No products in the cart.
Moving to Mexico | Part 8 of 10 · An honest series by Dudy, creator of My Puerto Vallarta Daily
Dudy shares his family’s personal journey of moving to Mexico — the good, the challenging, the unexpected, and everything in between. In Part 8: the pace of life in Mexico — his favorite chapter, and the thing he cherishes most.
Today is Monday… and that’s all it is
This is probably my favorite post in the series because it’s the one thing I cherish the most in Mexico. During the first year we lived in Puerto Vallarta, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more at ease. There was no constant rushing, no endless schedules, no feeling that every hour had to be productive. One of the biggest lessons I learned was, “Today is Monday… and that’s all it is. I don’t need to worry that tomorrow is Tuesday.”
Some Mondays I did absolutely nothing. The same happened on Tuesdays. Weekends were simply weekends, not two frantic days to recover from the previous five. Somehow, you recharge a little every single day.
The moment my sleep changed, I knew
After 35 years in the corporate world, that feeling was incredibly strange at first. Every morning I instinctively reached for my phone to check emails. There weren’t any. No meetings. No spreadsheets. No presentations waiting for me. It took time for my mind to accept that this was my new reality.
The moment I realized something had truly changed was when my sleep changed. Back in California, five or six hours of sleep was normal, usually interrupted at 3:00 a.m. because I suddenly remembered I had forgotten a slide in tomorrow’s presentation. In Mexico, that simply stopped. I started sleeping seven or eight uninterrupted hours, waking up rested instead of already stressed.
A different relationship with time
Life also moves to a different rhythm. Don’t become obsessed with exact times or expect everything to happen on your schedule. If someone tells you they’re on their way, they probably are… but it may take a little longer than you expected. And somehow, that’s okay. What’s the rush?
Sometimes things happen slower. Sometimes they’re surprisingly fast. What many people call mañana isn’t laziness. It’s a different relationship with time, priorities, and stress. It was one of the hardest adjustments for me at first, but in the end, it became one of the greatest gifts Mexico gave me.
Previous: Part 7 — Healthcare in Mexico ← · Next: Part 9 — Prepare for Plan B →
About this series
Originally shared on My Around the World Daily. Adapted with permission. Dudy spent a year living in Puerto Vallarta, photographing it daily for thousands of followers — read his farewell interview with I Heart Vallarta: CLICK HERE
Planning the move yourself?
I Heart Vallarta is the local community waiting for you on the other side — vetted local businesses, honest recommendations, and the people who make this city home. Join at the founding rate and land connected.
Read also
