Really struck a chord for those who’ve left and come back. Saudade with more steps? Either way, let’s hopefully grab a taco al pastor when you’re in town!
I was in Florida once, and I saw no flying cockroaches thank god, but I did take my rental car up to 100mph on a causeway, which is neither here nor there, but I mention it because I remember the wide open spaces, at least where I went, which wasn't the swampy part, I guess.
Five years ago, I last set foot in the states. It was a brief visit to Texas, and I've been thinking about heading north for a longer visit this year, but I'll wait until you get back at least, to keep the gringo energy balanced.
Now that I've discharged my foolishness, let me say that I really enjoyed your article Mike, and I hope you have a good trip back south. Do not take the detour through Florida.
My heart resonates with your story. In some peoples' mindset "Belonging" is opposite of "Self-Initiating". What if belonging could be the solid foundation for self-initiating? I am writing cryptically. Take what you may just as I imbibed your words (and everyone's) through a personal-values-straw filter. Now, I am not even making sense to myself! Could this disorientation come from feeling out-of-place/not belonging/at-odds with surrounding people, places and things? To what degree do my external environs (in the widest sense of that word) need to resonate * with my internal world to achieve thriving or at the very least peace? I feel you.
Hi Mike. I'm from FL too! Used to get the same eye rolls when I went to visit relatives in California. Ew! Florida! But on another note... I liked the essay, always do. BUT as someone who is NOT in a well lit nice groovy vacationy hipster coffee margarita place in Mexico I wonder if you'd be interested in doing a piece on the harm that BIG business and fracking and gas pipelines and the terror on the lands- that is a real threat to the way of life for locals. INSTEAD of another "gringos are ruining Mexico" essay. The anti Gringo sentiment can be higher than folks think and even the yoga instructors who settle in Sayulita are helping the economy. They open businesses, repair decades vacant buildings, give jobs. As someone old enough to recall Playa del Carmen as a one boat and a kid with a net town, the boom there hasn't displaced anyone. It's a thriving international city. Not my style anymore but I had my Tulum fantasy moments back in the 90s. It's just how paradise is. Everyone wants to go see it. I've elbowed out more Germans and French in Quintana Roo than Americans. Is it ever sustainable? But in Mexico, I'm not sure the prices are even that great anymore for most digital nomads, they're off to El Salvador and Italy. Rich boomer Canadians? They could be jacking prices up but that's a CLASS thing, not a Gringo thing. And it's not "Mexico" you know better. It's CDMX, San Miguel de Allende, Chapala and PV and Merida. And that's always been Gringolandia. Most of us regular gringos don't have the capital to gentrify anything and no one I know is pushing out the poor locals to put in a Starbucks. There's PLENTY of big money Mexicans in CDMX buying city blocks and ignoring the locals. The class system is alive and well in Mexico and always have been, let's not stoke the flames of White Man Bad. Many gringos when part of real communities work with the animal overpopulation, teach English, clean up land and put in gardens, make recycling programs and actually do shop in local tiendas. I live in a VERY Mexican style Casita with Mexican neighbors and Mexican street dogs and pay Mexican prices ( a little Gringo tax I'm sure) but to most gringos it's a shithole. I'm the only foreigner here. Because, well, it is a hole. Chinese investment without a dime of infrastructure, lies to the small towns and corrupt Mexican politicians and promises that they'll be covered up with new business! expand your store! open another taqueria! We promise to fix the roads! But instead they dredge up the desert making pueblos veritable sandstorms, ruin the poorly paved roads further with their huge trucks, stick long ugly jetties out into the Sea of Cortez without the benefit of a malecon for walkers, restaurants or any other human benefit. Zero pesos for animal control, shelter, incentives to have Spay and neuter clinics. God only hopes their condensation water isn't being dumped into the Sea ruining the salination and the fishing industry--- the only thing the locals do for money. They build their own temporary campus and cafeteria for the workers (who are Mexican, Belgian, Caribbean, Haitian, Cuban and more, but definitely not from HERE) and no one supports any businesses in town because their contracts forbid them to mingle in the town for danger and liability purposes. (allegedly, but it sounds a little Plantation owner to me) Tesla, mining for lithium and the trickle down of cartel money creates an economy that NO ONE can afford. The fat cats and execs rent the few habitable houses and new ugly stuff is built to support the business men, but NONE, I repeat NONE of them are American nor Canadian. They charge insane fees for the rentals and stack 6 dudes in each and charge the companies $1500 US a month for concrete boxes furnished with beds and a kitchen that have a view of a sandlot and a brick wall because it's not a lifestyle rental, it's temporary. INDUSTRY and GREED are ruining lots of places. And this is one. Louisiana and Texas' gulf coast and a lot of the rust belt in the US are others. So I like this essay and I hope you don't write one about how gringos are the blight. it's a mirage. Everyone has to live somewhere. Do they need a $5 matcha latte? I dunno, maybe. And imagine if and when we all leave for greener safer pastures. What then? There are so many vacant commercial spaces in my town already it's like a ghost town. I suppose it's an essay I should write on my own, huh.
Glad you are making it back to Mexico soon! And hopefully we’ll see some pictures of that visit in an upcoming article 😜
Get thee to the airport! Cinco de Mayo--here you come! Good description of suburbia/Stateside. Mexico will welcome you w. open arms Mike.
