Felíz cumpleaños a mi

on APRIL 19, 2018

Oh hey everyone – this is my first official post FROM MEXICO! I’m down here for a week and managed to get a few days off which I’m extremely excited about. We are packing the teardrop trailer and getting ready to head out for a few days. Tomorrow is my 44th birthday, and I plan to spend it on a remote beach somewhere north, swimming and picking up cool rocks and watching the sunsets.

The house is very close to construction completion. We are still waiting for windows and electricity, but that is set to come in mid-May. We may have a bit of a delay on electricity, which could make the transition logistically difficult for Switch. When you work remotely, you need good internet, and for that, you need good electricity. But we’ll just have to work through it.

When I get back from this trip, a bunch of things will be set in motion. I’ll have to start packing our stuff for the trip south. This is not an ordinary move, which is already a lot of work and stressful. Mexico taxes you on many goods you take permanently across the border, but when you get residency (as Switch does), they allow you to bring household goods down without fees ONCE. The process is called the Manaje de Casa.

To do this, I’ll have to create a detailed manifest of all the items we are bringing down – printed in quadruplicate and in Spanish. You can lump things like clothes and toiletries together, but all electronics also have to have their serial and model numbers listed. Switch will take that to the Mexican consulate with proof of residency in both places (Mexico and US), they will stamp it. Then, I’ll have to get a moving company to move it from Oakland to San Diego to a warehouse where another shipping company will take it down to Pescadero. Sound like fun? Woo!

I also got Soba’s (our cat) shots up to date, but need one more trip to the vet to get her certificate of health that she’ll need for immigrating. That is one more trip to the vet, but has to be within 30 days of her flight which is at the end of May.

I’m also going to be moving out of my apartment in Oakland and into a room in a friends apartment in San Francisco. I will dearly miss living in Oakland, but the apartment I’m in is way too expensive and all the money counts right now.

Needless to say, this will be logistically complicated. Maybe I’ll download a meditation app when I get back.

A couple days ago, we went over to the house at sunset and caught the golden light which created some beautiful angles against the brick. I’ll leave you with those photos. Adios amigos – see you in a few days!

courtyard evening light

the round-ish doorway

looking into the kitchen

switch enjoying the view from our picture window