Moving to Mexico? You may want to consider this 👀 🇲🇽
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- In today's Mexico vlog, I'm opening up about the profound culture shock I faced as a South African living in Mexico, particularly in Playa del Carmen. Join us as we share the challenges, and invaluable lessons learned during my journey, with a focus on overcoming the language barrier and the impact it had on forming meaningful connections.
🤔 What is Culture Shock?
We’ll be exploring exactly what culture shock is, the phases of culture shock, and how it manifests in my daily life in Mexico.
🗣️ The Language Barrier Challenge:
One of the biggest hurdles I faced was the language barrier. We share how navigating a new language impacted my ability to form a community, make friends, and fully immerse myself in Mexican culture.
🌟 Helping You Prepare Mentally:
This video is not just a personal reflection but a resource for anyone embarking on their journey to live in Mexico.
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What to Expect in this Video:
00:00 Moving to Mexico
00:23 Culture shocks in Mexico
00:48 Moving to Mexico from abroad
01:28 First phase of cultural shock
02:44 Second phase of cultural shock
07:26 Guide to moving to Mexico
10:46 Third phase of cultural shock
11:09 Fourth phase of cultural shock
11:40 Outro
Prices are given with the Conversion Rate of 💵:
USD $1 = MXN $16
CAD $1 = MXN $11
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#MovingToMexico #LivingInPlayaDelCarmen #LivingInMexico #ForTheRoad
(In this video: relocation, immigrating, living abroad, immigrating to mexico, Americans living in mexico, living, community, locals, cultural differences in mexico, culture shock in mexico, moving to mexico vlog, moved to mexico, moving to Mexico, Moving To Mexico, Living In Playa Del Carmen, Living In Mexico, Culture Shock, Culture Shock Meaning, What Is Culture Shock, Culture Shock In Mexico, Mexico Vlog, South African Vloggers)
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For perspective, I have been in California my entire life but still have no close friends. None of my issues are because of a language barrier, but logistics. In a large city with people so spread out an acquaintance who lives 45-60 minutes north or east of me can never be someone I can get coffee with, and since everyone commutes this is how it’s worked out that I don’t know anyone who lives in my immediate area. It’s rough. It’s so isolating to feel alone while surrounded by people.
Hola Cassandra 🫶🤗 I think that this 'epidemic' of people being so lonely and isolated goes a lot deeper than just language barrier. I think if the world was without the insane addiction to the internet and social media, we'd have so much more opportunity to connect to their neighbours and immediate community. I'm pretty sure people living 50 years ago never experienced the isolation so many of us face now 🥲👀🫢
And that last part - just going out in public and observing how people are so lost in their own world is absolutely frightening 👀🤯 I can't even imagine how Gen-Z is going to feel when they're out of school 👀
My gf was born and raised in California and she also struggles with friends here.
I live in California as well. Good friends are difficult to find for me too. Thank you for your honesty. 🙏🏽
I’m 2.5 years in Mexico and about the same level of Spanish as you. I completely understand where you are. This was a good reminder to me that I need to continue to keep learning Spanish if I’m ever going to truly integrate into the culture.
I m from Europe and speak espagnol! You will never ever have friends here! They want money 💰 money 💰 that s all or they want something from you!!!!!!
@@patriciavandevelde5469😂
Thank you for your raw authenticity and honesty about your experience.
I cried with you when you spoke about your experience with friends. Virtual hug to you, love! I’d love to be your friend☺️
My wife and I are moving to Mexico in a few months. We've started learning Spanish, but we better double down. We're not even at the transactional level yet. And we're moving from somewhere that I basically have no community/friends, so I really want to build friendships after we move.
Hey Blaine 🫶🤗 That's so exciting! Which area are you moving to? Ya, learning more Spanish definitely won't hurt! I can highly recommend watching more Mexican movies / TV shows with the English subtitles to start, and as your Spanish gets more transactional, switch to Spanish subtitles - that's helped me a ton 🇲🇽🙏
thinking Progreso area, north of Merida, but we're not sure yet. We're flying down there in half a day for three weeks. Going to check out the gulf and caribbean coasts from Sisal past Cancun all the way down to Bacalar. It's a lot to see in three wekks but we've visited the peninsula many times and we've recently watched a billion RUclips videos. I hope we'll know in three weeks. @@ForTheRoadTravels
@@blainethurlow5483 Hey Blaine, how was your trip down there? did you guys decide on a place and actually make the move? if so, how has it been? if not, how come ? hope all is well!
@ImPerishhh living in a condo in the jungle about an hour NE of Mérida, Yucatán. Liking it but we're really going to have to go out of our way to meet people. Been over 40 degrees Celcius every day for the last couple of weeks (about 110 F) but mostly staying indoors. The whole immigration process and the whole moving our stuff and listing our house was bloody awful but that's all mostly over with now so we can start trying to live
You are so brave Simone to share this with us - thank you. I wish when we met up in Feb that I would have hugged you many many more times. I did not know what you were going through. You two are such honest genuine good people and anyone would be very lucky to call you a friend. Even though I only spent a couple of months in Playa; I did experience some of this too. Glad you have reached the adaptation and acceptance stage and sending wishes for a beautiful future family with as many mini-Simones and mini-Geovannys as you want 💞
Hola amigos, thank you so much for your kind words was really lovely meeting you both. We are so blessed to have this community in YT and we truly appreciate the support. We wish you are having an incredible 2024 so far, and we hope you come back and visit The Riviera Maya soon. 😍🥰🙏
I am getting ready to move to the Yucatán peninsula early next month. Also an introvert here. How am I feeling anticipatory loneliness already?🙁 I plan to make myself go to some expat/foreigner meet ups, go to some Spanish classes, and Yoga to try to make some connections. Hopefully everyone I encounter won’t be transient 🙏🏽
@@MaryGwenDungannasty? Nasty is your ignorant comment full of prejudices.
