𝟰 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼 𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗼𝘀, 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼

       RV-Ready, Gated Lot With Installed Services

Full-size Class C RV parked inside the gated lot

With clearance along the wall for easy access to RV hookups.

We’ve been so grateful for the continued interest in our gated lot in Lo de Marcos. With questions coming in, we thought it would be helpful to answer a few more of the most common ones we’ve been hearing lately. If you’ve been following along, you know this property has a lot going for it—and clearly, others think so too.

❓ Question 1

 How many square meters is your lot?

Our improved lot with all services in Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, is 200 square meters.

The dimensions are 20 meters by 10 meters, making it an easy, practical size for designing a comfortable home with outdoor space without feeling overwhelming to maintain.

Because of its rectangular shape and level layout, the lot lends itself well to a variety of home designs, whether someone is envisioning a single-level home, a two-story build, or RV living.

The gated entrance is approximately 3 to 3½ meters wide (around 11 feet), allowing comfortable access for vehicles, construction equipment, and RVs. The gate swings in and out for flexibility.

The gate swings in and out for flexibility (RV not included).

❓ Question 2

Are there services?

Yes—our improved lot has services already in place, which is one of its biggest advantages.

Electricity:

CFE electrical service is already installed on the lot

With a dedicated meter and panel.

• Electricity is installed with a CFE meter
• 100-amp electric service with a 50-amp branch panel, suitable for residential use and RV needs

Water source:

The lot’s private well system.

The 6-inch pipe in front of the storage container is the well casing.

It has a 1.5-inch water line and hose connection for easy access.

·       A high-producing well that is 24 meters (79 feet) deep

·       Water level is typically 6–8 meters (20–26 feet) from the surface

·       Pump level is set at 21 meters (69 feet) for reliable performance

Water storage:

5,000-liter underground cistern installed on concrete slab

·       5,000-liter circular polyethylene underground cistern

·       Set on a concrete slab and surrounded by an 8-inch-wide, 6-foot-tall circular concrete block wall

·       Capped with a 4-inch concrete slab with an access opening

Water Storage Cistern Access Opening

Sewer:

·       A biodigester septic system sized for up to five people

Biodigester Septic System Sized for Up To 5 People

Having these services already installed saves significant time, cost, and uncertainty—whether someone plans to build a home or use the lot for RV living. The infrastructure was thoughtfully completed by a U.S. custom home builder, ensuring it was done carefully and to a high standard.

❓ Question 3  

Does it have RV hookups already installed?

RV hookups installed on the lot, including 30-amp electrical service, sewer connection, and water access—ready for RV living in Lo de Marcos, Mexico.

Yes. This Lo de Marcos lot is already equipped with RV-ready hookups, making it ideal for immediate RV use or future home construction.

Installed services include a 30-amp electrical outlet, a 4-inch sewer connection, and a dedicated water connection, all professionally set up and clearly accessible on the property.

These existing RV hookups allow an owner to park and live comfortably in an RV while planning or building a home, or to use the lot seasonally without the delays and costs of installing utilities from scratch. RV-ready infrastructure like this is increasingly rare in the Lo de Marcos area and adds both convenience and long-term value to the property.

❓ Question 4

Is this lot suitable for building a home in the future?

Yes. One of the strengths of this gated lot in Lo de Marcos, Mexico is its flexibility. While it is already usable for RV living, the lot was also prepared with future home construction in mind.

The lot’s 200-square-meter (20 x 10 meter) size, level layout, installed services, and gated access make it well-suited for designing and building a comfortable home when the time is right. Existing infrastructure—including electricity, water, sewer, and drainage—can significantly simplify the building process and reduce upfront costs and delays.

Using the lot for RV living now does not limit future options. A buyer can enjoy the property immediately while planning, designing, or budgeting for a home build later, making this a practical choice for both short-term use and long-term investment.

Why We’re Ready to Pass This On

We’re offering this lot because our long-term plans have shifted—not because of any issue with the property or the area. Jon took the time to do things right here, from the infrastructure to the layout, knowing how important reliability and peace of mind are when building or living in Mexico. We hope this lot becomes the foundation for someone else’s next chapter.

Jon and Terry during an earlier time in Puerto Vallarta.

Still Curious?

We’re happy to answer questions and share what we’ve learned from our own experience. If this lot has caught your attention, you’re not alone—there’s been thoughtful interest, and for good reason. This gated lot is located in Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, along Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit.

