Chosen lifestyle

There are many ways to live here in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. As many or more choices of life styles as in the States or in Canada; from the gated communities of the wealthy where the only contact with Mexicans is by way of personal servants to living in Spartan rooms in areas teaming with life where most communication is in Spanish.

This is a diary of the lifestyle I have chosen. I am a house and dog sitter. Sometimes I live in mansions. When I am not house sitting I live in a casita, which is a small two room house in the yard of a mid range home. Many houses here have casitas. They may have originally been built as housing for the maids. Sometimes now they are rented out to the less than wealthy longer term tourists, the snow birds as we are called. We fly in for the winter, mostly from the States and Canada and go home when it warms up in our own towns.

My name is Patricia Walker. I am sixty four years old. I am not much of a joiner although there are many clubs in this area. One could be busy from morning to night time, going from one club, art show, performance or meeting to another. But I rarely go to them. I prefer to take long walks through the village and watch sunsets over the lake.

If you are curious about changing your life and moving to Mexico full time or just as a snow bird, I hope my diary will give you an inkling of what to expect here.