The Mental Fatigue of Living Abroad - Ajijic, Mexico! [Some call it "Expat Fatigue"]
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- Опубліковано 26 січ 2024
- IN THIS VIDEO
Some call it "Expat Fatigue." We call it learning! Sometimes, being in a new place is overwhelming. We share some of the things that make our brain tired... and how we combat them.
Check out our story on our LIFE IN MEXICO Playlist & Stay tuned for MORE soon!
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Disclaimer: This video was not sponsored at the time of posting. The views represented by the subject(s) or location of this video may not accurately reflect our personal views.
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All music credited to EpidemicSound.com
We do not make any claims to rights for ambient music playing in public locations where video was recorded.
All photos and videos in this video are taken by Craig & KJ unless otherwise specified.
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Truly Remarkable Life is a channel dedicated to finding your Remarkable Life through our shared experiences. We are sharing our lives with you in the hopes that you will find the remarkable in your own life - that is, if you haven't already! In 2022, we sold everything and moved to Mexico. This channel focuses on sharing our experiences, daily life and what it is really like for us to be expats. You might also see some of our interests and hobbies, but you'll always get the real us! -Craig & KJ
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My Spanish isn't that great, but since I've come from multilingual San Francisco, I find that it's making the effort to communicate that's important. I've lived in Ajijic for 24 years full time and love it here. I have built houses and businesses with Mexican employees and have had good experiences with them. I had a restaurant (Indian food!) for 8 years and still cook every day. The availability of ingredients is great and there are wonderful restaurants and food stands all over this area. I'm never bored and have no Mexico fatigue ....
Great points. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, guys! I’m Kathleen Pharis - the woman who came and talked to you at intermission last night at Jesus Christ Superstar. I remembered this morning that I had not watched this video, and I was very interested in it. You’re right - there IS this issue of expat fatigue concerning living everyday life here. I came here without a car, so I would be able (forced? 😁) to do more walking, which means getting errands done has been a definite change, and often pretty challenging - no more hopping in the car and running to Walmart to pick up basically everything I need in one fell swoop! But, like you guys, I have found some ways to work through or work around or work WITH the way things are done here to be able to live a really satisfying life. I have certainly learned a lot about the Mexican culture, and have made friends with many locals as well as fellow expats. BTW, I’m from central Louisiana, and I definitely know what you mean about sourcing good/authentic Cajun food here! But, I have discovered that Gossips on the corner of Javier Mina and the carretera (lakeside, across from the Ajijic Hospital) has some very tasty, Louisiana style seafood gumbo! Great to talk with you last night, and I’m looking forward to more of your good video content!
It was great to meet you! You are certainly right and thank you for the gumbo tip! Hopefully we'll see you around town! KJ
I lived in Luxembourg for 1.5 years in my early twenties and I would agree that culture shock is very real and 100% unavoidable. Being able to speak the local language will help tremendously but everything is still at least a little different than you are used to and it can be exhausting. You will want to build a support system b/c if you have to figure everything out for yourself you will be miserable.
So true. The foreign community here rallies to welcome and support one another. Its a beautiful thing to see.
Thank you for clarifying this! I've read so many websites stating, "you can get away with only speaking English or not seeing a local". What?! Why are you moving to Mexico then? Stay home, don't move to Mexico with this mentality. We are very proud of our indigenous heritage and proud of our language and culture. I love your advice of mitigating in advance. All of these tips are essentially teaching you how to assimilate. Great job.
Thank you so much. I am so happy were able to represent the situation well. 🙌
This works for Spain too! After 12 years and having amazing Spanish friends we feel so lucky that we have managed to propagate our roots and see real growth 🍀🤗😉
Great feedback. I imagine there are similar aspects to any country
@@TrulyRemarkableLife in Spanish too 🤗👍👌
I’ve been here a couple of weeks and have already felt tired from learning. It’s exhilarating but also very tiring. Thank you for this reminder that it’s not me, it’s the process.
It can be mentally exhausting, but it gets easier and is so much fun expanding your knowledge and experiences!
I've been living in Ajijic for 3 years now and I truly experienced Spanish fatigue 2 days ago. My driver to the airport wanted to chit chat in Spanish. Fine. I love the friendliness! Then my flight got canceled and I had to negotiate a new flight and time and take a taxi back to my home. My brain was fried! Love your channel! I hope we can meet soon.
That's an awesome story!! The struggle is real!! LOL!!
If you see us around town, say Hi! And make sure you are on our facebook page, where we post info on meetups and other things! KJ
It took me 18 months to learn English when I moved to the states come on amigo don’t be lazy
You definitely can't be lazy about learning. It takes work, and it's worth it. 😀
wow, glad you were able to deal with that despite it being tough. I had a similar experience recently when I flew into Mexico City just before Christmas. I was coming from Panama City and had to change planes in Bogota. there was only an hour and 10 minutes between flights. I barely made the connection but when I arrived in Mexico City my bag hadnt. luckily I had my Mexican girlfriend meeting me at the airport and she was able to help me deal with the problem and do all the talking for me. if I was on my own I would not have been able to deal with it. as it turned out my bag arrived on the next flight from Bogota 5 hours later. it was still massively exhausting.