Reaching out with hugs, Simone! I too am an introvert who recently discovered that I am lacking community in my own hometown. It's such an important part of well-being, and I'm glad to see that you are making strides to build your own local support system.
Hey April 🥰🫶 Hahaha, all the introverts of the world should unite and create small-cozy communities throughout the world - that would make things so much easier 🥲🙌 I hope you do get to form a community you feel loved and supported by ❤️ I'm looking forward to making more of an effort to create a community here 🙏
I totally understand Simone and appreciate your honesty in sharing. Feeling understood is important and thats not just language, it's the nuances of culture. I think we have an ebb and flow of resilience and you seem to be swinging into a more fluid period which makes it a great time to enroll in classes as you will be curious and want to do the heavy lifting of learning. Sending a big hug!
there's a video that Traveling with Kristin made about this exact subject (she's been traveling the world for over 20 years so this is something that she has a lot of experience with) .... technically the video is about how a man went through this culture shock in Bali and then left during the frustration (low) phase, but her video also really helped me a lot when she literally outlined the cultural adaptation curve in depth. there's actually a link to a USA government website about it that she shared. I'll share it in another comment. I saved this stuff because it helps me to look at it when I experience culture shock to remind myself that it's part of the process and it's normal.
Annastayzia 🫶🤗🥰 I've never hear of her channel, but I'm definitely going to check-out her video - I'd be very interested to learn her perspective on the adaptation curve 👀🙌 I think it's essential for people moving to a new country to be aware of these phases and their characteristics, otherwise you may ending up leaving before giving your chosen country a fair chance 👀🫢
And you're absolutely right - this is just part of the process and something everyone goes through 🙏🫶
@@ForTheRoadTravels❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰xoxoxo
Since you’ve plan seems to be stay in Mexico for long term ; another level of the adaptation curve is being abandoned by friends who don’t make it thru the curve. And you see lots of ppl who close up and stop “bothering “ to make friends. And so there’s another curve when you stop adding expectations onto ppl and appreciating them for the time you have them.
Simone, thanks for sharing your experiences. I am sure it will help many others! Community can be a hard thing to find when in a foreign country. I hope you are able to start feeling more connected to those around. Maybe find a local gym/workout class to join, or a club of some sort, it might be easier as an introvert to connect over a common sport! Always here for you my friend, just a text away! - Katy
❤️❤️. Thank you so much Katy we truly appreciate your kind words, we love having you guys as friends, cannot wait to see you guys soon ❤️😍🙏🏼
@@ForTheRoadTravels ❤❤
I'm crying with you Simone. My spouse & I have a multilingual relationship as well, we have moved far away from friends & family for work. I feel what you are saying about community. Thank you for sharing your story. I have been loving your channel. I visited playa del carmen for thr first time 4 months ago & will be coming back in a few weeks. Thank you for all the great content & information!!!! ❤
Aw thank you so much amigos, we bet you understand the situation too. Thank you for your find words ❤️🫶. As well thank you for supporting our content, so did you guys enjoy PDC that’s why you’re coming back. Sending all the great vibes and wishing you have a blast on your visit to Playa 🏝️🇲🇽. Saludos amigos
Thank you for sharing. From one introvert to another, I feel like you hit the nail on the head about having a physical community. I spent a month in playa last year 2 weeks of which were by myself and experienced the total honeymoon phase. Even just that short time I felt at such a disadvantage not knowing conversational Spanish. Also similarly had a huge depression shortly after coming home to Canada (totally unrelated to returning from vacation) where I realized how I tend to isolate even more during times of stress. But having that community and access to mental health resources in English was what really helped to pull me up from the depths. Still an ongoing struggle but I realized that moving to Puerto Vallarta is out of the question for me unless I seriously commit to learning Spanish. Like you I want to immerse myself in the culture and be able to form friendships with others who aren’t necessarily just on vacation. You’re so brave for sharing your truth.
Beautiful share! ❤ We're both introverts as you guys know and it's why we loved connecting with you both so much. Even 8 years on for us travelling the world brings challenges like you shared. Big hugs and love to you both! ❤
Hey friends 🫶🤗 Two introverts we are so grateful to have had the pleasure of getting to know 🥰 Ya, I think travel and living abroad is so glamorised, but you really need to experience it for yourself to understand that it takes a lot of discomfort and growth to make this lifestyle work for you 🙌✈️ Sending a big hug to you and Michelle 🥰❤️
Thank you so much for sharing that very vulnerable life experience Simone. I have such anxiety about making the move for many of the same reasons. I have a long distance relationship with a fantastic Mexican man but the language barriers are real. He has transactional english and I barely have any functional spanish. Google Translate is only going to go so far. The differences between Canada and Mexico are MILES apart. I appreciate this more than you know. I have the books (thank you), I am slowly working with Duolingo to get some basics but I know the reality of truly feeling at home will be years away. I also am an introvert and tend to be ok without a close circle of friends but, to be able to converse on a deeper level now and then is vital. Your journey is likely far more common than you think. Again, I appreciate you both so much and I am so glad you share your stories with us here in internet land. Hopefully someday in the next year we could sit for a coffee for real! Much love to you both! ❤
Hey Sue 🤗🫶 I'm so glad the video was impactful for you 🙏 That language barrier must take a toll on your relationship - I can't even imaging how tough that must be 😔 Learning a whole new language on a conversational level is no easy feat, and people often used to say to me 'oh you'll just pick up the language'. That may be true for some, but I think for most it takes a concerted amount of time and effort to get there 🫢
And in terms of cultural and infrastructural differences between Mexico and Canada, I can imagine that it will be difficult to get used to. I think something that helps a bit with that; 1. is to plan a trip back home every year to enjoy all your home comforts and 2. to bring things with you to Mexico that make your home feel cozy and 'homey'. So even if things outside may be uncomfortable, your home will be like your little retreat from it all 🥲🙌
Yay, we hope you're enjoying the books 🙏 Duolingo is a great app to start with. Something I find that has helped me pick up a lot of new words is watching Mexican movies and tv shows with the SPANISH subtitles on - it's not so leisurely, but it definitely helps pick the language up faster 🇲🇽
Yes, please let us know when you make it over here Sue 🫶🥰🇲🇽
@@ForTheRoadTravels well the most important pieces of my life that will come with me will be my 2 cats... thats a whole other level of anxiety worrying about travelling with them. It is hard to wrap my head around all that needs to be left behind. In theory it all sounded easy but now that it is becoming a real plan... where to start!? I have watched the Luis Miguel Netflix series a couple of times with the subtitles lol...I have only just begun! I know I am ready to leave Canada - there are many reasons, and I am trying to be realistic with my expectations for life in Mexico. The more you and others have shared the more prepared I can be - truly thankful!
