I met Cassie in a Facebook group for Expat women. It was serendipitous meeting, because turns out I needed her in my life way more than I realised. She wrote that she was an editor, and since I was already working with an editor for my first book, I filed it away under ‘you may need this information in the future.’
I did.
We got to chatting and turned out we both had husbands names Colin, among a few other weird coinkydinks and I took an instant liking to her – mostly cause she speaks fluent sarcasm and quickly invited me to Mexico to drink tequila with her. Anyone who knows me knows that sarcasm and tequila is truly the way to my heart.
So, when my proof-reader bailed on me and I panic messaged Cassie and said DO YOU HAVE ANY TIME? I REALLY REALLY REALLY NEED HELP.
She said she had time and she helped.
We worked on getting my first book publication ready on a deadline and she’s now working on the sequel as well as my first three fiction novels too. She’s alright, really.
Where were you born? Edinburgh, Scotland
Where are you living? Merida, Mexico
How long have you been there? Since Jan 2018
How long do you expect to be there? No idea
Where else have you lived? England, Canada, Rwanda, Ethiopia. And, if you ask my son, apparently Las Vegas (in no way true at all!)
What you love about where you are living? Lifestyle, culture, language, that my kids are bilingual and bicultural, the opportunity to explore a new region of the world.
What is the worst thing about where you live? It is officially about six billion degree Celsius for much of the year.
The hardest part of living where you live? The heat.
What has surprised you most about where you live? Great question. That it’s so hot, that locals are OBSESSED with how hot it is and that the heat means that kids play outside less and have more after school clubs. Did I mention that it’s hot here?
Your biggest lesson learned? Moving kids overseas is undeniably fabulous but it is also much harder on them than on the adults in many ways. They didn’t ask for this change and they also can’t escape the new country as easily as we can. Our kids are at school here so they have to engage with Mexico and Spanish every single day. I don’t. I work in English in my house and have English speaking friends. In the end they will win big time because they’ll be bicultural and bilingual adults.
One reason you wouldn’t have missed living there for the world? I love Mexico so much. It’s such a welcoming and kind place. I love being able to mess with stereotypes (that said, you’ll also regularly catch me lecturing Mexicans about the Tees-Ex line and how no, it doesn’t rain all the time in the UK)
The best food? Is that a real question? Tacos. Obviously.
The best sight? Ummmm, what do you mean? Probably seeing my kids laughing and playing in Spanish with Mexican kids.
Your biggest fear for the future? That we have to go home (have you seen the mess in the UK recently?)
Funniest incident? I still laugh about how we fucked up a birthday party at school because I trusted my husband to go and get the instructions from the staff. I also love messing with people on FB. Expats here live on FB and I love how obsessed some are with their ‘idea of Mexico’. Because I have kids in regular schools, I have a very Mexican life (when I’m not working) so when people announce weird stuff like, ‘Mexicans would never dream of wearing shorts, so it’s inappropriate for any visitor to wear shorts’ , or ‘It’s so rude to got to an American fast-food chain because it means you’re not living a real Mexican life’, I can’t help but reply with something silly.
What NOT to do in your location? Ummmm. I don’t know. I generally recommend behaving pretty well wherever you are in the world. It’d be rude to not drink tequila I guess.
The person who has inspired you most where you live and why? I don’t really do ‘being inspired’.
Best piece of advice you could give to newbie expats? Embrace it all. Don’t hide from your new home, embrace it. Be brave, speak to everyone, try to speak the language, try the food, jump in with two feet. If you don’t, why are you there?