@@luisrodriguez1781 the thing is, so many places in Mexico you can get away with speaking English. I cant tell you how many times in PVR or Ajijic at restaurants, the mesera/o would speak in English and I would speak to them in Espanol. its an easy way to practice because you only need to do half the conversation in the new language... but then what you lose out on is being able to hear Spanish, which I find harder than speaking it.
New subscriber here. Fun channel. Thanks for sharing your experience
Heyyyy... welcome! Thanks for subscribing and commenting! We love hearing you enjoy our channel! 😁
On my first trip to Soriano's (the local grocery store), I was addicted to Google Translate and there is no reception. I cried after I left, but the good thing I didn't spend as much money. That was 2 years ago, I can do so much more now.
Yeah... it's important to have signal. I had the same experience
I'm glad you got through that!
Sorianas is so much better than Wallyworld Ajijic, the people who work there are nicer, the air conditioning actually works and you can find lots of gringo brands, as well as good local basics and you get a customer card that racks up points to deduct from future purchases. What does Walmart give you other than higher prices?
Honestly we prefer Soriana also. Many people like that Walmart is closer ... but it is all relative. It's just a balance of convenience sometimes.
@@TrulyRemarkableLife I suppose, but they'll drive to hell and gone to play bridge, golf or tennis. 😄
I wish American people were a bit like Mexicans in that way.
My experience as a Mexican Expat was harder than that. A lot of people here aren’t friendly to others that don’t look like them, specially when they’re not fluent in English. Even when you are sort of fluent, they pretend they don’t understand you because of your accent, and oh yes! they will let you know.
A lot of people are not helping stranded foreigners asking for assistance like Mexicans do everyday. You end up going to the areas where Hispanics are and where is more likely to find someone willing to help you to figure out things.
I became fluent 6-9 months after I came from Mexico and after 23 years living here, I’m still learning vocabulary, grammar etc.
My Language Fatigue happened when I moved from Texas to a State where my now husband lived, and where the Hispanic population was still very small. When I moved to this city there was almost no Hispanics. I literally felt like I was the only brown person in a predominantly white city. That and the fact that my husband doesn’t speak Spanish gave me big headaches. I wasn’t used to speak my second language 24/7 !! And YES, my husband still doesn’t speak my native language 🙄
For the most part I had to teach myself how to do things here on my own, and believe me, not having family, friends or just people to talk with in your own language is REALLY hard.
Americans Expats living in Mexico have it easy when we compare that with how we Mexican Expats have to deal with life where people make things harder for you.
I’m so proud of my people in Mexico for always being friendly and helpful to others no matter where they’re from. ❤
Thank you so much for sharing your story! Yes, I would agree 100% with you. Mexicans are so very friendly & helpful when you are a foreigner trying to learn the language & culture here. Mexicans are very proud of their culture & language and WANT to share it all with people who are interested. It's a very different vibe than in the US.
We hope you follow along on pur adventures and that our videos can bring you a little piece of "home" periodically. Gracias!
I can relate to your story, I came to the USA from Peru as young man, my first years were really hard trying to learn/ understand and speak English. 40 years later , I still have an accent , people will not make an effort to understand instead would say :what was that? I put myself to college and doing all my classes and learn and speak English was a humongous task. I felt the fatigue, the tiredness and stress just to try to be understood. Never give up.
@@orlymarq6238 thank you for sharing. It really is a life long effort.
Yeah, a lot of Americans are insular bigots... always forgetting that they ALL come from immigrant families too. I feel for you because it's a damn shame and those Americans should be ashamed. ❣
You nailed it on the thinly disguised hostility Mexicans have for Americans these days. I lived in MX for 13 years and have traveled all over the country since1978. It is nothing like it used to be on any level. There were no cartels. Mexicans were friendly and helpful. But not so in recent years. Mexico is also not cheap anymore and it will be less so as the dollar declines in value more..
Super video,,I love how you bring the emotional aspects into living in a new land!
It can be a very emotional experience... but so worth it. Thanks for your kind comment.
Make more videos! You guys are great. Thanks for this.
Awww Thanks! That's the plan! There's endless topics to cover so we arent going anywhere! Glad youre here!
Well done, boys. Great advise. Always a pleasure to hear what you have to share.
Thanks so much!
This is a real thing: I recommend taking naps!
Naps can be good!
