Courage to Follow Your Heart , by Katelyn Daniels

 Sometimes, particularly when the hand of destiny is at play, our lives can change on a dime. Such was the case when I first visited Ajijic in the winter of 2018 and within 6 months had sold my house, my car, and nearly all of my possessions and became a full-time resident of this newly designated “Pueblo Magico”. I felt captivated by the magic, the energy, the beauty of the region the very first day I arrived, like so many others.

It’s interesting to ponder the twists and turns of our lives and how we end up living in places we had never even heard of before, over a few years even months later. While living in Chicago, where I had a private practice as a psychotherapist, I had traveled to Puerto Vallarta for winter vacations over a span of a couple decades and loved the Mexican people, culture, and language, which I decided to begin learning at 55. Somewhere in the back of my head, I had the thought that I might retire in Puerto Vallarta one day but I pretty much dismissed it as a pipe dream.

Then, while on vacation in PV I wandered into an art gallery where I happened to overhear two Mexican women talking about a place they had visited called Ajijic, how it was this charming, artsy town with lots of color and great restaurants that were a bargain compared to PV! I decided to drive over and have a look for myself and I immediately felt at home here.

Upon returning to the frigid temperatures and perpetual gray skies of February in Chicago, I was faced with having to nurse my beloved cat, “Biki” through his last days of lung cancer. When I returned home the evening I finally had to have him put to sleep, I felt like the light had gone out in my life. I felt dead inside. I sat staring at the beautiful decor in my lovely townhome that now seemed no more than a movie set for a film that was wrapped and in the can. I suddenly didn’t care about any of it anymore. I was ready for a whole new life. Of course, on a certain level, I was terrified but also excited and hopeful.

I seriously began to entertain the possibility of moving to Ajijic and made another trip there to spend more time getting a feel for the area. I ended up renting a little casita in the neighborhood called La Floresta and buying a used Honda Fit. I was happy to learn that I could survive here on my Social Security check so that helped to dissipate a lot of my fear.

Since moving here I have enjoyed the lovely climate and abundant sunshine, the gorgeous trees and flowers, and especially the rainy season. It’s such a close-knit community and people are so friendly and willing to help each other. I’ve also dedicated myself to learning Spanish and have come a long way with the help of some great native teachers! After living in a gray city with “gray” being the predominant color scheme in most interiors in recent years, I was ready for some color!

My casita was pretty run down and sad looking when I moved in with white walls everywhere and some tired and dated furniture. However, it had bodega ceilings, pretty arched windows, and good bones. I got the green light from my landlady to paint and decorate to my heart’s delight. So out came the paint cans in shades of marigold, turquoise and Mexican rose. In a short time my casita, christened “Casita Barbita” after the cat I adopted, was alive with color and charm and I am so much happier in my two little rooms than in any home I ever owned.

During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to resume working online as a therapist but never went back to full-time work. I enjoy having a life that is multi-faceted and balanced.

I feel like moving to Mexico has been a sort of rebirth for me. I have longed to live a simple and peaceful life, close to nature where I can wear flip-flops all year long. It will be interesting to see how this chapter unfolds!