Ten Things I Learned in Ten Years

2009 was the 10th anniversary of our marriage to San Pancho. In 1999 we bought a plot of land; in 2000 we began building a house; and in 2001 we spent our first winter here. We loved the place then, and we still do, but our love has matured. No longer are we starry-eyed newly-weds.

Because 2009 is a milestone year, and it is ending, I am prompted to take stock. I offer these observations, in no particular order, for anyone contemplating wedlock with San Pancho.

1.Being handy is helpful. Anything with moving parts will malfunction in this climate. Neither my husband nor I is a Do-It-Yourself genius, but we regularly repair blenders, toasters, printers, the kitchen range, the barbeque grill, the sewing machine, and the disposal. And we still need to call the electrician/plumber about once a week.
2.Traveling between the U.S. and San Pancho is time-consuming and expensive. Given that we live in Connecticut, spending winters in Florida would be simpler, but, in my opinion, boring. Every day here brings its own little adventure.
3.Owning a home in San Pancho costs more than we expected. True, there is no heating expense, and labor is cheaper. However, the mildew, termites and jungle vegetation must be kept at bay when we are not here, and we have to pay people to do that.
4. Learning to manage household help is, for me, an ongoing process. It is too easy to become preoccupied with what the “help” is doing or not doing.
5. Being able to speak Spanish, even if one is not fluent, makes life easier. The Spanish classes I took at the community college have proved invaluable. I can talk to the guy at the hardware store and to my Mexican neighbors.
6.Life in Mexico is not orderly. For instance, in Bucerias, a town near the line between Mountain and Central time zones, business owners arbitrarily choose which zone they prefer. This kind of unpredictability can be charming or infuriating.
7.One can learn to sleep in the midst of crowing roosters, blaring disco music, barking dogs and raucous partiers. I will never understand the Mexican cultural norm about noise. I have concluded that, since I am a guest in this country, I should accept its noisiness or go somewhere else.
8. Part of the fun of living here is doing things differently than we do in the U.S.. We don’t have cable television in San Pancho, so we read more. Instead of cooking our usual fare, we experiment with Mexican ingredients. We take time out to watch the sunset.
9. We have become more conscious of health and safety risks. We are older, and we have seen friends run into problems. Now we don’t drive at night, we carry a cell phone, and we buy medical evacuation coverage.
10. Maintaining friendships and activities in both the U.S. and Mexico--a book group, a class, a volunteer activity—is a challenge. The reward for my constant balancing act is that I have two hometowns, two places where I belong.