Excellent advice! Just because you have a day or two when you are stuck, hit a wall with your Spanish, stand in the middle of Costco and have no idea what you are doing, isn't a bad thing. It is a bump in your road of learning. This too shall pass. Thanks, guys!
Thanks so much. It's so true. You get up and do it all again... it gets easier.
Thanks so much for your honesty, as this is such a real thing. Am Lakeside now, just returned from 3 months in Oaxaca. Thinking about a permanent move. Speak fluent spanish but I have those days of mental fatigue where my brain just doesn’t seem to work. I so appreciate you both normalizing this. You’re both great. Hope to run into you both one day en las calles…keep it up!
Thank you so much! We really are just trying to "keep it real" and not sensationalize things. It is what it is and we believe that being honest, transparent and funny will actually help people. Thanks!! KJ
I have even MORE effecient advise. Marry a Mexican! I did. I have my very own personal translator, my own government liason for drivers licenses, residency cards, etc. Trying to negotiate with a company on the phone is a nightmare, even for a Spanish speaking native. Best of all, while I am getting better and better at Spanish, I have my own personal live in tutor 24/7. I am learning every nuance in the language that is never taught anywhere else. The internet says its spoken this way.....my husband says No, thats for Colombia, in Mexico we say it this way.
There are definitely benefits to your situation!! For sure!
Depends on the Mexican you marry LOL My spouse is Mexican and doesn't like speaking Spanglish with me... I get more Spanish with his siblings thankfully... but it's not enough. also they are hesitant to correct me!! My next door neighbor is from Colombia so that helps a little.
Yeah, that makes sense. Some people enjoy helping people learn, but it can be frustrating for all.
Thanks for a great video. For those of us who are working our plan to hopefully join you in Mexico, this a truly valuable. There are so many videos which share the really good or the really bad. You’ve simply described life. Some good, some ugly.
That's what we try to do - just show the reality - and have fun doing it! KJ
I eat a lot of burgers in Mexico. I got tired of tacos after about a year. and 90% of the Mexican food is just variations on tacos. very repetitive to me. I never thought I was going to experience mental fatigue here but I finally did after 2 years. my Spanish is ok but it's tiring always having to think about what you are going to say or trying to think what someone is saying to you. I love the vibe of Mexico but just not being able to fit in, do things without thinking about it, etc... its kind of hard to put into words, but some days I find myself wishing I was in an English speaking place so I could just have off the cuff conversations with people AND they would share my way of thinking about things AND we would have the same kind of life experiences to connect on.
Totally get it. It is wonderful though!!
Good for you guys, nice to see someone not expounding on all the flowery touristy stuff! Reality is what it is. 😎
The problem with a lot of gringos around here is that few have really traveled or lived in any other country but the US or Canada, they seem to think that this should be USA/CA south and constantly complain that it isn't. I've lived in 4 different countries over 35 yrs, dual Italian/American which was a 2.5 year bureaucratic nightmare to get that dual which opened the door to the whole EU. Guess what, those are the battles you wage staying 'legal' in any other country that is not your own... btw it didn't 'used' to be a piece of cake getting into the US if you weren't born there either.
You have to come here with the knowledge that patience, flexibility and the enthusiasm to be where you've chosen to be are the keys to entering another culture and your world will become bigger, more compassionate and empathetic towards the rest of our human brotherhood because of it... we are far more alike than many care to admit. Now... can someone find me a plumber who actually knows what he's doing who doesn't cost the gringo moon? 🤣 🪇
Such excellent points!
@@TrulyRemarkableLife 😉
We just stumbled across your video. Let me start by saying, "you two rock". My wife and I have been in MX for three years and, though We often feel the "brain fatigue" we never had the words to express it. So, thanks for giving us the words. And yes, we wanted to make chicken fried steak one night and, God Almighty! it took all day just to get that together. Another thing is, "How many tacos can you actually eat! after three years? We plan on going back and looking at your other videos but, I want to ask since this is three months old, How are you now? We live in Puerto Morelos but have been to Guadalajara and Lake Chapala. Hope you are both well and happy. We would love to meet you some time!!!!
OH MY GOSH... I LOVE THIS! So glad the video was helpful. And YES... Tacos do get old but fortunately there are soooo many types of food here that we still enjoy them every chance we get. We do cook a lot though. So it makes it easier. But now I know the chicken fried speak will be a challenge.
If you're ever back in our area definitely give us a heads up!
Ok, it was a subtle cry for understanding and sympathy. Fine… I’ll bring you some onion soup mix on my next visit.
THANKS! Name brand please.
And the reduced-sodium version I assume? Geez, give ‘em a nickel….
@@PaulL66 I'm salty enough
@@TrulyRemarkableLife bless…
Great video!
Thank you SO much!!!
Un medio kilo de los blancios instead of Huevos... this in Central Mexico because they use a LOT of Slang!! LOL!
Good tip! I'll listen for it!