In the US there are more than 30 million legal and illegal Mexicans, many of us learned the English language, we are bilingual, others more or less and few of us speak no English, and yet here we are, we don't get frustrated, we are very hard-working and we integrate into the country and we enjoy both cultures it is a privilege to have 2 nationalities and to be able to enjoy it. Don't give up, show your Mexican side and you'll see that everything will change for you.
When you say there are many Mexican in USA, I don't agree. USA was belong to Mexico, at leat 2/3 of it. So Mexican are in their own land taken by USA.
@@nimacastro7664exactly! Americans of course don’t know history and their government prefers it that way so that they don’t know the truth they reside on stolen land
Don't give up, when I first moved to the state I couldn't even order food in english, but now I have lots of friends and they don't speak Spanish, but I understand I use to cry 😢, Mexico I love Mexico I love their people.
Hola *Arminda* , thank you so much for your words of encouragement, it is hard but not impossible, thank you for empathising with this as you have experienced yourself. We send you all the great vibes and a big hug.
Hola from Down Under. Thanks for sharing.I enjoy watching your videos.
Thanks for sharing, Simone. I have lived abroad in different countries and settling + finding your place always takes time. I would say, be a little more gentle with yourself. Why not make a few expat friends to get more grounded and share the experience of living in Mexico as a foreigner. And then in the meantime you can keep improving your Spanish, which will open more opportunities to connect with locals. Sending you both love xx. PS. I totally understand your desire for community. I am back in the Netherlands, my passport country, and find it difficult to make friends and find community here as the Dutch in general are reserved and stay in their small circle of friends, while I have changed from my years abroad and have a global mindset and open heart to meeting people. Kind of a reversed experience!
Hola Cindy 🫶🤗 Thank you for your perspective on it, I suppose I did just become very closed off to the idea 🥲 But I actually saw someone comment on the video that there is an expat group here in Playa that comes together to practice their Spanish - which I'd be totally open to🙌🇲🇽
I'm so sorry to hear that you've also been struggling to form a community, especially in your home country 🫢 Your fresh perspective on the world would be such a fantastic addition to any friendship group 🫶🙏 One of my favourite people in the world lives in Utrecht (she's South African) and she's mentioned the exact same thing to me before - that it's so hard to make friends there because of how closed off the locals are.
I can definitely say the same for my experience of returning to South Africa, where others have never left the country before, it becomes kind of difficult to form meaningful connections because of how much your mindset tends to differ from all those international experiences 👀🇿🇦
I hope you're eventually able to find your people Cindy 🫶🙌
Thank you for sharing your experience. You raised a lot of good points. I enjoy all your videos. Mucho gracias!
Hola Tamara, thank you for *watching* and for your comment. We saw lots of videos with the culture shocks, but we wanted to go more in-depth with my personal experience. We're happy you enjoyed our video and thanks for leaving a comment, we truly appreciate it 🙏🫶
It's the same thing here in France for me. I know no one to have a coffee with or a discussion.
The French will tell you they made their friends in grade school and don 't want any more.
After I watched your video, I had my wife watch it as well. We are moving to Puerto Vallarta in a couple of years, but we do have a place down there we stay at several times a year. But my wife does not speak spanish and she is trying to learn. And just like Geovanni, I have a hard time teaching her as well, even though I am a Mexican national, I do have dual citizenship with the U.S. as well. I am not a teacher of languages. She understand the need to learn and the need to find our own community, and my concern is that we/she will feel more comfortable with imigrant/expats though she states that she will learn the language to better make local friends as well. We found your video very very helpful, and we understood the situation you were in and are getting through. Thank you for sharing! We enjoy your videos and are happy to be part of your journey!
Thank you very much for watching amigos. Moving to another country with a language different than your mother tongue can be a bit challenging alongside other things. Yes it’s hard to teach our own language to our parents if we are not teacher of languages but practicing really helps and has helped so much to Simone. Thank you amigos we wish you the best on your move.
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Ohhhhh I wish I could be there and go out with you for a coffee. I am a Mexican living in Canada and I can swear that Mexicans are very friendly people. I completely understand your feelings because I feel the same in Canada. I need to learn more English but any way I do not have Canadian friends. I have only Latin friends. You can do it and you are going to be so happy because Los Mexicanos somos súper lindos con toda la gente pero especialmente con los extranjeros 😘😘😘😘
Hola Stephany, thank you so much for your kind words, this means a lot to me. Definitely Mexicans are one of the kindest nation I have ever experienced. Studying and practicing more my Spanish has helped me so much. Wishing you a lovely and blessed day 🙏🫶
keep it up! appreciate you both!
Hola Pat, thank you so much for your *words* of encouragement, we truly appreciate it 🙏🤩
I lived in Japan for a long time but it was really difficult to make friends. One thing that helped was working in the service industry and joining hobby groups.