Feel free to reach out if you’d like more details or if there’s a question we haven’t covered yet. You can leave a comment at the bottom or message me on my Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Facebook Page via Messenger. More updates coming soon.

If you missed my earlier post, you can also read 3 Common Questions About Our Gated Lot in Lo de Marcos here. 

To ask other questions or schedule an in-person showing, please contact our realtor, Rod Rosile, through his website, Sayulita Investment Property, and our lot listing LOTE TURRELLSIR110625. Pricing and availability details are provided on the official listing.

Terry L Turrell, Author

Amazon Author Page

10 Reasons I Can't Learn Spanish While Living in México

After Almost Two Years, I'm Still Struggling!

Learning Spanish Feels Like Getting this Burro to Move!

     We've lived in México for almost two years now and I'm still struggling to put a full sentence together in Spanish! It's like trying to get the stubborn burro to move in the bronze sculpture show above, 'Andale Bernardo' in Puerto Vallarta's Lazaro Cardenas Park. That burro is never going to move, no matter how hard the boys and dog push and pull! Will I never speak Spanish fluently? What is my excuse for not being able to carry on even a simple conversation yet?
     I don't think I'm alone in this struggle to learn a second language. Quite a few other people from the United States and Canada tell me they also have trouble learning the native language here in México. Some are expats who live here year around. Many live in México for the winter six months and return to their home north of the border for the summer. That's plenty of time to grasp a significant number of Spanish words and phrases! 
     To be honest, I know lots of names of things. I can order my meals and drinks in restaurants, with help from a menu written in Spanish, of course. I can understand numbers when they are spoken (most of the time) and I know the Mexican currency well enough to handle paying for my meal or groceries. I can even ask where to find items including cuts of meat, vegetables and fruit, queso (cheese), leche (milk), totopos (corn chips) and most other things in the grocery store or pharmacy. Luckily, much of the Spanish language is spoken with fewer words than English. I have mastered the sentence, "Do you have granola?"--"Tiene granola?" That one is easy! Even I can handle two word sentences at the grocery store!

Limones, Pepinos, Tomates, Papas, Cebollas, Zanahorias, I've Got Those!

But, my Spanish is very poor and not getting better. I have "10 Excuses for Not Learning to Speak Spanish Fluently" after living here for two years. I use one or two of these whenever the situation calls for it:

Cooling Off at the Beach in Puerto Vallarta

1. It's Too Hot to Learn Anything! This excuse only works from about June 1 through October 31, but I used it to drop out of Spanish class last June. I had stuck it out for two months though, attending a one-hour class twice a week, and I have the notebook and hundreds of flashcards to show for it! But, June, July, and August are pretty hot in Mexico. Cooling off at the beach usually wins over practicing Spanish this time of year!

Fine Restaurants or Taco Stands, Waiters Speak English to Us!

2. Most of the Waiters at the Restaurants Speak English so I Don't Need to Learn Spanish! This is one of the quirkiest things I've observed in México. When we speak to the waiters in restaurants, we greet them in Spanish and we order in Spanish, intending to practice the local language. But, whether we are in a fine restaurant or at a taco stand, they reply to us in English in almost every case. So, we carry on a completely bilingual conversation, with us practicing our Spanish and the Mexican waiter practicing his or her English. Sometimes I think, why bother to learn Spanish? A wise Spanish teacher once taught me to say, "Quiero hablar Espanol; me ayudas?" (I want to speak Spanish; will you help me?) I have been lazy about saying this to waiters, but they are happy to help me with words or sentences, so it's time for me to be more persistent about asking for help.

Fine Restaurants or Taco Stands--Waiters Speak English To Us!

3. It's Too Hard! I Just Want to Speak English. It is hard to learn Spanish! Conjugating verbs, present tense, past tense, slang, Mexican Spanish variations... There were times during Spanish class last year when I would "hit the wall" after just 30 minutes of lessons. The instructor would kindly excuse me from speaking in Spanish and let me finish the class by just listening to the other students speak while I took notes. I think I've progressed to the vocabulary level of a 2 1/2-year-old child. The neighbor kids speak to me at times when I'm outside watering the plants or walking through the barrio (Mexican neighborhood). One day three of them gathered around me and asked where Jon was. I thought for a minute, but couldn't find the words, so I used hand gestures, two hands together next to my ear with my head tipped, to indicate he had gone to sleep. The four-year-old said "dormir?" I smiled and replied, "Si, dormir!" I was excited that I knew that word--it means "to sleep"! Maybe if I try harder and keep talking to the neighbor kids, I can improve my Spanish to the speaking level of a 3-year-old by the end of the year.

