Hi Mexico-loving friends! It's been a little while! I took much of the month of July away from my desk and it was wonderful.

Hi Mexico-loving friends! It's been a little while! I took much of the month of July away from my desk and it was wonderful. I hope you are having a fun-filled summer and enjoying travel to Mexico and beyond! While this newsletter started back in 2020 as a way to keep you all updated about the Covid situation in the country, much of that is not needed anymore. Case numbers are no longer being publicly tracked and reported as they used to be. There are no longer traffic light colors for states and restrictions continue to fall to the wayside (although masks are still required in some states when going indoors and many people continue to wear them even where not required). I hope to continue to share important news and valuable information for those who are interested in traveling to or moving to Mexico. However, these newsletters will now only go out once a month rather than every two weeks.

Do you want to move to Mexico?

But you aren't sure where to start? If you are considering moving to Mexico but you are confused by the visa process. You are struggling to decide which part of the country is right for you or you are really just getting started on your research, I really can't recommend checking out my friend Alex of Backpacking Brunette. Alex has an awesome YouTube channel with weekly videos all about moving to and living in Mexico. You can check out her channel here. She also has a membership program where she helps people move to the country and has monthly guests share their expertise whether that's an immigration expert, Spanish teachers, fellow expats in other parts of Mexico, or health insurance experts who can share their knowledge about expat insurance. You can check out her membership here. If you simply want to know more about the visa process, she has written (and continues to update) one of the best resources out there on the entire moving to Mexico process. It's called the Mexico Residency Roadmap and I can confidently say you will be ready to apply for your residency after reading this PDF from cover-to-cover. You can grab a copy of it here..

What do the locals think?

Moving to any country, whether it's Mexico or somewhere totally different, I believe it's incredibly important to know what impact you are (or are not) making on your new home. Whether this is something many locals believe or if it's a small minority, there have has no doubt been a lot of stirring about the changes that cities around Mexico have been experiencing over the years. The Kinetic Kennons recently announced that they were leaving Puerto Vallarta for good. While their main reason is because they want to see the world, they also made it quite clear that in the last six years of living in Vallarta, things have changed dramatically. You can watch that video here. There's no doubt that Mexico City changed a lot during the five years that I lived there. In many ways, these changes are what all large cities around the world are experiencing. But some people aren't happy about those changes and posters have been seen around the city not so kindly telling digital nomads that no one wants them here. The LA Times recently published this article which addresses some of those sentiments with interviews with expats as well as locals. While I think the news, in general, is highly sensationalized (and it's worth pointing out that the writer of that article is also an American digital nomad living in Mexico City), it's important to understand how the people from these places may feel about your interest in living in their home.

July Mexico Content

Eternal Expat Mexico-based writers have been busy this month writing some more great content!  Best Hotels in San Cristobal de las Casas Cozumel Day Trip You can catch up on all of the Mexico content on Eternal Expat here.

Expats & Locals Around Mexico

As always with Mexico, I highly recommend seeking out people who are currently living in the places that you want to visit. Speak to the locals living in those places and find out how you can better integrate. Ask questions, be curious and kind. For updates about Mexico City, as always I recommend following Ubish Yaren on Instagram. You can also follow Anais of The Curious Mexican for updates on the restaurant and food scene in Mexico City and what is back open. For updates about what's going on in Oaxaca, Susan of Brooklyn Tropicali has been sharing her updates of what's going on around the city and state of Oaxaca. Trisha of PS I'm On My Way currently lives in Cabo San Lucas and can share some insights into what is happening there with you. Check out her website here. For regular updates about life in Merida and around the Yucatan, check out Mexico Cassie who has also recently written a fantastic guide about Traveling Yucatan with Kids. Shelley of Travel Mexico Solo also shares her experiences in Merida and around the Yucatan. Her Instagram is a particularly good resource for what she's seeing at the moment. The Yucatan Times is the local English newspaper in Merida that shares local updates and news reports. To keep up with what's going on in and around Querétaro, follow Alex of the Backpacking Brunette. Vallarta Daily is the local English news there where you can learn about any changes in the situation in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding Nayarit beach towns as well. Janine Around the World is traveling around the Riviera Maya at the moment sharing her experiences on her blog and Instagram. Riviera Maya News is the local English newspaper there where you can keep up with changes. I believe this is the region that is changing the most in regards to safety at the minute and if you plan to independently travel here (renting a car and exploring without tours or away from resorts), then I highly recommend speaking to someone who is there right now. As always, a great place to keep up to date with news about what's happening all over Mexico in English is Mexico News Daily.

Visiting Mexico Soon?

If you are planning a trip to Mexico soon, I hope you'll have a browse of the different Mexico guides on my blog or have a search through my YouTube videos to help you plan your trip! I also have FOUR extensive guidebooks available for Baja California Sur, Mexico City, Merida, and Guanajuato! If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email me by simply hitting reply on this email. Speak soon and safe travels, Laura