Hola Sherri, definitely working on the service industry will help her a lot to speak the language and make more local fiends 🙏🏼, joining those local groups will help a ton 🙏🏼. Thanks for watching and sharing your tips 💯🤝
Also, thank you for your honest video, I think it will resonate for a lot of people ❤️
Thank you so much amig@ 🙏🏼❤️
Great vlog - thank you for being so vulnerable in addressing this very important topic! Agree 100% that learning Spanish makes creating personal relationships with native Spanish speakers much easier. We have found where we live that so many locals want to learn English and we've been able to parlay the desire to learn Spanish and there desire to learn English into the groundwork of some really good friendships. Google translate helps alot when we get stalled in a conversation, but just using our more 'transactional' language skills on both sides and trying to have conversations opens up the door to alot of humorous moments, but we learn alot from each other and over time have built some good friendships along the way. Best of luck along your journey! KJ
Thank you so much guys for your kinds words and encouragement. Sending great vibes and so much love ❤️
Great video friends, ❤😊 new subs here.
Cheers from 2 Canadians 🇨🇦 living in Mexico. 🇲🇽✌🏼
Hola Jennifer, Darryle and Cece.
Thank you guys, where in *CA* are you guys from?
We're hopping you guys are having a blast living in Mexico 🫶🫶🤩
Fantastic video! Thank you for your honesty and emotional depth.
Thank you Troy for watching and for your kind words, we really appreciate it. 🙏🥰
Thank you for sharing your heartfelt experience. This is a great awareness for people to have. You now have a major motivation to learn full Spanish and I think you won’t look back. I also think Mexico will be one of the easier places to connect with community too as the people are more welcoming and friendly than many other cultures where people take longer to warm. You may also need to activate bravery and go to a group, class or volunteer and put yourself in front of people. There are many people who have also moved and are or have made Mexico a permanent home vs just into the transients. I was in a similar situation, felt very low and said some kind of prayer and recently met 2 women here in Cozumel who live here and have for years. 1 ex South African and 1 Belgian. I wish you all the best 💖🇿🇦
Hey Allyson 🤗🫶🇿🇦 Thank you - I was nervous to share this, but in the internet world, you can either be authentic and impact people, or try to be perfect and never really make an impact 🙏 YES, I'm now more actively involved in learning than ever before and I'm really excited to push myself to become fluid over the course of the year 🙏 I'm sure your life in Mexico is so much more fulfilling now that you've got some great connections near you - I'm so happy to hear that 🥰🙌
And I totally agree - Mexicans are some of the warmest and most patient people I've ever met 🙏🙏 We may be headed to Cozumel in two weeks - I'll let you know and perhaps we can meet up for a quick coffee 🇿🇦🫶
❤❤❤ wow so vulnerable Simone (hugs) so often life on camera can look like all fun and butterflies and rainbows but the truth for us all is there are hard seasons. It was very brave to share your journey behind the curtain XOXO
Thank you so much friend 🫶🥰🤗 Ya, I think it's easily as important to share to good as it is to share the real and raw stuff - the truth is that no one on the planet lives in a state of ease and bliss all the time, but on the other side of the camera it can easily seem that way 👀 Sending you a BIG ALMOST BIRTHDAY HUG ❤️❤️
@@ForTheRoadTravels ahhhh 🥰😘 thanks my South African sister
Sorry to hear that. This why when my wife and I moved from Seattle we chose the Chapala- Ajijic area after a lot of research and exploring because with the big mixed community of expats and locals that blend together very well, we found community and a mix of friends right away and lots of English spoken but yes we are learning Spanish. We also have the beautiful mountain and lake feel of Seattle but now with the great all year round weather we call this place our tropical Seattle. Also there are over 100 expat started charities helping the local community and tons of things to do like art, music, theater, hiking, and going to Guadalajara only an hour away that has everything a modern US city has, so if you are bored it's your own fault. Maybe you guys should come check it out?
Great advice, I live on both sides of the USA Mexico border but I speak Spanish so I can cope better but it’s still difficult.
I look forward to the day the word expat is not used anymore, it sounds inauthentic and borderline insulting. I consider them immigrants just as any one outside the USA or Europe is called. Economic reasons are the motivator.
