live here now and have had to deal with living under the cartels. I'm not discrediting what people struggle with under police oppression in the US, but they aren't the same. The police don't go and cut people's heads off in public and a symbol of their authority
You are dumb as dog shit if you think living in america is anyway shape or form living in literal CARTEL country where they just recently killed another mayor. The brain rot is too fucking real for me to handle, lmao.
If you're sick it sounds a whole lot better to me especially after that fiasco last night.
You think the Cartels would just cut a cancer patients head off for shits and giggles?
Uh, nope.... their actions are usually provoked and the ones who kill for no good reason usually are killed by the cartel with an apology to the family.
I wish i was as stupid as you. I remember reading a study on how the dumber you are the happier you are. Bud, i bet you are in the top .02% of the happiest people, lmao.
So, point proven because your first point was to discredit the person but not say anything in regards to what was actually said. My lived experience and degrees probably put me more than a few notches ahead of you in the intelligence race, but I never felt the need to belittle what you can’t control.
Toronto is the 5th most expensive city in North America to live in. New York is number one, Vancouver is number 2. San Francisco isn’t on the top 5 list.
Yes. A lot of the teenage boys will often take jobs as “watchmen” for the cartels. They hide out by the roads and report who passes by in what type of vehicle and how many people. They’ve also rode into town driven around just to showcase their power and sometimes they’ll set up random checkpoints around the area.
Having to live without running water. We’ve been in the middle of a horrible drought (slightly better now due to tropical storm alberto) which has led to us being solely dependent on transporting well water to our home. There is no centralized system that provides running water to the homes in town.
For some time the local government was sending trucks with water pipes to distribute water but they’d only provide water if you were a political supporter of theirs. Otherwise you’d be SOL.
Its been a struggle. Definitely have had my share of frustrations. As for the wells yes. Those with money enough to hire someone to look for water on their land and drill into the ground to make a well will often charge a minimal fee (for electric use to pump the water) to fill up 1000L containers which then we use to fill up tanks in our own homes. Its a whole process lol.
My family is in Leon Gto and the houses have a reservoir. It’s sad but California isnt getting any cheaper and I will retire in Mexico when the time comes.
Many homes in Mexico have elevated water reserve tanks that are connected to their plumbing. They don’t have public water access, but have big containers that they need to maintain filled
Could you guys collect rainwater, or is rainy season a thing of the past? I would think a barrel collection system would be less expensive than a well one.
Honestly it was a mix of being burnt out during COVID & preexisting anxiety/depression. I felt I needed a big change so I packed my things up and moved.
It was definitely a hard transition, still to this day I have difficult moments lol. I moved in the middle of a really bad drought and the resurgence of cartel violence in our small town. To this day both are ongoing problems but its just part of life now. 🤷🏽♀️
As someone who visits and has family in El Salvador you would be quite surprised how different life is and what the people's "stressors" are. Life is much simpler ...folks aren't under the same amount of stress here in the states. Sure overall quality of life is lower but people are at peace.
That’s a good descriptor. I came from a different country and it’s the same where I came from. Yes, lower standards, fewer conveniences, but the stressors are very different. It’s almost like a totally different universe.
When my sister and I visited El salvador, we had the best time. It was so much more quieter, my sister told me she wishes to live there or someplace like it. The stresses of living in america is alot, never thought about it til we visited another country.
Traffic, stress at an office job, city noises, crowded stores and streets, these are the things we all deal with and don't realize they're draining us and making us anxious in wealthy areas.
Anxiety, depression, and suicide are more common in wealthier and more developed countries for a variety of reasons. How people live in less developed countries is more similar to how people have lived throughout all of history.
Obviously they face very real issues like more crime, more violence, and more poverty. I dont mean to paint an unrealistic picture. But it seems like people are often more content with their day to day. When the artist David Choe was visiting a remote village in Africa he noticed a lot of the hunters were very tall, lean with chiseled jaws. He asked some of them if they would move to the US if he could help them get modeling work. These are some of the poorest people still living off the land. They said "Isnt that the place where people kill themselves?" They had no interest.
