10 Reasons Why Living in Mexico is Awesome

Mexico is often portrayed in the media as a dangerous place, but you would be wise to take these opinions with a grain of salt. The truth is life in Mexico can be pretty awesome, and these are the reasons why.

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You’ve probably already noticed that I love my country, although I know it’s not perfect. There are tons of serious problems in Mexico like corruption, crime, poverty, and pollution. However, I honestly think the good outweighs the bad. I could never live anywhere else!

So, from a Mexican resident’s point of view, these are the reasons why living in Mexico is truly awesome.

1. Families are tight

When was the last time you called your parents? Or spent time with your extended family? Well, I call my mom every single day, and I see my relatives often, and it’s great!  

In Mexico, families are close and stay in touch, even if they live far from each other. In fact, in many cases families all live in the same town or city, and you might even find several generations under the same roof. It’s true that blood is thicker than water, and in Mexico, this is a basic rule of life.

2. The food is amazing

Food is another pillar of Mexican life. You can find amazing and delicious food everywhere you go. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe it!

When you visit a new town or city, you’ll find a whole selection of new and appetizing dishes to try. There’s sweet, spicy, thick, rich, and colorful fare on every corner.

I especially love the fact that you can find fresh fruit all year round. Imagine if you could eat mangoes, papayas, and avocados every single day of the year. Welcome to my life!

Photo courtesy of Ileana Franco https://www.instagram.com/ile_fran/

3. Life is laid-back

Time is relative, and in Mexico, the clock runs slower. There’s always time to have coffee or a beer with a friend, no matter how busy you are.

Naturally, people have to run to and from work, but everybody sets aside time to enjoy life too. For example, weekends start on Friday,  parties always run long, and holidays lengthen like magic from one day to two or three.

Of course, city life can be as stressing as anywhere else, but you can always find a little corner of relaxation in your life.

4. There are street markets

Every day, there is a street market popping up somewhere. There, you can find anything and everything you want, and way cheaper than in a chain store.

I love open-air markets because there are all kinds of fresh fruit and veggies, and even exotic ingredients, like spices and herbs.

You can shop, eat, and hang out. Think of it like a colorful, friendly shopping mall that will mysteriously vanish at the end of the day and reappear again on the same day next week. Amazing.

Photo courtesy of Ileana Franco https://www.instagram.com/ile_fran/

5. There’s culture and history all around

There’s always an interesting building or monument at every step. There’s always an interesting legend or story around the corner.

Everything has an interesting past in Mexico, and that means the people here have a huge sense of belonging and pride. No matter how small a town or village is, something interesting happened there long ago. 

6. Mexico has everything in it

There are mountains, glaciers, forests, deserts, jungles, beaches, and almost any kind of place you’ll ever want to visit. Seriously, you don’t really need to travel outside of Mexico to see anything. There’s so much to explore!

Sometimes, people forget how big this country is, but let me tell you it’s so big and diverse, you could easily make five or six different countries out of it. I really don’t want to sound like an advertisement, but I’ll just say that if you want it, we’ve got it!

Photo courtesy of Ileana Franco https://www.instagram.com/ile_fran/

7. People are passionate

When Mexicans like something, they like it with a passion- their job, their business, their career, their friends, their family or the love of their life.

On the other hand, when Mexicans dislike something, they absolutely hate it- their job, their pesky neighbor, their ex, or corrupt politicians.

There’s no in-between for us, only love it or hate it. I know, there can be a serious downside to being so passionate, but I wouldn’t be able to live without having all my heart in something. Mexican need passion in our lives.

8. Anything can happen

Life is so exciting in Mexico- anything is possible! A quiet afternoon can quickly become a fiesta if you call the right people. Or a leisurely Sunday stroll can turn into a romantic evening if you go take the right turn at the corner.

Ok, I admit bad things can also happen. Maybe you were expecting to get somewhere on time but an unexpected march of protesters might ruin that for you.

However, I just take it as part of the thrill. That’s why in Mexico, whenever we make plans, we say: “primero Dios” (God willing).

Photo courtesy of Ileana Franco https://www.instagram.com/ile_fran/

9. There’s always something to celebrate

There’s never a month without a celebration or a holiday!

In January, we have Los Reyes, in February there’s La Candelaria and Valentine´s Day. In March, there’s a day (or two) to celebrate our favorite president, Benito Juarez, and spring parades abound. In April, we go on vacation, and there’s Easter week. In May, we have Mother’s day, Teacher’s day, Labor day, and a little bit of Cinco de Mayo. In June, July, and August, there’s a lot of festivities for local patron saints in my town. In September, we have Independence Day. In October and November, Halloween overlaps with the Day of the Dead. Finally, in December we start partying on the 12th and don’t stop until January 6th rolls around.

You don’t get bored around here!

10. Life is just happier in Mexico!

If you don’t believe me, I have hard data to back me up on why living in Mexico is awesome. According to the 2015 World Happiness Report, in spite of crime, corruption, and politics, Mexico is a happier country than the USA.

Although many find this hard to believe, I think this is because Mexicans prioritize such things as love and family above money and career. In other words, we may not be rich, but we have everything we need.

And that’s basically the essence of my life here. Awesome! Isn’t it?

Photo courtesy of Ileana Franco https://www.instagram.com/ile_fran/

Have you heard anything about life in Mexico? Would you like to know more? Share you thoughts in the comments!