Hey Mike 🫶🤗 Oh my gosh I'm so envious of you guys 😍 We were so fortunate to have visited Chapala and Ajijic last year and we fell in LOVE for many of the same reasons as you (especially the climate)🙏🌴 I love that you call it 'Tropical Seattle'. You guys must be loving your lives there - with the peace and quiet of the small town, but the convenience of the big city being just an hour away 🙌🌆
Mi hermana… 😢 thank you for being so open about your experience.. I’m happy that you have settled into your experience.. that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.. as for myself I literally don’t have any friends.. just my husband (my best friend) and my fur babies.. I wonder if it’ll feel the same for me when we move to Mexico? 🤔
By the way.. I agree with the transient vs deep friends concept you mentioned .. it’s why I don’t have any now.. I’m not good with superficial relationships 🤷🏾♀️
Un abrazo para ti ❤
Hola hermana 🫶🤗 Thank you, publishing this video we knew we'd get pushback, but we also knew that it could be a powerful message for people to receive 🙏 Yaaa, I think theres a global issue right now of people feeling so isolated and alone and I think it has a great deal to do with the rise of social media and addiction to zoning out (scrolling, binge watching, over eating, drinking etc.) 🙃
However, I do believe that there are a lot of conscious people on the planet right now who are seeking deeper, more meaningful relationships and I suppose it's just a matter of connecting with those people 🙏🙏 Lol, the hard part is leaving the house and engaging with new people to find those core people 😅🥲🤭
Un abrazo para ti and your family 🫶🥰
I can only imagine how difficult it was to make this video. Take care. Be well✌🏻👏🏻🙏🤙🏻
Aw, thank you so much for your *kind* words, it was a bit hard but we're happy to share this with you all 🥹❤️
Hi bellos, Simone, thank you for your vulnerable share 🙏 I’m sorry to hear that you felt a lack of community support/friendships while living here. While I acknowledge that my speaking Spanish made my move to Mexico easier and I did easily make friends with two lovely Mexican neighbours, I wanted you to know about some of the communities we have available here for English speakers. We are currently in the process of starting the first English-speaking Toastmasters Club in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya (public speaking club.) This is a weekly meeting with a view towards personal development so you’d have a chance to meet like-minded people there, including some Mexicans looking to improve their English-speaking skills. There are also a couple of Spanish-speaking Toastmasters clubs in Playa open to the public, in case you’d be more interested in that. Happy to put you in touch with the organizer. Then once a month (first Sunday of each month) we have a PDCYES event. This is a free personal-development focused event featuring inspiring speakers. Also a great way to meet like-minded people. Aside from that, I’ve personally made some nice contacts/budding friendships with the people from my yoga classes. And please bellos, don’t let your current social circle prevent you from bringing a beautiful baby into this world. Once you become parents you’ll now have access to WhatsApp groups like Moms of PDC and Super Dads (happy to connect you.) There are groups for play-dates too. Having a kid could actually provide you with the opportunity to widen your social circle. I do agree with your assessment re: the transient nature of Playa to some extent. Thankfully at least some of the digital nomads have been returning at least in our high-season here so it’s been nice to see some familiar faces year-over-year. And I’m personally grateful for the growing expat population. I do trust things get easier for you in the future 🙏 Btw, as a former Torontonian, I too can relate to the differences in terms of the infrastructure here. I guess there’s a price to pay for a lower cost of living, lower taxes (at least for some of us), more freedom, a year-round warm climate (I think you may have that in South Africa; not in Canada for sure) + from my perspective, more opportunities (I realize others may not share my perspective.) Again, I trust things get easier for you 🙏 {Big hug} ~ will reach out soon 🙏💗
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Everything takes process, time and hard work and finally I'm Mexican American after 21 years but nothing that it's worth it, is easy. Anyway I wish you exactly what I wish to myself all the best 🙏❤
Hola Oscar, you cannot agree enough with you, and she is patience and working very hard and I can see her progress. Thank you for your message and for watching, we truly appreciate it 🙏🫶
@@ForTheRoadTravels I respect your opinion but everything depends on us.😃😉👍
Ho! Big hugsss, small hibiscus flower.
thank you for opening up like you do, it's not easy to work on ourselves. The fact that you have traveled a lot and that you also work from « home »certainly doesn't help with relationships. Nowadays peoples are moving around a lot. Even if we stayed in our hometown many left . We learn to open up, to make new friends. yes the circle will change along the way and that will allow to meet new friends. (Expat or not-english or spanish) You don’t need many years to have a good connection sometime. Hope my poor english goes well explained what I think. You both deserve to be happy. 🌺
Simone, you should take some formal Spanish lessons. Most people I know that have move to other countries have gone to classes starting with beginners for the basics and keep going to the other levels as they are ready to move forward. Thanks for sharing, I wish you the best. ❤
Hola Griselle 🤗🫶 I think you're totally right - apps and tv shows only get you so far 🙏 And speaking to people who are also learning I suppose will make me feel more comfortable with the mistakes and mispronunciations 🫢👀 Sending you a hug 🫶
We loved your video today. My husband and I have watched several of your videos. We have also moved abroad. We moved from the U.S. to Panama. We really related to your video! We are coming to Playa Del Carmen next May. It would be fun to meet you two in person.
Hola TJ, 🙌🏼
We are so so sorry for the late response, thank you for have watched our content we truly appreaciate it as well as for your comment. ❤️
Did you happen to visit PDC, how was your experience? We hope you have had a great time.🫶🙏🏼
Thanks for being honest after your tourist outlook waned.
Hey Ryan 🫶🫶 You're most welcome - we wouldn't want to inspire people to move here based on sugarcoated opinions 🙏
I used yo h4te Mexico my country so much and I escaped, I went to India for 3 years and I came back loving and accepting my country……there’s so much we don’t see sometimes and we are so blessed here in the Mexican Caribbean ❤ now I live here with my Indian husband and we love it 😂😂😂😂
Thank you for sharing this. I recently moved from LA to Guadalajara and have definitely experienced many culture shocks. I think that bell curve you drew of the different phases is very accurate. While I am enjoying many aspects of life here I would say I'm in between the frustration and adaptation phases. Like Simone, my Spanish is transactional and it has hindered my ability to make meaningful connections. I am trying to learn in all the free ways I can. You are very blessed to have Geo to lean on during this time. I am navigating this alone and it can be a bit isolating at times, but I am trying to give myself grace and enjoy the process.
Really appreciate your authenticity, I watch your videos all the time. I just returned from Playa del Carmen and had the worst experiences of all my 15 years of travel to Playa. I always attempt to speak simple transactional Spanish. This time it was greeted often with rudeness or simply ignoring my questions . I had store clerks not giving me change, then pretending not to understand my question.
I do not know what has happened here( this was my 1 st trip since Covid) but I sensed underlying anger and lack of kindness with a lot of people. I am referring to locals and expats.
So maybe the increased transient population has caused some resentment, despite Playa being the hub of tourist $.
The old Playa charm is gone and so am I.
I will never return to Playa. It is now another Cancun. I am certain I can find a smaller, kinder Mexican community to settle for a few months.
I just wanted to say perhaps what you are feeling may be a symptom of the change in atmosphere there?
Take Care and I will still watch your great videos!