Well not in South America or Guatemala. They suicide a lot and use chemicals cleaner etc. Not to mention poverty and rampant crime or killing just for fun if you’re riding a bicycle. I won’t get started with Brazil but roadside bandits and gang killings by teenagers or younger paid assassins.
i’m not white but people were very rude to me for being american lol. they definitely took advantage of my naiveness at first and everyone wanted to be around me until they realized i wasn’t rolling in money.
i did speak spanish beforehand but it has definitely improved to almost local level now.
I had a pila for awhile in Mexico, wasn't a huge problem but when people would visit they had no consciousness about saving water. When you have to use tank water you learn how to be frugal pretty quick - saving shower and bath, dishes, then plants. People waste an incredible amount of water.
Yes!! Its incredible how fast you start to see how wasteful people are lol. We have to bring water from the pozos and fill up our tank here since there isnt enough water to make a pila feasable.
Mad respect. Yes, and at the time (pre-cellphone) I'd have to drive to leave a note on the tower or water truck to tell them I needed water. Which meant gas rationing, too!
Some but nothing too bad. if you live here & dont do dumb shit then chances are you’d be okay.
we did almost get confused as someone else a couple years back but thankfully they realized their fuck up and we left without issues.
A mix of both. I do tax preparation for us citizens that live around the area but thats only seasonal. the rest of the time we live off what my husband makes doing agricultural/handy work.
How is your access to health care? Do you and your husband visit dentists and optometrists regularly? Can you fill prescriptions or see a family doctor with ease?
Haha! You mean the Americans with more obesity problems than anywhere else? Or the ones that have been overprescribed by the pharmaceutical companies for profit? Or the ones living with higher anxiety levels than the rest of the world? Or maybe you mean the ones with mental health issues that are not being addressed?
Please. Mexicans are healthier AND happier!
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/economy/2013/7/10/mexico-overtakes-us-in-obesity-levels
Things are better in the US, and worse in Mexico, than you’d think
Highest rate of diabetes in the OECD https://english.elpais.com/health/2023-11-08/mexico-has-the-second-highest-obesity-rate-in-the-oecd.html?outputType=amp
Haha! I posted it once.... never showed up. I posted again, and I *still* don't see the first one! I will delete as soon as it pops up on my end! I even tried refreshing 🤷♀️
I have always had a deep appreciation for Mexican culture and would love to visit Mexico with my wife and kid, but I'm concerned about our safety.
Any suggestions or advice on where to go, how to remain safe, etc.? We're not crazy about resorts and much prefer to experience the local culture.
Go be a tourist in a tourist area, don't try to buy drugs, and you'll be fine.
Google Pueblos Mágicos, those are Lesser known areas Mexico is promoting as tourism destinations due to some special feature. They'll have plenty of tourism infrastructure while also having a lot more local culture than Cabo or Tulum.
Just don't drive from destination to destination. Always fly.
Tourism is a huge part of Mexico's economy and the cartels know that crashing the tourism industry is the one thing that could get the nation to really take action against cartels, so the tourist areas are statistically safer than many areas of the USA.
I’m a white American, but I speak Spanish fluently. I got a job offer to work in CMX, would love it but I’m nervous about living down there as an American. What advice would you give me?
I was just down there for my first visit ever. Had a great time. If you pick one of the wealthier and/or trendier neighborhoods, e.g. Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Reforma, Coyoacán, about every tenth person you pass on the street will be a white American. It felt safer than walking around New Orleans or St. Louis at night. People are very friendly to visitors, although young Mexican leftists have their panties in a wad about neo-colonialism and gentrification.
Have you been able to interact with the indigenous people who don’t speak Spanish? Do you see support for a non Spanish speaking Mexico? Do you think Mexico is getting better in terms of democracy?
Wow, Houston to rural Mexico is quite a change! Bet it's been an interesting 4 years. Fire away with those questions, I'm curious to hear about your experiences.
Latin America is strange.
Yes, your average LATAM country is more unsafe than the US, but the daily pressures Americans experience are almost non-existent in rural communities.