These Kids' Dad Asked Me to "Share" a Photo of Their "Zebra-Donkey"

4. Facebook has a Translation Button so I can Read my Mexican Friends' Posts. That is a pretty humble excuse, I admit. But, look how lazy we can be with that little translation feature. I am going to commit to trying to read the Spanish sentences from now on, before I click "See Translation"!

5. I'm Too Old to Learn Another Language! Well, I'm no longer "Before the Age of 59", or even before the age of 60. I still feel young, but learning new things does seem much more challenging now than during my school-years. Why didn't I take Spanish classes in high school rather than the two years of German I took? I would have a much better grammatical basis to build upon while learning to speak Spanish here in Mexico. At times, I believe that old saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks!" But, maybe I should focus on that other saying, "You're only as old as you feel" and start practicing as though I'm in high school language class again, only it's Spanish this time!

Feeling Young Next to La Catrina--I'm Only As Old As I Feel!

6. I don't want to make a mistake and sound ignorant when I say the wrong word. I'm not confident enough. When I go to the beauty salon to have my hair cut and colored, I speak mostly in English to the hairdresser, Marta, and she speaks in Spanish to me, trying to teach me, I believe, because she does speak English at times. We both understand each other with enough hand gestures. Jon speaks Spanish to Marta and I envy his ability to carry on a conversation with her. One day, Marta said to Jon, in English so that I would understand her, "I think Terry is shy. She doesn't want to speak Spanish." I nodded, thinking that was a very tactful way to put it. I answered her in English, of course, "Yes, because I am afraid I will say the wrong words." I was thinking, "...and I am afraid I will sound ignorant." Marta just nodded, smiled politely, and continued to speak Spanish to me, helping me learn a few words each month when I have my hair appointment. 

Vicki Points and Says "El Cangrejo!" and Laughs

7. I can use Spanishdict.com to write my instructions for our housekeeper and my Spanish posts on Facebook. Do I really need to learn to speak it? I like it when our housekeeper, Vicki, speaks Spanish to me, complimenting my flowers and showing me that Bella has "el cangrejo"--a crab cornered in the yard. Jon helps me by translating since he knows more Spanish than I do, learned when he was a child in Ecuador. I know how to say "Gracias" for her information.  Vicki teaches me a few words each week while she cleans our house. I know how to answer her when she asks where to start cleaning, either arriba (upstairs, literally above) or abajo (downstairs, literally below). I even understand when she tells me "necesita una escoba nueva" (you need a new broom) or asks me "¿Dónde está la escalera?" (where is the ladder?) But I can't come up with a sentence to ask her if she can dust the cobwebs, even though she has tried to teach me multiple times. So I use www.Spanishdict.com to find out the translation. It even has a Speaker Button next to "Translated by Microsoft" that speaks the phrase so I can hear it and practice saying it over and over. So then I ask Vicki, stumbling a little over the words, "¿Puede limpiar las telarañas?" She smiles and says, “Sí, puedo limpiar las telarañas.” Maybe I'll learn a few sentences if I keep practicing and Vicki continues to patiently help me each week.

What Would I do Without the SpanishDict.com Translation Website?

8. I'm Too Busy! I teach Zumba class Monday and Wednesday mornings each week and after that I am too tired! Jon and I volunteer in various events including beach and riverbed clean-up days, SayulitAnimals Dog and Cat Spay and Neuter Clinics, and at the ProSayulita Fiesta. When I'm not writing my books and blogs, I'm gardening, sweeping the street in front of our casita, cooking, washing dishes, and doing everyday chores. Then, it's time to take a walk or do something else that's fun. Life may be simpler here in México, but we are always busy!

Teaching Zumba each Monday and Wednesday Morning Keeps Me Busy!

