Kindred Spirit

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”– C.S. Lewis

When I joined Expats Puerto Vallarta: Everything You Need and Want to Know, I thought the site would be good for gathering information and learning all the significant history of Puerto Vallarta. Normally, I would find such things boring but because I am in a new country (okay, so Mexico’s been here for centuries) I figured learning a little history would help inspire me to learn the language.

Anyway, my new friend Linda is one of the members on the Expats site. She not only sent me a welcoming text. She offered me assistance if I needed help navigating Vallarta. We decided to meet on the Malecon, swap stories about Puerto Vallarta and spend a little time getting to know each other.

We met at Cerveceria Union, a cool restaurant/bar looking out on the beautiful blue ocean. We had a table in the front corner that let us look left, right and behind while we enjoyed people watching. Cerveceria Union has the most incredible oyster bar and grill. The food was absolutely delicious but I will definitely continue to get my Margaritas on the beach at Mismaloya.

The sun was shining, the colors of life were magnificent and we were happy to be alive in the middle of all of it. We talked for hours, interrupted only from time to time by the waiters, who provided us with super service, kept us laughing with funny stories, and told us a little about tribulations they we’re overcoming and how happy they were to be in Vallarta.

Linda and I had lots of stories to swap. We come from very different backgrounds but our life stories parallel in several ways. It is a blessing to meet someone who is simpatico and full of positive energy and loves her dog. We are typical pet owners sharing stories and pictures.

After a long lunch, I decided to accept Linda’s invitation to hang out at her house until Rey got off from work. Rey is a real estate agent. Between taking care of the office and showing luxury homes and condos, I’ve learned to adjust to his unpredictable schedule. It gave Linda and I a few more hours to get to know each other.

We jumped in a taxi after Linda negotiated the price. Typical of any country you may travel to (including the U.S.), you’ll pay the tourist price if you don’t bargain before getting into the cab. Our taxi driver was super friendly, played groovy music and even played with the dog. He was a typical jack of all trades advising us of other services he or his friends could provide just in case we needed help.

Linda cooked a super shrimp scampi that I ate before Rey came. When Rey got there the conversation took a serious political turn but it was great because we were all on the same page. We talked about politics, art, dreams and achievements while Rey enjoyed his meal, and we grooved to the music of “Marcus Miller” and “Tuck and Patti” playing in the background.

One thing we all could agree on. It’s much better living in the Garden of Eden than in the Concrete Jungle. We have left behind the conflict, struggle and stress of a life that dictates when we come and go, how much we “have to” work/earn, and when we can take well deserved time to relax.

But alas, the evening must come to an end because tomorrow morning we go to the Botanical Garden!

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The Dolphin Whisperer

All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child. Marie Curie

There are so many things to do here in Puerto Vallarta and I've made it my goal to experience every nuance of this beautiful and historic city. Perhaps it might interest you to know that Mismaloya where Puerto Vallarta began, was founded in 600 B.C. and was called Xalisco. There is an amazing history of empires. kings, conquistadores, well armed Indians protecting their land and legends surrounding the Holy Virgin.

It all started in this small fishing village that is now a world-renowned tourist destination. But enough history. If you'd really like to know you'll have to research that for yourself. I want to tell you about the exciting and fun things that we do every day in our chosen paradise.

I've lived in the Nevada desert and in the snow capped mountains of Germany. I've traveled through Sweden, Belgium and Brazil. I've swam on the beaches of Hawaii and watched hot steam spew from the mouth of a sleeping volcano. The earth is beautiful. Every place on the planet is sacred and holds a piece of my heart.

I didn't choose to live in Puerto Vallarta. I simply chose to be happy and the universe directed me here. I had a wonderful career in Europe for over 20 years beginning with a tour of that still so popular musical "Hair".  Eventually I landed in Germany where I starred in several musicals including "The Lion King" and had much success as a recording artist/singer-songwriter. Before returning to the U.S. and moving to Nevada, I founded a cultural center including a jazz club that is still running successfully today.

The decision to return to the states was not difficult. My career was flourishing but prosperity and notoriety no longer thrilled me. An ugly divorce added to the notion that life would definitely be better for me somewhere else. Anywhere else. I headed to New York to be near my family, but alas, I missed the flora and fauna of Oldenburg. I was not ready for the concrete jungle, so I moved to the desert.

It was a total eclipse of the senses, moving from the lush, green farm lands of Oldenburg with it's multiple lakes and near by beaches, to the dry metropolitan area of Las Vegas with it's casinos and traffic jams in the middle of the Mojave desert. After a few years in Vegas I was ready to move again. I missed the green, the water and the rain.

But I was in a long term relationship with a wonderful man. What to do? Rey is so cool, when I decided to move back to Germany, he asked no questions. We liquidated both our apartments. We shipped only our most important valuables to Germany and packed the basic essentials to carry with us on the plane. The purge was liberating.

Finally it was destination day. A close friend drove us to the airport.  As we attempted to check in at the Thomas Cook counter, I discovered that I had inadvertently picked up the wrong passport. No question. We could not get on the plane. We had no home to return to. There is no passport office in Las Vegas, and we had to drive to San Diego to apply for a 24 hour replacement so we could fly out the next day.

That's when the universe made the decision for me. San Diego is a lovely city on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. A day in San Diego waiting for the passport had been pleasantly expensive and it was impossible to find a reasonably priced overnight possibility at the last minute. We opted for an economically priced AirBnb in Mexico and drove across the border.

Admittedly, I fell in love with Mexico in Tijuana. Little did I know that Tijuana was considered south San Diego and I had not yet experienced Mexico, but those few days in Rosarita convinced me that Mexico was a better choice than Germany.

Please SUBSCRIBE to our  page. We escaped the stress and pressures of 9 to 5 living! Your $1 per month donation will help us to continue to share details as we achieve our goals and collaborate with ExPat groups dedicated to building new communities in Mexico. 

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