Jackieinpdx's Blog

Over on the right you can see some of the blogs that I read. I have many more bookmarked and read them almost daily. You may have noticed that most of the blogs I read are written by ex-pats living in Mexico. I am interested in reading about their experiences because when I retire I plan on spending several months a year in Mexico. I may just travel or I may find a spot to settle more or less permanently. Most likely that place will be Isla Mujeres. In a year or two I will seriously start searching for a place to rent if I decide to retire part time on Isla.

Here’s a rundown of some of my favorite blogs I read and why:

A Canuck in Cancun To quote Kelly “This blog catalogs the ups and downs of life in Cancun, a bi-cultural relationship and a bilingual crazy kid, a beach and beach picture addiction and some random ex-pat thoughts.” I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog since I discovered it about 9 months ago. I find the daily life of a Canadian ex-pat living in Cancun interesting to read about as well as her posts about local and other news stories related to Mexico.

Babsblog – San Miguel Allende “An intrepid traveler who loves living in the “Moment”. I’ve retired to Mexico to experience the unexpected, the tranquility and the color of this surreal country.” Babs writes about her life in San Miguel, her travels around Mexico and other adventures. This blog can be educational, witty and cultural sometimes in the same post.

Big Sweet Tooth “Misty solo travels the world in search of her next food/adventure project, writes about adventure travel for MSNBC and the Chicago Sun Times and is a food critic and writer for Time Out Chicago magazine.” Misty writes about her travels through Mexico in her vintage trailer, Central America, Bali and other worldwide destinations. She recently purchased a sailboat and I am sure she will be writing a lot about her travels in the boat. Misty also is a foodie. She takes great photos of her meals and describes them so well that you can almost taste the flavors.

Blah Blah Blah Ginger! “Travel Notes from Mimi and Jonna.” This couple has a condo in Akumal and is restoring a historical home in Merida. The house restoration is a huge project and it has been interesting to read about as the project progresses. Other posts are about their daily life in Mexico, hurricane preparation, their pets and a recent post about clouds that was just poetic.

Dreaming of Isla Brenda and her husband rent an apartment on Isla and own land that they will be building a home on. Brenda writes Isla stories and other stories about her life, her family and special events. I know Brenda and I can hear her “talking” when I read her posts.

Countdown to Mexico “We started our blog a few years ago when we first started thinking about moving to Mexico. We love our new life in Mazatlan!” Nancy writes about her and her husband’s daily activities, house projects and observations as an ex-pat living in Mazatlan. Nancy is another writer who has written some very poetic posts. I loved this one about a magical evening in Maz. I have added may blogs to my bookmarks from Nancy’s list of blogs she reads.

Gangs of San Miguel de Allende –”This blog is an explanation of what happens to certain people who move or visit San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.” I just started reading this blog a few weeks ago. It can be hysterically funny. Try it for a different perspective on living in Mexico.

Heather in Paradise Heather lives in Playa del Carmen hence the title of her blog. Heather writes about her daily life and activities in PDC. She also has written a few posts about the Peanut Pet Shelter and raised money via her blog to support the shelter. Heather’s posts can be sarcastic, humorous or informative. This is one of the blogs I discovered early in my blog reading and I have never been disappointed by it.

Isla Mujeres Gringo in Paradise – This is the first blog that I started to read. I briefly met Wayne in December on Isla but didn’t know this was his blog until he finally posted a photo with him in it. I love Wayne’s blog. He writes about the ups and downs of living on Isla. He takes great photos of the island and his recent trip back to Minnesota. Wayne has a 2^nd blog of his travels throughout Mexico with great photos. He organized a bloggers meet up earlier this year on Isla. Wayne is a funny guy, sarcastic and an all around great blogger. Thanks Wayne for getting me started blogging and introducing me to some other really good blogs.

JamQueen – Camera Junkie While I have never met JamQueen I have “known” her through Isla Mujeres message boards for years. JQ takes great photos and shares them on her new blog. JQ and her husband sponsor an Isla Mujeres student as do Brenda and I as part of a small group of Isla lovers who are helping local students further their education.

Same Life — New Location –
“Meanderings of a boy from Powers, Oregon who decides to retire in Mexico.” Steve lives about 45 miles from me. He writes not only about his plans to retire to Mexico but some of his local Oregon adventures and his family member Professor Jiggs aka his dog. This was a comment regarding Steve’s blog post today that I totally agree with “Sometimes your references go over my head, not having the education that you do, but that’s ok. I still love your blog, your way of writing and your well thought out messages.”

Dentro Del Jardin About Sue and her blog – “I share this beautiful space with my Mexican marido Miguel, our dogs Loco and Negra, and our cats Luna and Minina. And all the other creatures that choose to make our garden their home or dining room.” I met Sue on Isla in 2002 and have visited her at her Isla home. Sue is great blogger writing about her life on Isla and other interesting musings. This blog post about a broom was just fantastic.

What do I do all day? – “One Woman’s Life in Merida, Mexico. This blog is in response to the first thing people invariably ask me when I tell them that we have retired to Mèrida. We had originally planned to rent for a year while we traveled throughout South and Central America. But as Husband says “No plan survives contact with the enemy”. Now that our house is in the long-term maintence phase we plan to travel as much as we can. Welcome to my world and daily life.” Theresa writes about living in Merida, her crafts, her cooking, her dog and other important information for anyone thinking of moving to Mexico.

Filed under: blogging | Tagged: blogging, Mexico |