9. It's Too Expensive to Take Spanish Classes! I did find that after two months of taking Spanish Classes two days each week, it was really cutting into my budget. I had also purchased one Spanish workbook and could foresee needing additional books--more expense. So I told the Spanish instructor that I needed a break from classes and took my Spanish workbook and flashcards home with the full intention to keep practicing every day. When I got bored with my flashcards, I purchased an online Spanish class called "Shortcut to Spanish" for only $39.95. It seems pretty easy to use, but the key is you have to use it. I have used it maybe a total of 10 hours, and that is definitely not enough. Then we bought a 10 CD Spanish lesson that we planned to listen to while we drive the motorhome. We haven't made it past CD #1. It is expensive to keep investing in all these Spanish lessons and still not learn enough Spanish to be fluent. I guess there is more to it than just spending the money! 

Since I Spent the Money on "Shortcut to Spanish", Maybe I Should Use It!

10. I would rather go boogie-boarding, Stand-Up Paddleboarding, golfing, gardening, teach Zumba, anything but practice Spanish! Let's go Stand-Up Paddleboarding after I practice a half-hour of Spanish!

Stand-Up Paddleboarding is More Fun than Practicing Spanish!

     Yes, I'm embarrassed to admit that I have used all ten of these excuses for not learning Spanish. I'll bet some of my readers have used at least a few of these excuses, too. Now that I've written my pathetic excuses and publicized them, I see how ridiculous they sound. I am committing to practicing Spanish at least 5 hours each week, and not just when we are dining out in a restaurant! At the end of each day, I know that I have spoken Spanish multiple times throughout the day, greeting people I pass on the street, talking to the cashier at the mini-supermarket, introducing myself to a Spanish-speaking Zumba student in my class, and during other brief encounters as I walk through town. I do speak Spanish. I just need to work harder to learn to speak more, and I will. No more excuses!

At the End of the Day, I Realize that I DO Speak Spanish

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7 REASONS TO RETIRE EARLY, EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY

1. Do You Ever Have Enough Money to Retire?

Will We Ever have Enough Money to Retire? 

     No, I don’t believe most people ever really have enough money. I have Googled “How much money do I need to retire?” and find all kinds of formulas for calculating the amount of money a person should have saved in a combination of IRA accounts, 401(k) accounts, bank accounts, and other assets, factoring in the amount of Social Security and other income you will have, to be self-supporting in the lifestyle you have become accustomed until you die. Every time I worked one of these calculations in the past few years, the dollar figure was always a scary, high amount that seemed unreachable.

     When I was 58 years old, I decided a better approach was to look at the amount of money I had saved and adjust my lifestyle downward to stretch my funds. Living simply, my savings would last until I could begin drawing from my IRA at age 59 ½ without penalty. Then I could begin drawing on my Social Security at age 62. Simplifying life and feeling okay with a lower standard of living in order to make it on less money was well worth it. I was able to retire from pharmacy before the age of 59! I am thankful that I realized I would never have enough money, according to the retirement formulas, and decided to find a way to retire early with the money I had at the age of 58.

2. Get out of the rat race before resentment and anger become irreversible! 

Escaping the Rat Race

     The “Rat Race”, according to Dictionary.com is “an exhausting, unremitting, and usually competitive activity or routine, especially a pressured urban working life spent trying to get ahead with little time left for leisure, contemplation, etc.” Sound familiar? That describes my career exactly. I began to resent my job each morning I had to go to work.

     The last ten years of the thirty-five years I worked as a pharmacist had left me bitter about the current state of retail pharmacy practice: daily dealings with mean, rude customers, playing “the cop” with drug abusers fishing for more narcotic pain pills, and trying to satisfy corporate America’s demands for ever more productivity. Gone were the days of feeling appreciated by patients, doctors, and nurses for my knowledge and skills. I was ready to escape the madness, and I’m glad I did!     

