We leave for Mexico tomorrow.
You: Wait. WHAT? Mexico? When did Mexico come into the picture???
After my last “what’s next” update became out of date in a matter of days, I made a vow to never update y’all again until flights are booked. So now I can safely update you on some of our “what’s next” plans. This is big news, folks. We’re wrapping it up. Hanging up our Worldschool hats. The end is near. Here’s the deets:
Our change of plans all started in the Dominican Republic, when we were having one of our many floats in the pool. A friend asked Haley: Are you looking forward to your road trip around all those epic sights in Europe? Her answer: Nope. Not at all.
Haley went on to describe how big, old cities do not thrill her, how the stress of moving to a new place every few days really gets to her, and how she will not have much social time with friends or peers her age. This is all true. At the same time, Dan and I were continuing to plan our 3-month European roadtrip route and nothing was coming together. We had lots of places that seemed like they should make The List but when we would look into lodging, for the price we wanted to pay, it just came up as “ew”. So we had not booked further than 6 days of lodging into our road trip. To be honest, we were feeling a bit uninspired ourselves. Even if we re-arranged the plans, we all just had a feeling of “meh”.
So we started talking. Why are we doing this if we’re so unenthusiastic at the prospect? Then the natural question was… what if we stop? What if we just don’t do this anymore? It’s not a new idea. We had always planned to go back to Arizona in the summer of 2020 for Zoe to enter high school. That date was approaching within a year anyway. What if we just wrap it up sooner?
And so we will. Soonish. The European road trip wasn’t cancelled, it was too epic for that. But it was shortened. We decided to leave Europe around the time all the Europeans went on vacation (late July) and prices went even higher than the usual craziness.
We decided that Dan will go back to the USA first. He has some business things to pursue, his dad may be in need of additional care soon and Dan wants to take some time to re-build our lives there a little more slowly. But the girls and I aren’t quite ready for a sharp right turn and we decided to continue Worldschooling until the end of the year. We also have a financial incentive for Haley and I to stay overseas for the rest of the year. That’ll make the transition a little easier. So in December the girls and I will meet up with Dan in Gilbert, Arizona and pick up where we left off in October of 2014.
So, where to, Girlies? Where have we chosen as our last Worldschooling location? The answer is…drum roll please… Cozumel, Mexico.
Why Cozumel?
- It’s familiar, since we lived in Cancun in 2016. But it’s also new.
- It has a large expat community, so that means good support for expats like us.
- The Mexican tourist visa is valid for 6 months, so no border-hopping shenanigans needed.
- It has lots of diving opportunities for Haley and me.
- There is an active animal rescue organization for Zoe.
- Spanish speaking is our jam.
- One word: tacos.
- It’s close to the USA for visits from Dan, and anyone else who wants to get in one final opportunity to visit us on the road.
- Time zone compatibility with the USA is great.
- Prices are low enough to support two different homes rented – one for Dan in Arizona and one for me and the girls in Mexico.
And then?
In December we head back to Arizona, enroll Zoe in the second half of 8th grade, and Haley gets to be an adult (she turns 18 a few weeks after our return). She can get a job or a friend or a life or a plant or a car or all of the above. Dan will enjoy pursuing his business opportunities in a country that serves ice. I will do what I always do: find Pilates and friends and do puzzles and keep the family fed and healthy. I’m going to have to find a few new hobbies to keep myself sane but I’m up for the challenge.
But do not fear! This is not the end of our blog. For one, we’ve got 5 months in Cozumel to tell you about (and a few more European adventures that made it into the schedule before we changed it). And then you can probably imagine I’ll have some things to say about settling back in. And I don’t think we are done travelling. We probably won’t jet off for awhile, but I know we’ll get itchy feet again and we’ll take off for jaunts here and there. Haley and I have already planned our next mother-daughter trip. I’m hoping this time she’ll pick up the tab.
So that’s the scoop, folks. We are all growing a little weary of the homeless-by-choice life, to be honest. But we are trying to keep our enthusiasm alive to take advantage of the amazing things we are seeing and doing until our arrival back in the US. It feels a bit like the end of a marathon when you are relying on pure adrenaline to get you through the finish line, limping and hurting a little, but knowing you’re doing something exciting.
And now, back to our regularly-scheduled Worldschooling programming. Vamos a Mexico!
