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Wendy’s love of travel was ignited at a very early age, when her grandparents brought back treasures and tales from India and Thailand. Her family took extensive trips throughout the United States, and as a young woman, she lived for two years in a Bavarian village a stone’s throw from the East German border. To finance her travels, she has worked as a bookkeeper, then as a business owner, as a registered nurse, and finally as the Director of Professional Services with a hospice in central California. She took an early retirement at the age of 51. In 2005, she and her husband, David, left the U.S. for Asia, achieving her dream of discovering new places, seeking out new adventures, and immersing herself in new cultures. Since that time, she has also fulfilled a life-long dream of being a writer. She has been writing for International Living since 2016, first as the Vietnam Correspondent, then as the Southeast Asia Correspondent, and most recently, as International Living’s Mexico Correspondent. After living in Southeast Asia for 16 years, Wendy now resides in the Spanish colonial city of Querétaro in the highlands of central Mexico.
In 2005, she and her husband David left the U.S. for Asia, fulfilling her dream of discovering new places, seeking out new adventures, and immersing herself in new cultures. Since that time, she has also fulfilled a life-long dream of becoming a writer. Wendy and David now live in Hanoi and are enjoying exploring the beaches, mountains, and restaurants in their new adopted home in Vietnam.
When I first visited the central Mexican highlands town of Patzcuaro, I came to understand what draws expats to the area. At 7,200 feet in elevation, the air is crisp and cool; even in July, it’s mild enough that you’ll want warm clothes. The local culture is rich and vibrant. Patzcuaro is large enough to have most of what you need, but small enough that...
Mexico is not only the closest destination abroad for U.S. and Canadian expats; it’s also the most popular. More than 1.6 million expats are estimated to live in Mexico full, or part-time— the largest concentration of North American expats anywhere in the world.
I thought I knew what to expect the first time I came to Oaxaca. I was sure that I’d see some grand Baroque churches, cool colonial-era buildings, and some impressive street art, and I’d heard that Oaxaca was the capital of mezcal, the smoky, tequila-like drink that comes from the agave cactus. I’d seen Oaxacan handicrafts before, even in the U.S.
Of course, crime can occur anywhere, and Mexico is no exception. Using the same common sense in Mexico that you would normally use back home is your best approach. Heare are some specific tips to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable time in Mexico.
For the past week, I've been exploring the Mexican city of Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital of the central-southern state of Oaxaca. It's been full of surprises. Good surprises. The longer I've been here in Oaxaca City, or simply Oaxaca, as it's called, the more appealing it's become, and I'm convinced that this is a place where I could live long-term.
Julie May Locke, a 68-year-old Brooklyn native, never planned on living in the small, south-central Mexican village of Mitla, which is about a 30-minute drive from Oaxaca City. She had recently retired, and she needed a change—but this hadn't been on her radar until she realized exactly how priced out of life on the east coast of the US she really was.
Mexico is a country that’s frequently misunderstood, and first-time travelers are often surprised to discover how different it is from how they may have imagined it. Here are nine common misconceptions about Mexico.
I first visited the south-central coastal resort town of Nha Trang, Vietnam in 2005. I’d heard about the Fairy Spring Waterfall and put it on my list of things to do. It was only 12 miles from the city—an easy daytrip on my rented motorbike. When I arrived, I was met by a gaggle of five local ladies who convinced me that I needed them to guide me...
Jason arrived in Querétaro in January 2022, and has enjoyed scouting both the city and the surrounding area. He is a videographer and film editor who documents his discoveries and experiences on his own popular YouTube channel. He says, “I take videos of the city and my experiences abroad. I usually spend two days a week filming and the rest of the week editing.
My husband David and I are renting a one-bedroom house in the Los Arcos area, with a full view of the 18th-century aqueduct that stretches from the hills in the east to the center of town. We pay $800 a month for our one-bedroom duplex, which is fully furnished and includes all utilities and the occasional homemade dinner that our landlord brings to us (he's awesome!).