Aw we are sorry you had a awful time in PDC. As the place keeps growing, things chance sometimes for good and some times for bad. We hope you have the chance to come back to PDC and your past experience can be turned around 🙏🏼🙏🏼
You being so open and honest is going to help so many people take a chance but have a more realistic expectation. You’re inspiring so many and I truly admire you sharing your journey and for being so raw about it. So glad to be apart of this e community! 🫶❤️
Love this video guys. Thank you Simone for sharing your heart and your experience. I teared up watching this.
I also cracked up at your video inserts... especially the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and clip of anos vs anus. LOLOLOL
Omg yes it was hilarious.. wonderful comic relief for an emotional and deep topic❤
Hey Angela 🫶🤗 We're so glad you enjoyed it 🥲 hahaha, both of those inserts, especially the 'anus' one was 100% Geovanny's idea 🤣🤣 I think he relates to Gloria living in an all English family on a deep level 🤣🫢
Hahaha, glad you enjoyed it 🤣 We have a deep love for Modern Family - especially Phil 😂
@@ForTheRoadTravels lol. love it!
Yeah the inserts were class
So sorry I missed you guys when I was there! I’ll be be back in April and hope to connect. My best friends and family do not speak English,
😂😢❤😅😊 Thank you for sharing. Yeah, I puddled up.
Aw, you're so welcome, we are *happy* you enjoyed the video, and thank you so much for your comment amig@ ❤️🤗
Expat and Immigrant communities get a bad wrap for not "integrating with the locals" but this is the reason they exist. They can support and relate to each other in their new country and there is commarderie in that experience. It allows people to build a support network in their native language. Here in the US we have large communities of Mexicans, Italians, Russians, Vietnamese and many more for this very reason. However, I see these communities bashed in other countries and sometimes in the USA and Mexico. But the people complaining are not understanding the reason it happens and its importance to the people trying to assimilate to their new environments.
@@MaryGwenDungan Exactly! It's normal to seek out community with our peer group for every human being.
Great video, honest $ insightful, best of luck
Thank you so *much* Charles for your nice comment, we truly appreciate it and thank you for the support 🙏🫶
GO BACK TO YOUR F COUNTRY FOREIGNERS, YOU'RE NOT WELCOME IN MEXICO...........................
Buena suerte a los dos. Parecéis una pareja realmente encantadora.
Muchas gracias Betty por tus lindas palabras 🫶🙏🏼😍
Reasons and expectation from moving and life should make sense and be realistic. If not that happens. Looking around none stop to find happiness is not healthy , you end up to this point.
Totally, thanks for your kind words *Nima* 🫶❤️
Yes tu necesitas personas ♥️
Have you considered also connecting also with the expat community in addition to locals native to the PDC? I’m not suggesting this to not learn to speak the language which you should but that it may fulfill a part that’s missing in your life.. There are quite a few expat groups that focus on environmental issues or local initiatives to help local struggling communities etc.
Hola amigo 👋🏼 definitely we’re in the process to getting a car so it will make the communing easier, as sometimes moving with taxis or public transport make it difficult. Thank you for your comment we really appreciate it 🙏🏼😎
@@ForTheRoadTravels absolutely! I’m looking forward to returning to PDC it’s been five years since my last trip. If I run into you two by chance I’ll be sure to say hello!
SAfrican here been in Mex 12 yrs...we can connect if you wish
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That would be so wonderful. Surely the 2 of you would enjoy that.
You guys need a babbel ad contract so you can get babbel for free lol
Hahaha, great collaboration idea! 😅😅🇲🇽
Also always keep in mind that Spanish is WAY HARDER than english, both in terms of structure and the gesture you have to do with your mouth to pronounce corectly, so what you already have done is a lot!! Keep trying without fear of making mistakes ! Mucha suerte !
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Well, as someone who has learned both English and Spanish and teaches both languages, I have to strongly disagree. Yes, it can be difficult to learn how to move your mouth to pronounce Spanish words properly, but at the end of the day it’s still easier to learn WHAT to say, even if HOW to say it is tricky. You can get by without proper pronunciation. In fact, people in Mexico are always so proud to hear foreigners learning their language they don’t care if it’s “broken” or spoken with an atrocious accent. English is notoriously one of the most difficult languages to learn due to the number of “rules” that don’t apply to a good portion of the language. For the most part, Spanish rules stick, there are still a few exceptions of course but no where near the level that English contains.
South Africa has a GDP per capita of $11,500 as of 2020, while in Mexico, the GDP per capita is $17,900 as of 2020. I understand the feeling of not being part of a community, but saying Mexico has no middle-class is a bit over the top.
For real. Mexico is no 3rd world country and it’s quickly leaving behind its 2nd world country status for 1st world. It has some of the best hospitals in the world and Merida was the safest city in the world there for a while, it’s still one go the safest cities in the world. It’s also filled to the brim with warm friendly people who look past language barriers all the time. Not entirely sure how it’s possible to not have a community in this country, even if you don’t speak any Spanish at all. There are so many opportunities to meet up with locals and bond, many free Spanish classes as well. And there’s so many opportunities for expats to get together too.
@@laurenorozco2854 She wants to speak Spanish like a local. That is what is of her concern.
I understand her. I speak French on a transactional level only. The problem is the French do not want foreigners as friends. I plan to move to Mexico. I can't move back to USA as BIDEN's policies has killed it.
I have also lived in SA for one year. There are many wealthy SA's living luxury lives. Everything is clean, inexpensive, and with many services.
@@ParisianThinker No, her main concern was a “lack of a community”. I’ve easily had a community with no Spanish skills whatsoever. The Mexican people overall are a very warm and inviting people. The only reason for not having friends or a community there when they’ve been there that long is not putting yourself out there. Basically choosing to be a shut in. 🤷🏻♀️
Don’t go back to the USA even if it’s easier to do one day. Not worth it anymore.