     I was able to quit the practice of pharmacy while I still felt proud of my strong work ethic and the years I had served in health care, teaching people about proper use and potential side effects of their medications. I know in my heart that I have helped thousands of people with their health and wellness over the years, answered many questions about how medication and nutritional supplements can benefit their health, and I know that thousands of people have appreciated my help over the year. Then, about fifteen years ago, I began to see distressing changes in the people I served and in drug use and abuse. I was saddened by changes in the customers, with their lack of manners as they complained, even yelled at me or other associates at times about how long it took to get their prescription filled rather than thanking me for the helpful information I gave them during their counseling session with me. When monitoring narcotic pain pill use and abuse became the major focus of my day as a pharmacist, when customer rudeness left me wanting to wear a button that said “Mean People Suck!”, when the corporations pushed for the production of more prescriptions per pharmacist per day, without adequate regard to accuracy and quality of information relayed to the patient, I knew it was time to leave this profession. What a relief it was to quit my pharmacy career and begin my next phase of self-employment: writing books and blogs to help people discover healthy living in Mexico! And, maybe I would even have time to get my Zumba® instructor certification and begin teaching Zumba® classes! I am thankful that I quit my career as a pharmacist, got out of the rat race, and began doing work I enjoy, within my own time-frame!

3. No more rushing around and hurrying through the day. Then, incorporate a "siesta". 

A Siesta, Mexican-style, is a Mid-Day Rest

     Pre-retirement work routine: I started my day as a retail pharmacist for a small chain of stores with a bang, jumping out of bed at the sound of my annoying alarm ringtone, hopping into the shower still half asleep, guzzling my high-octane coffee while throwing together a sandwich, apple slices, and a diet Coke for lunch that day, and then gulping my breakfast of granola, yogurt, and banana. A quick brush of my teeth before swallowing a handful of vitamins and nutritional supplements to help my body fight off the bacteria, viruses, and spittle that would be coughed, sneezed, and spewed on me during the course of my day at the pharmacy. Hurriedly, I would grab my pharmacist smock, purse, lunch, water bottle, and fly out the door to unplug my electric hybrid Prius from its charger. After silently backing the battery-powered car out of the driveway, I would push it into gasoline-burning mode in a rush to make it to the pharmacy in time to punch the clock exactly at my scheduled shift start time, not one minute before or after. (Whew, my blood pressure just went up 20 points while reliving that in my mind!) Then the pharmacy phone started ringing and the pace increased. I had come to dread the hurry, hurry, hurry of my workdays.

     The pace of my life slowed down significantly after I retired and we moved to Mexico. I feel healthier because of it. What a wonderful feeling to wake in the morning when my body is rested, open my office door to the garden and settle at my desk to drink my caffeine-free coffee at a leisurely pace while catching up on emails and writing a page in my book. I would often fix a fruit smoothie to enjoy while Jon and I sat in our colorful flower garden, sipping the mixture of fresh tropical fruits, yogurt, and pineapple juice while listening to the birds sing. We would discuss how we planned to get our exercise that day, whether we would reach our 10,000 steps by attending a Zumba class, doing yoga, hiking the length of the beach, walking to town to have fish tacos for lunch and shop for groceries, or a combination of these healthy activities. Mornings became a time to look forward to.

     One lesson we were slow to learn during our retirement in Mexico was respecting and utilizing the tradition of siesta. During the first few months, we inevitably finished lunch and decided about 2:00 in the afternoon to run errands such as taking two loads of laundry to the lavandería or driving the golf cart to the welder to have a surfboard rack installed. Often, we would interrupt someone’s siesta or find the business closed from 2:00PM to 4:00PM, the traditional time when Mexicans have their main meal of the day and then rest. Once we fell into the pattern of eating lunch at 2:00PM like the Mexicans do, and then reading, gardening, resting on the porch swing, or doing other relaxing activities until 4:00PM, we understood the health benefit of siesta. We began planning our errands in town for 4:00PM or later. We often found that boogie-boarding afterward was a refreshing way to end our calm but eventful afternoon, and then we were ready to shower and dress in preparation for a walk to town for dinner. I am very thankful for this healthy, calm life change, including incorporating a siesta into the day!

