A Year In

Happy Birthday To Me(xico Listo)

A little over a year ago, I created this newsletter. I had intended to ring in this new year with this post - a reflection on that beginning and the year that has elapsed since. But I’ve been floored with whatever seasonal cold/flu is making the rounds these days, and didn’t have the energy to write. So, sorry for the dely, but without further ado...

My introductory Mexico Listo article appeared on December 29, 2022 - so as of today, Mexico Listo is 1 year and a dozen days old. My ambitions with this newsletter have evolved a bit, which is only natural as one begins to stretch one’s legs and get a sense for the journey one is embarking upon. There are some subjects - notably Real Estate and City Guides - that I have chosen to forgo completely, at least in this context. I do want to write about places, but I intend to do that in other contexts, which I’ll highlight here on Mexico Listo when and if those contexts materialize. And real estate? No idea why I originally included that in the list of things I would be writing about. Maybe I was drunk (doubtful, given that I don’t really drink much; I could have been half-crazed by sleep deprivation - waking up at odd hours of the night and failing to fall back asleep is something that I’m quite expert at).

In any event, the focus has evolved, but not by too much. And I’m fairly satisfied with the topics I’ve covered, although there are a few articles I wish I could retract (which, actually, I can - deleting articles from my archive is something I can absolutely do - but hey, I’m no revisionist. The record is the record, good or bad.)

Along with my focus, my output has evolved too. I began with the reckless ambition of posting two articles per week. I was able to sustain that for a good long while, but a full-time job coupled with all the other demands of a “life” have forced me to embrace the inevitability of failure to produce that kind of output. One article per week feels more in line with what the universe expects of me - and, more importantly, is gentler on the inboxes of my subscribers.

Speaking of subscribers - my readership after 1 year is more than I could have hoped for when I started out. I appreciate each and every one of you, for your obviously impeccable taste and amazing good looks. I have made a few friends along the way, and I’ve learned a lot more about Mexico from many of you. Had I not started this newsletter, I would have been the poorer, both in education and in friendship. You readers have enriched my life, and I can never thank you enough for that - but thank you I do.

In With The New

Logo

You may have noticed the logo and wordmark changes I’ve made; while the simplistic title superimposed on the tricolors of the Mexican flag was a good beginning, I decided that it was a bit too literal and uninspired. The new logo fuses a background composed of papel picado art and an updated font for the title - now fully embracing the Rosa Mexicano color that I discussed in this article from last July. To my eye, the new logo is more fun and poppier. But I put drops in my eyes every night, so who knows what’s going on in there. Let me know in the comments what your eyes think.

Distribution

Only about 13% of my subscribers are from the United States. A good many are located in Mexico as well as other countries around the world. Given that WhatsApp is so popular pretty much everywhere in the world (other than the U.S.), I’ve decided to create a Mexico Listo channel on WhatsApp, and I will begin posting my article links on this channel. To subscribe to the channel, you can tap this link on a device that has WhatsApp installed:

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaEvWCe545utuveo0319

Or you can open the camera or scan app on your device and scan this code:

If you are not familiar with WhatsApp Channels, it is a relatively new feature that allows you to follow topics, businesses, and publications that you are interested in. Many businesses and publications have WhatsApp Channels. They are completely private, and you cannot post messages on them - only the channel owner can post. I cannot see any personal details of people who are following my channel, and you cannot see my personal WhatsApp information if you follow my channel.

If you don’t want to use WhatsApp Channels, no worries - Mexico Listo will continue to be delivered to your email inbox as before. Nothing is changing about the current distribution methods.

That’s A Wrap

Well, sorry for that long-winded retrospective. If you’ve managed to make it this far, I feel I should make it up to you by at least offering you a free toaster¹. I am personally looking forward to 2024 - Mexico Listo has opened doors for me that I will be stepping through with much enthusiasm. I am looking forward to sharing it with all of you.

Feliz Año Nuevo para ti y los tuyos

1. Offer limited to a first-come, first serve basis. Not available on earth.