I have been going to Mexico for almost 45 years,I knew when a taco was 5 cents and a corona 15 cents or less...plate of fresh oysters 35 cents...and has been going 2-3 times a year ever since...Always wanted to buy a home there,but something always stopped me...I believe in karma and what happens,is for the best....My visit last month,proved karma always work...Everything is so expensive and not much to do at my age...I live in Florida and we have so many things we can do to keep active...I will still visit Mexico,but not as often..
Hola Neil, thank you very much for watching and for sharing your experience. Definitely, this area has changed so much, which is a bit sad because it has transformed into a different place. This is not the authentic beach town it used to be. It has definitely helped the economy, but the charm of the place and the people has slowly gone away. Thank you for still choosing to travel to Mexico, even less often than you used to. Saludos, amigo. 🤩🙏🫶
@@ForTheRoadTravels Thanks for your reply..The cruise ship companies and the Mexican politicians are the ones to be blamed..I used to dive in Cozumel /Cancun before all the cruise ports were build and those areas were beautiful reefs,filled with corals and sea life...all destroyed ,Green Peace and Jacques Cousteau tried to stop them,but money talks and bullshit walks..Look what they also did to Mahahual ...with another cruise port..There is an island called Banco Chinchorro which is controlled by Spain off of Mahahual...i did some diving there also...I just hope they leave it alone..
Glad to hear from you and that you are happy in Florida. I am from there, but moved to France 18 years ago. I am afraid to come home due to all the crime, violence and destruction BIDEN's policies have placed on Americans.
@@ParisianThinker All depend on where you live in Florida,my development is still safe,some people leave their garage doors open all day,and people walk/jog/ride bikes all hours,even late at night.. France is nice,my sister has been living there for 40 years and i visit yearly...Villiers Sur Orge about an hour away from Paris..best thing is i can fly into Orly and avoid the turmoil..I was in Brittany/Normandy last year and visited the American Cemetary and Le Mont Saint Michel...My grand Nephew is getting married next year and will be there god
s willing.
Thank you for bringing up this very serious topic! It also seems as if the move may have been compounded by anxiety and depression. What steps did you use to not only deal with mental health issues but isolation?
Hola Tracy. Thanks for you lovely comment. Lots of journals and meditation 🧘♀️ have played a huge role with this 🙏🏼🙏🏼😍.
Honestly..... I say you have to get over it. I came from the US to Mexico and I came by myself and I didn't have the benefit of dating someone who spoke both English and spanish. I was on my own and I wasn't fluent. And I promise you that the US is the gold standard for infrastructure and luxury and everything else and it would definitely rival South Africa but despite all that I focused on why I was there which was mostly Financial but also because the US is falling apart and I wanted to move somewhere where I can unplug from the turmoil of the political issues and all of the other things. Also, when you say you're an introvert and you can't go out to these places. Yes you can. There are groups that definitely live there full time and that aren't transient so why are you not connecting with them I can cite somebody right now who is also a RUclipsr that lives there. I'm sure Tangerine travels would love to meet you. But yes you have to learn Spanish so why not invest in a teacher or something
I appreciate your insights and perspective Kristofer 🙌🙏
She has invested. She speaks Spanish surely better than you. Stop judging people.
However, she wants what I have in the USA-the ability to easily talk to anyone, know all about the culture, and the reasons people value what they do. She is trying. I love her because of that.
Hey hun I'm also south african in Playa I got a South African friend we both have mexican wife's, we need to hang out.
I studied crazy but my family helps
I understand living in another country. Been doing this over 10 years. I don’t speak the language and this does isolate you. I have over come this because I use the internet. Now have a international friend. Two thing you need I do have a spouse she only speak her language. We have learn to communicate. Who is from the country living in now. Also I find it interesting she also has a person who speak both English and Spanish. This seem to be the difference between men and women seem to need a support system system from people outside of there spouse. That what she is saying. She right to learn the language and this is where we agree. She lucky she had this guy with her. I agree you need to know the language to feel comfortable.
Thank you for this lovely comment Gary 🙏🏼🙏🏼.
I was planning to go to South Africa for a safari, was advised not to, because it was dangerous.
South African is most certainly not the safest country in the world, but there are some really great places where you'll definitely feel more secure. For example, going on a safari is perfectly ok because those reserves are secured and monitored 🙏🦏 The Western Cape, specifically small towns like Kynsna and George and super peaceful and safe. Johannesburg (where I grew up) is incredibly dangerous and I would highly recommend avoiding it all together 🙏 I'd highly recommend going on a safari - its one of the most phenomenal experiences to see such big and beautiful animals in their natural habitat 🇿🇦🇿🇦
Just watch TV Novelas, Chespirito and/or music such as Luis Miguel since his pronunciaiton is clearly and eloquent in his songs. I was born in Mexico , brought to California at age one and now I'm 60, and even though I have family here a couple minutes away in a small town, none of us visit each other and my friends are my autistic brother, niece and sister. I don't feel lonely though. I've had my life, gone out, partied or tried, but those were just acquantances. My coworkers are that too. With only a 2-3 days in office commuting, I hate it, and much prefer working from home. I can't wait to retire & not have to go into the office with my door closed just like I am a home, less the 30+ minute commute. I'm happy at home and happy when I do travel to Mexico. If I could move my family there, I know I'd be happy and perhaps better off too.
Hola Joe,
Absolutely, she is actually watching more content in Spanish and practicing too. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, and we hope one day you can call Mexico your forever home. Thanks again for watching and commenting. We truly appreciate it 🫶🥰🙏
You might try finding a hobby that has lots of expats. I was there in December scuba diving and both shops I dove with were all either from European countries or South Africa. The dive shops were owned by Americans or European folks. I'm sure there are other hobby type communities where you could meet folks like yourself in order to build a strong local network of friends.