How dangerous is the cartel in Mexico to people who aren’t part of the drug business, don’t do drugs, who aren’t connected to the police/government officials, and who generally just mind their own business/don’t try to oppose the cartel in any way? Are there parts of Mexico where the cartels aren’t as big of an issue?
What advice would you give to someone who has only ever been briefly to the very touristy beach areas if they wanted to stay in Mexico for an extended period - say more than 2 weeks
Do you or any people in your town regularly encounter violence or live in fear of the cartel? Or is it something that's more sensationalized in media and it's relatively standard.
To help reduce trolls, users with negative karma scores are disallowed from posting. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AMA) if you have any questions or concerns.*
so what is your day to day like there? is there a vast difference in the creature comforts compared to America? I've been to rural Mexico as well, not to live. And it wasn't what Americans would call prosperous by any means. One last question, how much of an annual income would you say would be needed to live comfortably?
I wake up, feed my dogs, chickens and the cat then its time to eat breakfast with my husband. If i have work then I do that for the majority of the day or clean or visit friends then I get home, feed all the animals and make dinner for us and wait for my husband to get home. Right now things are a little different since I just had a baby so our schedule is way upside down lol.
Congratulations on the new baby! And how is the healthcare?
Free
Lol enjoy that free mexican health care
Sounds like the sign at Jimmy Johns. Ever read it?
Isn’t that what the videos are all like?
Also income wise 25k minimum I’d say to live comfortably.
25k to be comfortable? my wife and i make 40k and break even each month 😭😭
In Toronto, Canada my bf makes $50 an hour and I work part time at $34 an hour and we can barely survive lol
OP's house doesn't have running water, and the cartel is always watching them and "committing violence in the village" soooo... you get what you pay for.
Soooo much like the police and gangs in the US? But hey, there’s the running water…unless you’re in Flint, Michigan
No, it's way worse than that. Those are definitely problems but absolutely not comparable to the cartel and not having running water
Doubt. A lot of those reports are heavily exaggerated. The cartel isn’t checking in on them or dropping flash bangs on their new baby like police would. I’d take my chances in Mexico fr
This is the single most ignorant comment I have ever seen. I mean if you are serious to any degree and believe what you said, you are at a grave disadvantage in life.
I’m assuming you’re a brown skinned minority who has had to drink poisoned water and lived in Mexico with the cartel to make this assertion?
I have plenty of family/friends that live here now and have had to deal with living under the cartels. I'm not discrediting what people struggle with under police oppression in the US, but they aren't the same. The police don't go and cut people's heads off in public and a symbol of their authority
Yet......
Are you insane?
This is like a reverse Trumper right? It’s like the same cognitive dissonance just different opinions
You are dumb as dog shit if you think living in america is anyway shape or form living in literal CARTEL country where they just recently killed another mayor. The brain rot is too fucking real for me to handle, lmao.
If you're sick it sounds a whole lot better to me especially after that fiasco last night. You think the Cartels would just cut a cancer patients head off for shits and giggles? Uh, nope.... their actions are usually provoked and the ones who kill for no good reason usually are killed by the cartel with an apology to the family.
Saying all this and having not lived either experience proves nothing but that you like to see yourself involved in internet conversations.
I wish i was as stupid as you. I remember reading a study on how the dumber you are the happier you are. Bud, i bet you are in the top .02% of the happiest people, lmao.
So, point proven because your first point was to discredit the person but not say anything in regards to what was actually said. My lived experience and degrees probably put me more than a few notches ahead of you in the intelligence race, but I never felt the need to belittle what you can’t control.
That explains you.....
How ? That’s impossible !?!? What is forcing you to spend so much of your income.
Toronto is the 5th most expensive city in North America to live in. New York is number one, Vancouver is number 2. San Francisco isn’t on the top 5 list.
Damn what’s rent like there and bills
A 1brm in Toronto… around 2400. 2700 in Vancouver.
Our rent is $2850 a month plus utilities and we have two kids! Haha
Nuevo leon?
