| After 30 years with DuPont I finally decided to | | | | around and do some wonderful side trips. |
| take my retirement. Rachel and I put our house in | | | | Most of our time was spent enjoying long walks |
| Dallas up for sale 3 months ago. Unfortunately for | | | | on the beach around sunset. During the rainy |
| us the market had gone into a tailspin earlier in | | | | season there were some incredible lightening |
| the year and the Realtor was frank when he told | | | | storms that would pass through the bay cooling |
| us that it would probably be some time to get | | | | down the steamy summer days. Of course there |
| anything near our asking price. We were pretty | | | | were some leaks around the doors and windows |
| well positioned financially so we told him we could | | | | which I easily repaired. |
| wait. After numerous vacations in Mexico, we had | | | | Every few days the water guy would come |
| decided long ago that we would sell the house and | | | | passing our house to replace the "garfons" of |
| relocate to Lake Chapala just outside Guadalajara. | | | | drinking water we used. After a while I could talk |
| The largest ex-pat American community was | | | | to him in Spanish and learned a little about his life |
| there and the weather was perpetual spring. We | | | | and family. Each month I would go to the Telmex |
| had looked at Puerto Vallarta and San Miguel de | | | | office to pay the phone bill. These bills were |
| Allende as possible nesting places as well. Each had | | | | delivered by hand to the house as the Mexican |
| their own charm and attraction. | | | | postal service was unreliable. The internet service |
| While surfing the internet I ran across a Google ad | | | | to the house was delivered by the cable company |
| advertising a website offering house sitting | | | | as well as TV channels and their bill was also |
| opportunities in Mexico. Well, it was not long | | | | delivered by hand. As was the custom I had to |
| before I had connected with a homeowner in | | | | go to the local bank to pay these bills, usually |
| Puerto Vallarta needing a couple to watch their | | | | waiting in long lines. |
| vacation for a few months while they returned to | | | | There were weekly gatherings at a neighbors |
| Canada to visit the family. | | | | house for chatting and a barbeque. These social |
| After many e-mails and phone calls Rachel and I | | | | events provided an opportunity to share gossip |
| were on the road to Mexico. The house was | | | | usually about real estate and issues dealing with |
| located only a few blocks from the beach in the | | | | the Mexican bureaucracy, driver's licenses, |
| town of Bucerias. The owners greeted us warmly | | | | immigration, car registration, etc. |
| and for the next 2 days gave us a tour of the | | | | It wasn't long before our 2 months were up and |
| area and all the details we needed to care for | | | | it was time to move on. Of course our house had |
| their vacation home. Finally, they were gone and | | | | not been sold and we were unsure what to do |
| we were home alone in a very comfortable fully | | | | next. There was an invitation from one of our |
| equipped home. | | | | children to come stay with them in Rhode Island |
| Over the next few weeks we got to meet some | | | | until the house was sold. We love our 4 |
| of the ex-pat neighbors. Everyone was very | | | | grandchildren but really did not want to live with |
| friendly. We learned all of the ins and outs about | | | | them. We still had not decided what part of |
| living in Mexico. | | | | Mexico that we would retire in. |
| Because the casa was only a few years old there | | | | With only a few weeks left we were sitting out |
| was very little maintenance to be done. I fixed a | | | | on the patio trying to figure out what to do next |
| few holes in the screens and kept the small | | | | with our lives when Rachel checked our e-mail and |
| garden in order. We began to get the feel of living | | | | cried out "Yahoo". We had just received an email |
| in a small Mexican town visiting the few grocery | | | | from the house sitting website about a house |
| stores for our necessities. We found a local | | | | sitting position available in San Miguel de Allende. |
| Spanish teacher, Juanita, who came to our house | | | | Three weeks later we had packed up the SUV |
| 3 times a week. After 2 months we actually has | | | | and were on our way to San Miguel for another |
| gained a working knowledge, enough to get | | | | adventure. |