Great writing Mike! Hopefully, some short stories, novels or both are in the works from you brother.
Wonderful! I feel the same way about my beloved Mexico!
Really struck a chord for those who’ve left and come back. Saudade with more steps? Either way, let’s hopefully grab a taco al pastor when you’re in town!
I was in Florida once, and I saw no flying cockroaches thank god, but I did take my rental car up to 100mph on a causeway, which is neither here nor there, but I mention it because I remember the wide open spaces, at least where I went, which wasn't the swampy part, I guess.
Five years ago, I last set foot in the states. It was a brief visit to Texas, and I've been thinking about heading north for a longer visit this year, but I'll wait until you get back at least, to keep the gringo energy balanced.
Now that I've discharged my foolishness, let me say that I really enjoyed your article Mike, and I hope you have a good trip back south. Do not take the detour through Florida.
My heart resonates with your story. In some peoples' mindset "Belonging" is opposite of "Self-Initiating". What if belonging could be the solid foundation for self-initiating? I am writing cryptically. Take what you may just as I imbibed your words (and everyone's) through a personal-values-straw filter. Now, I am not even making sense to myself! Could this disorientation come from feeling out-of-place/not belonging/at-odds with surrounding people, places and things? To what degree do my external environs (in the widest sense of that word) need to resonate * with my internal world to achieve thriving or at the very least peace? I feel you.
Hi Mike. I'm from FL too! Used to get the same eye rolls when I went to visit relatives in California. Ew! Florida! But on another note... I liked the essay, always do. BUT as someone who is NOT in a well lit nice groovy vacationy hipster coffee margarita place in Mexico I wonder if you'd be interested in doing a piece on the harm that BIG business and fracking and gas pipelines and the terror on the lands- that is a real threat to the way of life for locals. INSTEAD of another "gringos are ruining Mexico" essay. The anti Gringo sentiment can be higher than folks think and even the yoga instructors who settle in Sayulita are helping the economy. They open businesses, repair decades vacant buildings, give jobs. As someone old enough to recall Playa del Carmen as a one boat and a kid with a net town, the boom there hasn't displaced anyone. It's a thriving international city. Not my style anymore but I had my Tulum fantasy moments back in the 90s. It's just how paradise is. Everyone wants to go see it. I've elbowed out more Germans and French in Quintana Roo than Americans. Is it ever sustainable? But in Mexico, I'm not sure the prices are even that great anymore for most digital nomads, they're off to El Salvador and Italy. Rich boomer Canadians? They could be jacking prices up but that's a CLASS thing, not a Gringo thing. And it's not "Mexico" you know better. It's CDMX, San Miguel de Allende, Chapala and PV and Merida. And that's always been Gringolandia. Most of us regular gringos don't have the capital to gentrify anything and no one I know is pushing out the poor locals to put in a Starbucks. There's PLENTY of big money Mexicans in CDMX buying city blocks and ignoring the locals. The class system is alive and well in Mexico and always have been, let's not stoke the flames of White Man Bad. Many gringos when part of real communities work with the animal overpopulation, teach English, clean up land and put in gardens, make recycling programs and actually do shop in local tiendas. I live in a VERY Mexican style Casita with Mexican neighbors and Mexican street dogs and pay Mexican prices ( a little Gringo tax I'm sure) but to most gringos it's a shithole. I'm the only foreigner here. Because, well, it is a hole. Chinese investment without a dime of infrastructure, lies to the small towns and corrupt Mexican politicians and promises that they'll be covered up with new business! expand your store! open another taqueria! We promise to fix the roads! But instead they dredge up the desert making pueblos veritable sandstorms, ruin the poorly paved roads further with their huge trucks, stick long ugly jetties out into the Sea of Cortez without the benefit of a malecon for walkers, restaurants or any other human benefit. Zero pesos for animal control, shelter, incentives to have Spay and neuter clinics. God only hopes their condensation water isn't being dumped into the Sea ruining the salination and the fishing industry--- the only thing the locals do for money. They build their own temporary campus and cafeteria for the workers (who are Mexican, Belgian, Caribbean, Haitian, Cuban and more, but definitely not from HERE) and no one supports any businesses in town because their contracts forbid them to mingle in the town for danger and liability purposes. (allegedly, but it sounds a little Plantation owner to me) Tesla, mining for lithium and the trickle down of cartel money creates an economy that NO ONE can afford. The fat cats and execs rent the few habitable houses and new ugly stuff is built to support the business men, but NONE, I repeat NONE of them are American nor Canadian. They charge insane fees for the rentals and stack 6 dudes in each and charge the companies $1500 US a month for concrete boxes furnished with beds and a kitchen that have a view of a sandlot and a brick wall because it's not a lifestyle rental, it's temporary. INDUSTRY and GREED are ruining lots of places. And this is one. Louisiana and Texas' gulf coast and a lot of the rust belt in the US are others. So I like this essay and I hope you don't write one about how gringos are the blight. it's a mirage. Everyone has to live somewhere. Do they need a $5 matcha latte? I dunno, maybe. And imagine if and when we all leave for greener safer pastures. What then? There are so many vacant commercial spaces in my town already it's like a ghost town. I suppose it's an essay I should write on my own, huh.