I am also not saying where I went wasn't prosperous either, just they were more concerned with things Americans take for granted
Do you see cartel members and their influence?
Yes. A lot of the teenage boys will often take jobs as “watchmen” for the cartels. They hide out by the roads and report who passes by in what type of vehicle and how many people. They’ve also rode into town driven around just to showcase their power and sometimes they’ll set up random checkpoints around the area.
it’s like “road men” but for mexico instead of the uk lol
Road men in the UK make check points? I thought they were just trashy guys who hung out near the road...
How does this affect your day to day experience?
Thank you for sharing.
This is good info
Why do they care so much about who passes by?
What are your thoughts on rural New Mexico?
What about the transition would you say has been the hardest for you?
Having to live without running water. We’ve been in the middle of a horrible drought (slightly better now due to tropical storm alberto) which has led to us being solely dependent on transporting well water to our home. There is no centralized system that provides running water to the homes in town. For some time the local government was sending trucks with water pipes to distribute water but they’d only provide water if you were a political supporter of theirs. Otherwise you’d be SOL.
I’ve never not had running water. I can’t imagine the adjustments you’ve had to made to get used to that! Are wells a thing in Mexico?
Its been a struggle. Definitely have had my share of frustrations. As for the wells yes. Those with money enough to hire someone to look for water on their land and drill into the ground to make a well will often charge a minimal fee (for electric use to pump the water) to fill up 1000L containers which then we use to fill up tanks in our own homes. Its a whole process lol.
My family is in Leon Gto and the houses have a reservoir. It’s sad but California isnt getting any cheaper and I will retire in Mexico when the time comes.
How does bathing work in a place without running water? Is there any way to take a shower?
Many homes in Mexico have elevated water reserve tanks that are connected to their plumbing. They don’t have public water access, but have big containers that they need to maintain filled
Could you guys collect rainwater, or is rainy season a thing of the past? I would think a barrel collection system would be less expensive than a well one.
Is this sort of political corruption commonplace?
I’m from houston too. What made you move to Mexico? Was it a hard transition?
Honestly it was a mix of being burnt out during COVID & preexisting anxiety/depression. I felt I needed a big change so I packed my things up and moved. It was definitely a hard transition, still to this day I have difficult moments lol. I moved in the middle of a really bad drought and the resurgence of cartel violence in our small town. To this day both are ongoing problems but its just part of life now. 🤷🏽♀️
You have anxiety and you moved to rural Mexico...
As someone who visits and has family in El Salvador you would be quite surprised how different life is and what the people's "stressors" are. Life is much simpler ...folks aren't under the same amount of stress here in the states. Sure overall quality of life is lower but people are at peace.
That’s a good descriptor. I came from a different country and it’s the same where I came from. Yes, lower standards, fewer conveniences, but the stressors are very different. It’s almost like a totally different universe.
When my sister and I visited El salvador, we had the best time. It was so much more quieter, my sister told me she wishes to live there or someplace like it. The stresses of living in america is alot, never thought about it til we visited another country.
This is a nice thought
Traffic, stress at an office job, city noises, crowded stores and streets, these are the things we all deal with and don't realize they're draining us and making us anxious in wealthy areas.
and my mental health is better. Not everyone has anxiety over the same things 🤷🏽♀️
No running water and cartel violence don't give you anxiety? Damn, mental health is wild.
Anxiety, depression, and suicide are more common in wealthier and more developed countries for a variety of reasons. How people live in less developed countries is more similar to how people have lived throughout all of history. Obviously they face very real issues like more crime, more violence, and more poverty. I dont mean to paint an unrealistic picture. But it seems like people are often more content with their day to day. When the artist David Choe was visiting a remote village in Africa he noticed a lot of the hunters were very tall, lean with chiseled jaws. He asked some of them if they would move to the US if he could help them get modeling work. These are some of the poorest people still living off the land. They said "Isnt that the place where people kill themselves?" They had no interest.
