Expat Fever
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Expat Fever! Blog
  • Mailing List
  • Store

Happiness is a Choice: La felicidad es una decisión

8/23/2015

 
Picture
La felicidad es una decisión, or "Happiness is a Choice"--this is a phrase we saw repeated over and over in our travels, especially in Mexico. The Mayan Riviera is a beautiful place, and it's difficult to stay angry or bitter when you are surrounded by so much natural beauty. 


People just seemed... more content. Even in the face of scarcity. We were invited to dinner in people's homes, and everyone always bent over backwards to share what they had with us, even if it was just a simple plate of beans and rice. People laughed more. Spent time outside. Laughed with their families. 

It's a difficult concept to explain, and I have a hard time understanding it myself. When we come back to the US, our beds are softer, the showers are always hot, the electricity never goes out--and so on. We enjoy plush carpets, 2 (gasp !) refrigerators, a TV in each bedroom... you get the idea. We appreciate all the modern amenities that our modern society has to offer. 

But a few months after getting back, the stress is already starting to creep back into our lives. The kids have stopped playing outside. We are stuck working overtime, trying to make deadlines. Stuck in traffic during rush hour, Sometimes for hours. My eyes hurt from being in front of a computer too long. My wife's skin problems, associated with stress, make their return.  I have more trouble sleeping. And we both start gaining weight. Amazing, since we both felt like we ate more in Mexico. 
Picture
We were outside more, walked more, explored more. 

Is this the trade-off we've made? Work and more work, in exchange for better appliances? It just doesn't seem fair. Like many, we "straddle the border" with frequent trips back to the US, usually for business. 

What is so different about the expat lifestyle? Why was there LESS STRESS in our lives? Was the food better for us? More nutritious? Maybe. Maybe it was a lot of different things. There was more warmth, more happiness. 

What can we do? Start planning our next trip, and you should, too. 

Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    No website or company has paid a fee to be mentioned in this blog. Any suggestions you see are based solely on our own experiences and personal preferences.

    About Us

    Just a middle-class dad and mom with three young kids, looking to escape the rat race. This is our journey!

    If you have a question for us, please contact us directly using our email here. 

    Categories

    All
    Acapulco
    Bacalar
    Baja
    Border Crossing
    Cabo San Lucas
    Cancun
    Central America
    Costa Rica
    Digital Nomad Visas
    Ecuador
    Expat Jobs
    Expat Stories
    Guanajuato
    International Schools
    Isla Mujeres
    Kindle Books
    La Paz
    List Of Schools
    Los Cabos
    Manzanillo
    Mayan Ruins
    Panama
    Playa Del Carmen
    Puerto Escondido
    Quintana Roo
    Reader Questions
    Rentista Visa
    Retire Abroad
    Retirees In Mexico
    Retiree Visas
    San Jose Del Cabo
    Shipping Cars To Mexico
    Snowbirds
    Taxes For Expats
    Tulum

    Archives

    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    April 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    May 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014

Home
Contact
About us
Join our mailing list
Our Expat Blog 
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Expat Fever! Blog
  • Mailing List
  • Store