Falling in Love… with Tulum

Recently, I met a man, Bruno, that lives in Tulum, Mexico. I took a leap of faith and decided to visit him there. (Another blog about our love story soon to come.) In addition to Bruno, I also fell in love with Tulum.

I currently live in San Diego, CA and have for 14 years just this month, September 2024. If you have ever visited SD, then you know it’s gorgeous. It’s sunny and we have great weather most of the year. There are so many outdoor activities, including all the beaches and Balboa Park. Most of our malls are open-air concepts because of how moderate and predictable the weather is here. If you have ever lived in California, then you know that it is an expensive state. Just this year, 2024, San Diego got rated the most expensive city in the United States. That’s right! We are more now expensive to live than San Francisco (which I have also lived), Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, and Miami, just to name a few.  Even before this year, it has always had a high cost of living to income ration.  The good old sunshine tax that so many of us are willing to pay.  We forgo high salaries and wages to live in a gorgeous place.  The moment I moved to San Diego, it felt like home.

Since the pandemic, with inflation so high, it has been a bit of a struggle financially for me.  Even though I live in this beautiful city, I haven’t been able to enjoy all that it has to offer.  In March of this year, I had to resign from the Pilates studio that I had been teaching for the past three years.  Though I loved teaching Pilates, there are so many pervasive issues working in the fitness industry, and I am over that bullshit.  I knew I was going to lose the job, as early as November 2023, and I have been looking for a job since then.  I want something different, that comes with benefits and a stable income. 

As of now, I have yet to find that job, though I do even have a Master’s degree.  In just a few weeks, the beginning of October, my unemployment is going to run out.  While, I do have savings, I have been using it all along, since unemployment benefits are only $450 per week, $224 less than if I worked I minimum wage job. While that might be enough to scrape by in some areas of California, by no means is it feasible in San Diego.  After taxes, it pays for my rent.  My car is paid off, but there is still gas, insurance, and other maintenance.  I have two cats and a dog; all of them over 10 years old, that need to eat and go to the vet.  I need food, and toilet paper, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, etc., you get the idea.  Cell phone, SDG&E, internet, and other bills that all add up.  Even this laptop that I am using is from 2017, doesn’t have enough space or memory to be updated.  Many applications and websites don’t work.  In addition, the “T” is falling off and I have to hit it really hard, and the “I” sometimes doubles that I get “ii” hitting it just once.

San Diego, while it’s beautiful, it’s very expensive.  Tulum, however, is not. 

I went to Tulum in July 2024 for the first time, to see if fairytales really are true.  While I can’t give you a definite yes to confirm their existence between people, I can tell you that the places where fairytales unfold do exist.  You might not want the setting of your fairytale to be set on the tropical beaches of the Caribbean, but I do.  I like the heat.  With or without humidity, I will gladly take it over the cold.  I enjoy not having to wear a lot of clothes.  I don’t quite get sweater weather, even though I grew up in NY.  Sure, I have a ton of hoodies and jackets, but that’s out of necessity.  I love when the water is warm enough that you can actually spend time in it.  Not just walk in to cool off, like we generally do here with the Pacific Ocean, or have to wear a full wetsuit just to surf year-round.  Even though the days are hot, you can walk on the sand on the beaches in Tulum.  You burn your feet here in San Diego.  I still haven’t figured out that phenomenon.

On top of all the physical beauty of Tulum, there is an undefinable sacred energy that courses through the area.  Is it the residual energy of the Mayan civilization that once existed there?  Or were they just so in tune with what was already in existence in the land?  Either way, it’s palpable.  I felt it.  I had an emotional release there, that had been dammed up for what felt like years.  There have been many times in the past few years that I wish I could cry.  I felt like I wanted to, but I couldn’t.  Maybe, I could get my eyes to get a little watery but no real tears.  In Tulum, there were multiple occasions that I cried.  None of them were because someone I love died.  While meeting Bruno for the first time was an emotional experience, it was a positive one.  I also cried when I had to say goodbye to him but also Tulum.

Currently, the US Dollar is strong.  With the exchange rate at over 1 USD:17  MXN at the time and now closer to 1:20, my money went a long way there.  It was so nice being able to go out and not having to worry about how much I have left in my account.  I remember him saying something about us spending almost 1000 pesos, including the tip, each night out.  We each had a meal, two alcoholic drinks EACH, and sometimes guacamole, too.  You know much $50 will get you in San Diego? Two drinks, not two drinks each, just two drinks!

There is a lot more that Tulum has to offer, as well.  For me, it also includes love with an amazing human being.  Will all of that, how can I not fall in love with Tulum. With how San Diego had changed, especially the cost, it makes it easy for American’s Finest City to not be so fine in my eyes.  As I mentioned before, I do not currently have a job and I have about three more weeks of my unemployment claim.  Taking everything into consideration, I have decided to start the process to move to Tulum, Mexico.

There are a lot of things to consider and know.  This is what I plan to be the focus of my blog.  I want to share my experience and everything I learn along the way.  Bruno and I have been asking around, and we get different answers as to how I can move there and get residency and maybe a work visa.  In addition, I have to figure out how to bring my pets and consider importing my car and other belongings.  Once I am all set up in paradise, I want to offer my perspective as a Güera living in Tulum.

This week, I have an appointment at the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, to answer all my questions, and what I need to do to make it as easy and legitimate as possible.  I can’t wait to share everything that I learn then and to share this whole journey with everyone!  Part of the plan is to offer the posts in Spanish, as well.  I will have his help with translation and hopefully soon, I will be able to do it on my own.