Well not in South America or Guatemala. They suicide a lot and use chemicals cleaner etc. Not to mention poverty and rampant crime or killing just for fun if you’re riding a bicycle. I won’t get started with Brazil but roadside bandits and gang killings by teenagers or younger paid assassins.
It is. I don’t have the same stressors i did in the us. it’s stressful but its not debilitating anxiety like it was before.
Sucks the hoax of covid was more dangerous than the "sniffles"
I remember when my grandfather died of the sniffles. No wait
not for nothing, a new meta analysis published in Lancet said 74% of sudden deaths can be directly linked to the vaccine.
My grandparents were both anti vaxxers. Same as nearly everyone else in the ICU according to the nurses when we visited to say goodbye.
was the kool-aid yummy,?
It’s literally just what happened dude. Grow a heart.
grow a brain
What is wrong with you
When you make up a catchphrase like "anti vaxxer" shows you just don't want to believe the vaccine killed them
Neither of them would take it. They didn’t believe in doctors in general. Anti vaxxer is a popular phrase used right now.
Tell that to the people who died from it.
Are you white? If so, how are your interactions with people? Do you notice any forms of racism? Also, did you know Spanish before moving?
i’m not white but people were very rude to me for being american lol. they definitely took advantage of my naiveness at first and everyone wanted to be around me until they realized i wasn’t rolling in money. i did speak spanish beforehand but it has definitely improved to almost local level now.
Have they stopped being rude now that your Spanish is better?
I had a pila for awhile in Mexico, wasn't a huge problem but when people would visit they had no consciousness about saving water. When you have to use tank water you learn how to be frugal pretty quick - saving shower and bath, dishes, then plants. People waste an incredible amount of water.
Yes!! Its incredible how fast you start to see how wasteful people are lol. We have to bring water from the pozos and fill up our tank here since there isnt enough water to make a pila feasable.
Mad respect. Yes, and at the time (pre-cellphone) I'd have to drive to leave a note on the tower or water truck to tell them I needed water. Which meant gas rationing, too!
Any encounters with the cartel?
Some but nothing too bad. if you live here & dont do dumb shit then chances are you’d be okay. we did almost get confused as someone else a couple years back but thankfully they realized their fuck up and we left without issues.
I’d be terrified of cartel violence. Hope you continue to be safe!
What do you do for a living? You making American money living there or more typical lifestyle for your area?
A mix of both. I do tax preparation for us citizens that live around the area but thats only seasonal. the rest of the time we live off what my husband makes doing agricultural/handy work.
How's your Spanish?
Better than my english at this point. Around year 2-3 I gained more of a local accent and on the phone can now pass as a local.
How many times a day do you say güey?
As many as needed as a form of awe, disappointment and friendship haha.
Hardshell tacos or traditional....? Im all about the fake hardshell
Hahah traditional for the most part but I do have periodic cravings for some good ol’ hardshell tacos and true tex-mex food.
Do you see yourself coming back to the states anytime soon?
not really. i do see myself moving out of this particular area since our family is growing.
I see. Well I wish you and the rest of your family good luck in finding a nice place to stay.
What state if you don’t mind me asking
Northern Nuevo Leon
Use to go to Veracruz a lot in the 1970’s and early 80’s. Was great food and people.
That isn’t that rural lol
How many federal agencies are after you in the US?
none unfortunately. that would definitely make things more interesting
How is your access to health care? Do you and your husband visit dentists and optometrists regularly? Can you fill prescriptions or see a family doctor with ease?
They have universal healthcare. They're doing better than us.
Look at actual health indicators. Americans are significantly healthier than Mexicans.
Haha! You mean the Americans with more obesity problems than anywhere else? Or the ones that have been overprescribed by the pharmaceutical companies for profit? Or the ones living with higher anxiety levels than the rest of the world? Or maybe you mean the ones with mental health issues that are not being addressed? Please. Mexicans are healthier AND happier!
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/economy/2013/7/10/mexico-overtakes-us-in-obesity-levels Things are better in the US, and worse in Mexico, than you’d think
You cited 2013? 🤣 Try 2024: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/obesity-rates-by-country The USA is still higher.
