I’m Moving into a Penthouse Condo in Mexico

I moved to Mazatlan, Mexico, one year ago because it’s much cheaper than living in California. I’ve been renting an apartment in a nice neighborhood for around $750 U.S. dollars. Everyone tells me I’m paying too much. Coming from California, it’s a steal! You can’t rent an apartment for that period in CA! I do live in the more expensive part of Mazatlan, where all the ex-pats congregate. I used a real estate agent to find an apartment, and here’s where I ended up.

I wanted to live among the locals when I moved here, but until I become more fluent in Spanish, I thought it was better for an old lady to live among other English speakers. I take Spanish lessons twice a week and work very hard at it.

I could have rented a place for $350 or $400 a month in a cheaper neighborhood, but those places look pretty depressing. Plus, they’re very dark inside. I need lots of bright light. My mother suffered from depression, and she kept the house very dark when I was growing up. It’s a psychological thing with me. I also have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but that’s not a problem in Mazatlan. The sun shines all the time.

I lived in Louisville, Kentucky, for 12 years. The last two years that I was there, I lived in a high-rise apartment overlooking the city. I loved it! I loved the view, the city lights, and I even loved the sound of ambulances going to the emergency hospital. I would have my morning coffee on the balcony early in the morning before the city lights went off for the day. I’d say to myself this view feeds the soul. That’s the only way I can describe it.

Recently, I told my realtor that I wanted an apartment with a view. She found one overlooking the ocean where I can walk to all the restaurants and boutiques. I sold my car last June. I’ll rarely need to take an Uber or the city bus.

Americans and Canadians are moving to Mexico in droves. Many of them are retirees, of course, but there are also young singles, young couples, and couples with children. All are fed up with the high cost of living, crime, and politics in their country.

The locals welcome us because we bring a lot of revenue to the country and create jobs for the citizens.

I have a friend who wants to share an apartment with me to save money. I prefer to live alone, but I’ll give it a try. Hopefully, it won’t be the end of a friendship. The only reason I’m doing it is so I can afford to have an apartment with a view. Even with sharing the cost, I’m spending more than I should. After the lease is up, maybe I’ll move to the jungles of Mexico.

An update on moving into a luxury condo

It appears that my roommate and I have a conflict of personalities. I get up very early in the morning and I stay up late at night. She sleeps most of the day and goes up on the roof and drinks at night. We don't have that much interaction so you wouldn't think there would be conflict. I have hearing loss, and she complains that I keep the TV too loud. She gets very mad if she says something to me, and I don't hear it. I have a poor short-term memory which I've always had due to learning disabilities. She gets mad if she tells me something and I don't remember it which has her convinced that I have dementia.

I'll call her Judy. Judy left her husband because he had a mental breakdown. She said that she's not the type of person who could handle taking care of someone who is disabled. This explains why she gets annoyed with me. I find Judy to be a pain in the rear-end. She's paying less than half of the rent and utilities. That's my fault. I agreed to the arrangement.

I'm a loner and enjoy living alone with my dog and cat. Therefore, I'm going to break the lease on this place. I'm moving over to the artsy side of town. At this time I live on the partying side of town with the drinkers and dancers, and these people party every night. They're mostly gringo ex-pats. I'll be moving to the Mexican side of town. There are more native Mexicans living in that area, and I´ll have people all around who can help me with my Spanish.

Having a roommate reinforces what I already knew. Living alone has its rewards. You can be as annoying as you want, and there's no one around to get annoyed with you. You don't have someone pointing out your every fault.

In a clamshell, there's no conflict. My cat and dog love me the way I am; warts and all.