4. Do what you want, when you want! No more schedules!

We Take Walks on the Sayulita Beach When We Want

And Hikes Where We Want: Susan Cr. Falls, OR

     Pre-retirement exercise routine: I rushed from work to the YMCA for a work-out or Zumba class. Since we have retired early and moved to Mexico, we have so many exercise options in Sayulita, we can go to Zumba at 9:00AM or Yoga at 10:00AM or Pilates at 10:30AM or take a morning walk on the beach and go to Salsa lessons at 7:00PM, and those are just a few of the options. Now, we exercise the way we want, when we want.
     Pre-retirement travel: I requested time off months in advance and hoped it would be granted by my boss. Of course, my vacations had to be juggled around other pharmacists’ vacations and the company’s “No Vacation Black-out” periods such as Thanksgiving through New Year’s. A short two-week trip to Mazatlán in February had to suffice for years. When I became frustrated with these restrictions, I changed my status to “On Call Pharmacist” and took a leave of absence once a year so we could pack up the motorhome and travel to Mexico for six months at a stretch. I called that “semi-retirement” and we enjoyed it very much. But the culture shock of returning to the United States after six to seven months away was incredibly difficult. The people in the U.S. seemed meaner, ruder, more in a hurry, and even more focused on making a dollar than they had been before our travels. It was time to retire and escape this rat race. I am so thankful that I was able to retire even though we hadn't saved enough money, according to those formulas. I am thankful that we figured out a way to change our lifestyle to manage with the amount of money I had saved “before the age of 59”. Now we can fly or drive between Mexico and the United States when we want to. No more company schedules dictating when we can travel and how long we can be away!

     Pre-retirement grocery shopping and dining out: I would get off work in Oregon at 6:00PM or 7:00PM, drive to the closest supermarket and grab a basketful of groceries to hold us over for the week—$200! By the time I got home after work and grocery shopping and then put the food away, I was too tired to cook. We would go out for dinner—$75! Now, in Sayulita, we walk a half mile to town every two or three days, shop for fresh produce, fish or meat, and staples for a few days—400 pesos ($24US). I actually looked forward to preparing stir-fried vegetables to accompany the steak Jon would grill on the barbecue at home. The next day we would go to a restaurant for a nice dinner of a fresh vegetables salad, grilled red snapper, wine, flan for dessert, and tip—$500 pesos ($30US)! I am so thankful that we retired even though we didn’t have enough money saved, by U.S. standards, and found a wonderful lifestyle in Mexico that is simple, unhurried and unscheduled, inexpensive, and healthy, where I can do what I want, when I want.

5. Retire while you’re still young and healthy enough to have the time and energy to participate in sports, exercise, and traveling. Forget that procrastination phrase: "When I retire, I'm going to ...."

Fun Zumba Class at Bahia Fitness in Bucerias, Nayarit

Zumba with Efren at Shanti Studio in Puerto Vallarta

     At 58 years old, before retirement, I loved to boogie-board, Stand-Up Paddleboard, ride bikes, take five mile hikes in the forest, walk Bella, our dachshund, three miles on the beach, garden, read fiction novels, play Frisbee and paddle ball on the beach, go to Zumba® and Yoga classes, and so many other healthy activities, but there was never enough time when I was working as a pharmacist. No more procrastinating--it was time to focus on a healthy lifestyle! Now that I've retired before the age of 59, I have the time and energy to do some of these activities every day, and still have time to write a bit on my books and blogs each morning and to read for hours at the end of the day. When I was working as a pharmacist, I rarely had the time or energy for these activities to improve my physical fitness and mental health. Working full-time left little time for a healthy lifestyle. Often I would say, as many do, "when I retire, I will exercise more, garden more, read more, write more…". It was time to stop procrastinating, retire from pharmacy, and begin doing the things I love.

     I am so thankful that I made the decision to retire “before the age of 59”, while I was young enough and healthy enough to really enjoy life and all of the activities I love. I am thankful that I feel healthier because I get more physical activity now that I am retired than I did when I worked as a pharmacist.

6. Have time to leisurely shop for groceries and cook healthy meals. 

Fresh-Picked Pineapples for 18 pesos each! ($1 U.S.)

     The strangest change for me after early retirement was that I began to enjoy shopping for groceries. The big difference was that I began to shop locally, saving money (and my sanity) by shopping for healthy foods at the many tiendas, small stores all over Sayulita, and at the wonderful Sayulita Friday Market that provide fresh produce, fresh fish or meat, and all kinds of specialty items. “Shopping local” has taken on a whole new meaning for me, allowing me to look forward to walking to the community stores and vendors each week, shopping at a leisurely pace, enjoying the experience of browsing and choosing vegetables and fruit fresh from the farm, and beef or chicken from a family-run meat market.

