During the past few days, as I’ve posted a few hundred photos of Día de los Muertos festivities and karaoke and everyday life on my Facebook page, I’ve received a flurry of emails and private messages asking, “So Day of the Dead is the best time to visit San Miguel de Allende? Maybe I/we will…
Tourist visa vs. resident visa
Recently on the Facebook page Move to Mexico, someone posted a question about overstaying the 180-day limit on their tourist (FMM) visa, and one of the answers included a link to this helpful article: Your Mexico Visitors Permit, FMM, published July 10, 2017. If you plan to drive in as a tourist, read this, too:…
Mexican plated car? Pay your annual road tax. (Here’s what happened when I forgot.)
Read this if you plan to (1) buy a new or used car in Mexico or (2) import your vehicle (thereby making it necessary to give up your U.S. or other foreign license plates and register for Mexican plates in the state where you will be living). You must pay annual tax called “tenencia” or…
Lifelong Learning in San Miguel
As an American living in Mexico, I learn something new every day just by walking around and breathing. It’s a benefit of settling on foreign soil, especially when the language of the land is not one’s mother tongue. Still, there’s a thrill in taking classes in English, in drinking in the words and perspectives of…
The origins of Karaoke Annie
Before I moved to Mexico, I had a karaoke machine in my basement and it was an instant party-maker any time friends came over. I brought the machine with me to Mexico in 2008 and by 2009 I was hosting private parties and charity events. In 2010 I got my first regular gig at a…
Why I (Heart) San Miguel
Check out my Pinterest board Why I Love Living in San Miguel de Allende. Whenever I think about leaving, I find a new reason to stay!
I’m a sponsor of Ser Mujer!
WOMEN CHANGING THE WORLD TOGETHER. March is International Women’s History Month and is declared as a month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. Ser Mujer’s goal is to promote the commonality of women’s issues across cultures, to raise awareness of their challenges, and to celebrate their accomplishments and contributions. Ser…
Reborn On Cobblestones: A Mexican Love Story
By Patrice Wynne Originally published in The Blog on huffingtonpost.com (Feb. 10 2016) I live in one of the most romantic towns in the world, San Miguel de Allende, and I had not had a single date since I arrived 15 years ago. I arrived depressed, hoping to disappear into the life of an expat…
Spanish they don’t teach you in class
Our friends Mark and Christine visited San Miguel de Allende a few years ago and Aarón became Mark’s Spanish tutor. So naturally when we met our friends on a trip to the U.S. the following year, Aarón asked Mark a question in Spanish. Mark laughed and said, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. My Mexican is rusty.” As the only…
A White Girl’s New Year’s Eve In Mexico
Learning Spanish meant I’d get to dance beneath a golden angel in Mexico City on New Year’s Eve. ¡Viva México! Read my 8-part short story featured in Storia here!
My Good Life: From Minnesota to Mexico
By ANNE NICOLAI Special to the Star Tribune | APRIL 22, 2014 — 4:24PM Five and a half years ago, I vaccinated the dog, vacuum-packed linens and clothes, got my soccer-mom SUV tuned up, and drove from Minneapolis to Mexico, where I recently received permanent resident status. I became an empty-nester when my son went…