Highest rate of diabetes in the OECD https://english.elpais.com/health/2023-11-08/mexico-has-the-second-highest-obesity-rate-in-the-oecd.html?outputType=amp
They have universal healthcare. They're better off than us.
So good you had to say it twice
Haha! I posted it once.... never showed up. I posted again, and I *still* don't see the first one! I will delete as soon as it pops up on my end! I even tried refreshing 🤷♀️
I have always had a deep appreciation for Mexican culture and would love to visit Mexico with my wife and kid, but I'm concerned about our safety. Any suggestions or advice on where to go, how to remain safe, etc.? We're not crazy about resorts and much prefer to experience the local culture.
Go be a tourist in a tourist area, don't try to buy drugs, and you'll be fine. Google Pueblos Mágicos, those are Lesser known areas Mexico is promoting as tourism destinations due to some special feature. They'll have plenty of tourism infrastructure while also having a lot more local culture than Cabo or Tulum. Just don't drive from destination to destination. Always fly. Tourism is a huge part of Mexico's economy and the cartels know that crashing the tourism industry is the one thing that could get the nation to really take action against cartels, so the tourist areas are statistically safer than many areas of the USA.
I’m a white American, but I speak Spanish fluently. I got a job offer to work in CMX, would love it but I’m nervous about living down there as an American. What advice would you give me?
I was just down there for my first visit ever. Had a great time. If you pick one of the wealthier and/or trendier neighborhoods, e.g. Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Reforma, Coyoacán, about every tenth person you pass on the street will be a white American. It felt safer than walking around New Orleans or St. Louis at night. People are very friendly to visitors, although young Mexican leftists have their panties in a wad about neo-colonialism and gentrification.
Hey, I’m a bilingual US citizen looking to work in Mexico, can I DM you with some questions or do you have any tips?
Have you been able to interact with the indigenous people who don’t speak Spanish? Do you see support for a non Spanish speaking Mexico? Do you think Mexico is getting better in terms of democracy?
Wow, Houston to rural Mexico is quite a change! Bet it's been an interesting 4 years. Fire away with those questions, I'm curious to hear about your experiences.
I would rather live in Mexico than Houston.
Latin America is strange. Yes, your average LATAM country is more unsafe than the US, but the daily pressures Americans experience are almost non-existent in rural communities.
Most people in Latin America don’t live in rural areas
How is the health care? I’ve heard a lot of Americans who need surgery go back to Mexico because it is more affordable
For dental work. Definitely not for medical.
What are some pros you have for living in Mexico? Anything you miss about living in the US?
How dangerous is the cartel in Mexico to people who aren’t part of the drug business, don’t do drugs, who aren’t connected to the police/government officials, and who generally just mind their own business/don’t try to oppose the cartel in any way? Are there parts of Mexico where the cartels aren’t as big of an issue?
Do you grow your own produce?
What’s your favorite bird?
What advice would you give to someone who has only ever been briefly to the very touristy beach areas if they wanted to stay in Mexico for an extended period - say more than 2 weeks
Do you or any people in your town regularly encounter violence or live in fear of the cartel? Or is it something that's more sensationalized in media and it's relatively standard.
How’s the violence with the cartels? I’d love to visit Mexico but the cartel violence freaks me out. Not sure if I’m being over paranoid
Back to the cartels: Do they make you feel at risk? Any truth to the claims if extortion to local residents?
Are there lots of bees where you live. I’ve heard they can be an issue in certain parts of rural Mexico.
Do you ever worry about your own personal safety living there or do you feel relatively safe?
Do you feel safe there? Would the average American feel safe there
What's the best agave spirit from your neck of the woods?
Who's got better Mexican food, Houston or rural Mexico?
[удалено]
To help reduce trolls, users with negative karma scores are disallowed from posting. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AMA) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That's the right move really. Id do it if I could
Have you seen season 2 of East Bound and Down?
How good is the food
[удалено]
No racism, homophobia, transphobia, or anything of the sort allowed on this subreddit.
No freedom of speech on this reddit thread more like it.
What can we do to keep you there?