     My hatred of grocery shopping had become clinical when I lived in the United States. If you haven't experience this, it sounds crazy, I know, but it was real! I googled “grocery shopping phobia”, wondering if there is an actual condition that describes my aversion toward grocery shopping, and found many posts about “Supermarket Phobia” and “Grocery Store Anxiety”. Wow! I’m not alone in this loathing for walking through the doors of a large store, but my anxiety developed from too many years of practicing pharmacy in stores owned by monstrous corporations. In my position as a Traveling Pharmacist, I worked at many “Big-Box” store pharmacies including Wal-Mart, Costco, Bi-Mart, and K-Mart. I had also worked for many prescription-crunching chain supermarket drugstores, some of which were Rite-Aid, Safeway, Ray’s, and Albertsons. When I retired, I avoided these stores unless I had no other option for finding a product, or their deep-discount prices drew me in during our once a year stock-up shopping when we visit the United States. For years after I quit practicing pharmacy, I could not walk into one of these corporate giants—the very idea brought on flashbacks of stressful experiences. I had been traumatized by the supermarkets! Jon would gladly take my shopping list and go in to buy what we needed while I sat in the motorhome or took Bella for a walk. In Mexico, I find that the atmosphere in supermarkets is more mellow, with the people shopping calmly, speaking politely to each other and the cashiers, and the experience is not stressful or overwhelming like it is in the U.S. So I do occasionally shop at supermarkets in the Riviera Nayarit area such as Mega or Soriana, even Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Costco, when we need some specialty items. But, now, I “shop local” for almost everything we need, right in Sayulita, and enjoy it.

     I am thankful that I now enjoy leisurely grocery shopping in Sayulita, Mexico and the surrounding area. Our diet is so much healthier now that we are retired and have the time and the desire to shop for fresh groceries and to prepare flavorful, good-quality meals.

I Enjoy More Time Cooking: Pork Carnitas on the Barbecue

7. More time to spend with children, grandchildren, and other family and friends.

Camping with Family at Farewell Bend Campground, OR

     Sure, everyone who is retired has more time to spend with family and friends. But, if I had waited until I was 66 years old to retire, another eight years of working in pharmacy, our oldest granddaughter would have graduated from high school and been on to college—we would have missed so much more of her childhood. Since we retired when she was only ten years old , we were able to begin visiting more often and staying longer, sharing in her first experiences with her new tree-house, buying her first hover-board, going on weekend camping and fishing trips, taking leisurely nature trail walks with her and her mom and dog, Jack, and preparing for a huge life change, her first day of middle school. We are thankful that we retired early so we can spend more time with our son, daughter-in-law, and oldest granddaughter, being with her during her preteen years, through high school, and whatever her future holds.
     Our daughter and son-in-law have two young daughters that we look forward to seeing when we travel to Oregon. When our daughter was pregnant, I was retired and was able to travel to her home to be with her for the last two weeks of her pregnancies and for her deliveries. We spent many enjoyable hours together while we waited for each baby to decide to join the world, taking walks, talking about her future with one, and then two children. I was able to be there to help her with the babies’ deliveries—what a precious gift that I will never forget! I am thankful that early retirement allows me the flexibility to take as much time to visit our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters as we want, when we want. We now have the time and we still have the energy to play with the little ones as they grow up. I can’t wait to get back there and play on the trampoline with the two-year-old!
     When our fourth granddaughter was born, our son and his partner lived across the country in North Carolina. At the time, we were living in our motorhome full-time, traveling around Mexico. We were able to plan our trip to exit Mexico by way of Texas and head to North Carolina, getting our first look at some of the southern states. We are thankful that we were able to drive to their home and spend several days with them when our granddaughter was only three months old. Such a sweet time in life!
     We enjoy spending precious time with my mom whenever we travel to Oregon. We miss her terribly now that we live in Mexico ten months per year and I know she misses us, too. We are thankful that we are retired now and have the time to drive our motorhome or make the short flight back and forth from Mexico to Oregon to visit Mom. 

     We really enjoy making our annual trip around Oregon in our motorhome, spending time with each of our family members, sometimes two or three times in the two months that we are in Oregon. We feel so fortunate to have been able to retire before I had reached the age of 59 and before we had saved “enough” money to retire. Life is short, so we have decided to enjoy each day to the max, living a healthy lifestyle in a Mexican city we love, and then visiting our family as much as possible on our vacations to Oregon. I am thankful for “Retirement Before the Age of 59”.

     Read more in my eBook on Amazon, "Retirement Before the Age of 59".

Available on Amazon-FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Terry L Turrell, Author

Amazon Author Page