The Expat Executive in Mexico - Things You Might Not Like!

Hit this speed bump or "tope" at 20+ MPH and enjoy flight!

No country’s perfect—but DAMN, Mexico is close. Still, there are things you’ll either get used to, or they’ll drive you straight back to your HOA and your gluten-free HOA-approved backyard barbecue.

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1. The Language Barrier.

If you think living in Mexico means everyone speaks English, congratulations, you’ve been to Cabo. Here in San Luis Potosí, not so much. If you’re going to live here, learn the language. Otherwise, you’ll spend your days pointing at menus like a confused toddler and feeling lonelier than a vegan at a taco stand.

I take two lessons a week ($4 a pop) and use a ChatGPT program I made. It’s working. Trust me - you don’t know joy until you can yell “¡Tope!” before your spouse’s head hits the ceiling.

2. Driving.

I love it. My wife? She’s over there stomping phantom brakes and reciting last rites. Driving here isn’t dangerous: it’s creative. Stop signs are suggestions. Lanes are concepts. Roundabouts are Thunderdomes. People turn left from the right lane and no one blinks.

Then there are topes (speed bumps). Some are gentle ripples; others are solid granite monuments to chiropractic medicine. Miss one and your car will briefly achieve flight.

3. Mexico Time.

If you show up to a party on time, congratulations. You’re the DJ, bartender, and emotional support gringo until everyone else shows up an hour later. The same goes for appointments. The cable guy might come today, or maybe he’s waiting for a sign from the Virgin Mary.

Restaurants? Food arrives when it arrives. No one rushes you out. People actually talk to each other. It’s civilized, and maddening if you’re the Ignorant American who wants everything to be the same as at home. There's a LOT that's like the US but embrace the differences!

4. Noise and Smells.

Dogs bark. Fireworks explode—for reasons unknown. Neighbors throw parties that start Friday and end sometime before Sunday Mass. Some streets smell like heaven (tacos), others like hell (trash day). Upscale neighborhoods get more peace, but if you’re middle class, you’ll either adjust or develop a twitch.

5. Crime.

Here’s the thing: 90% of crime you hear about? Cartels fighting cartels. They don’t care about you unless you’re cutting into their market share—and if you are, good luck with that business plan.

“Express kidnappings” exist, but they’re rare, quick, and strictly business. You’ll lose some pesos, not your pulse. Use common sense. Don’t be stupid. Don't get into a sitting taxi or Uber. Call one.

And before some US whackjob “patriot” jumps in clutching their AR-15 and screaming that the US is safer, let’s note: there’ve been over 300 mass shootings in the U.S. this year. Here, the only people carrying assault rifles are supposed to. And that feels... oddly comforting.

6. Limited Consumerism.

If your happiness depends on choosing between 16 colors of the same iPhone, you’ll need therapy. Here, people just… don’t care. When locals want something fancy, they drive to Guadalajara or CDMX.

You’ll learn to live with fewer options and honestly, it’s liberating. America sells convenience; Mexico sells contentment.

7. Water & Street Food.

Don’t drink tap water—but did you in the U.S.? Me neither. I rinse my toothbrush and gargle with it like a rebel.

Street food? Fantastic. Just don’t buy the last taco sitting there. It's been there for hours. Unrefrigerated, unsealed. There are probably new life forms developing on it now. But get there soon after opening? . Eighty-cent tacos are a love language.

Final Thought:

Mexico isn’t paradise: it’s better. It’s real. It’s messy, loud, kind, chaotic, and beautiful.

And once you adjust, you’ll wonder why you ever thought Target aisles and HOA newsletters were worth the trade.

Mexico has a Vacation Climate (we play tennis 6 days a week!), the warmest people you'll ever meet, a wonderful culture, great food, and it's not insanely over-priced like the USA. Also while a lot of our friends don't like Sheinbaum's policies, their politics don't have them brainwashed into believing that the Big Government should be able to kidnap ,abuse and imprison "the wrong type of people" without a trail, lawyer or even probable cause. They believe in their Constitution and laws.

This was an easy decision for us - but there is much to get used to!