Hola Neal, absolutely it's a very *good* idea too. We are going out a little bit more and that helps to find more people. Thank you very much for watching and for your kind comment, we truly appreciate it 🫶❤️🙏
Hi lovely! I fully understand what you’re going through, I’m having the same experience living in Australia. I’ll be moving into Mexico beginnings of next year, if you’d like someone introvert as you :) , who looks for long term friends don’t hesitate to hit me up 🫶🏼 sending you love
We hope you are now adapting to your new life amiga. We wish you the best on this. Sending you all the great vibes ❤️🫶🙏🏼
It took my mom 8 years to adjust to finally feel like home. Then at 10 years they moved to another country.
Oh no! Yes, adaptation can take *long* for some people. Thanks for sharing your insights amigo 🙏🫶
Oh my goodness! That happened to me too. First, German, then Italian, the French. I am American.
That period covid knocked a lot of people down. But learning Spanish was a good path to recovery.
Es correcto amiga! Saludos 🫶🤩
4 years is more than enough time to become fluent in the language. Mexican people are amazing. You are really missing out by not learning them language. If you love Mexico, learn the language.
Working on it 👍
Not sure if you are on my facebook but my family is there and I never speak English. My family will correct me
I’m interested to know why you feel you won’t get involved in the expat community? I my heart does break for you too. I would think expats would be dealing with the same things.
Never mind, you just answered my question. I’m wishing you all the best.
Thank you Erin for watching and commenting we truly appreciate it.
I don't want to sound mean, but I would assume that people should make an effort to learn the language of the country they are moving to. If not for their "comfort" or "connections", definetly for respect to the culture and people already living there. Isn't it what many latinxs hear in English-speaking countries? I'm Mexican, I like the idea of welcoming everybody. However if the worst part of your time here was the lack of close friends I would consider you very privileged, definitely more than most who were born here. Maybe the video would had benefit from incluiding the gentrification implications for Mexicans, just to cover the topic from more angles. Specially if you are selling guides on how to move here.
Hola Elena 😊 I believe the whole point of this video was to encourage people considering a move to Mexico to take the learning of Spanish very seriously 🙌 I don't consider your comment mean at all, but perhaps a bit ignorant? As a Mexican, you learn English throughout your entire schooling career, and are exposed to English through movies & music through your upbringing - so you've already got a bit of an advantage if you ever were to move to an English-speaking country. However, if you were to move to an entirely different continent where you've never been exposed to the language or culture, it's highly likely you'll share similar experiences to what I have in Mexico 😊
@@ForTheRoadTravels If the intention of the video was the one you mention, I apologize: I did not got that impression. Since we kept the discussion rolling, I wouldn't like to ignore that only 22% (INEGI,2022) Mexicans speak English. And that number is probably not counting all the indigenous people who do not speak Spanish. Perhaps it would be a good chance to say that if many Mexicans do not reply in English it might be because they didn't had the priviledge to learn it, as you comment.
As a side note: I did move abroad for a while as you mention, which is why I learned French and Mandarin.
Wow, que dificil situación para esa chica 😢 ella deberia estar en Sudáfrica. Si una de las sociedades mas amigables y humanas del mundo no sin suficientes para sentirse bienvenida, no quiero ni imaginar lo que supondría para un mexicano vivir en un oais desarollado, carecterizados oor su frialdad, conveniencia e hipocresia 😬. Me hace recordar a un tipo de new york (cantor), el cual estaba decepcionado porque no encontró un ambiente bohemio que lo arropara, gente sumisa aclamando su nombre y mariguana y parafernalia gratis.
Huh 🤔?
🍁🚬 🤭🤭
🧐🧐🤔
Speak to her in spanish at all times and she should open her mind with determination to learn best of luck
Yes, lately I have spoken more in Spanish to her as well her using a language learning app has helped so much too. Thank you for the encouragement. 😍🫶🙏🏼
Con todo el respeto que se merecen uds tengo que decir que es una obligacion aprender el idioma del lugar a donde uno va a vivir. Generalmente mi experinencia es que la gente que tiene ingles como lengua materna no aprenden otros idiomas muy bien.
Yo vivi en Alemania y tuve que aprender aleman. Despues tuve que mudarme a Noruega y no solo tuve que aprender noruego, sino tambien sueco. La gente que vive aqui de paises donde hablan ingles jamas aprenden noruego o sueco porque todos les hablan en ingles. Visto desde un punto de vista mas neutral siento que es injusto. Asi que si hablas solo ingles y llegas a un pais donde pocos hablan ingles es obligatorio aprender el idioma local.
No es ofenza para uds! Ojala lo puedan entender, Saludos!
Ninguna ofenza Roberto, *totalmente* entendemos. Gracias por compartir tu mensaje 🙏🫶
bienvenidos a tierra azteca
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... oh brother... southafrican
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Why aren't to fluent? I'm sure there are plenty of schools you can enroll in...
Could be
I think you blocking your self because the neighborhood you are at is the best and faster to learn mexicano lenguish is like low to median class level if you hang around neighbors tech you even for learn inglish
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Hola Simone and Giovanni, ❤
Tengo un profundo respeto por ustedes dos. (I need to send you a Spanish greeting) Had to translated it with google 🫣 because I don’t speak Spanish. But I will to learn it.
Thanks for your video, and talk us trough the years, Take us with your experience to live in Mexico 🇲🇽
Love you guys, you got a special place in my hart❤
A friend
Gr from Holland
John
Aw, muchas gracias amigo. That's awesome that you want to learn this beautiful language. Thank you for your support and encouragement amigo, we truly appreciate it 🤗🤩
Sending you all the great vibes and love from *PDC* amigo 🤗🥰
short retelling : learn Spanish !
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Nobody feels sorry for you. You husband looks like a super star model/actor
Geovanny says thanks 😅
Yes, we do. We understand what she is communicating. You must have your hearing aid set to off.
are u looking at south Africa through a white person or a person of color perspective. poor poor choice of country to compare anything to 😮
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Home sick get over it.
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