Getting a New Sensation from a New Country in Latin America

Back when I was living in Mexico in my very first year here…

I was living in an apartment building that had all sorts of people living there also.

Mostly Mexican but some foreigners also.

Though most of the foreigners happened to be other Latinos living there from other countries.

Like Venezuela, Colombia and I think Puerto Rico also.

Anyway, there happened to be one guy from Austria if I remember right.

One of those smaller countries very close to Germany but I think it was Austria.

Anyway, I got talking with him once about what he was doing in Mexico.

It was my first year as I said and it was interesting to see another foreigner in the country.

Anyhow, he had spent a brief period so far in Mexico so he was new to the country also.

He had just showed up to Mexico very recently after having lived in Nicaragua for some time period.

About 5 years more or less.

So why did he leave Nicaragua if he liked it so much to live there for that long?

Well, in his words, the appeal went away.

“It’s not very developed” he said.

Now, keep in mind, this dude knew Latin America relatively well.

He had spent years in other countries also.

If I remember right, he also spent time in Santiago, Chile for a few years.

And also Buenos Aires, Argentina for a few years also.

To be fair, he mostly just knew the Southern Cone and Nicaragua from what I remember.

So I guess that leaves a good chunk of Latin America out but he’s been down here long enough anyway.

But now he was in Mexico City!

What were his thoughts?

“Oh, I love Mexico City! It’s so much nicer than Managua. The city isn’t as poor. The nightlife is so much better. Much more developed, etc.”

But it was interesting to me because he mentioned that he had spent time also in Buenos Aires and Santiago.

By this point in time, I had already visited Santiago and also spent a few months in Buenos Aires also.

By my own impression, I always considered both cities to be much nicer to live in than Mexico City.

Though, to be fair, I prefer Mexico City over Buenos Aires for various reasons.

One of which is that the people are nicer in Buenos Aires.

Compared to Santiago?

Tough to say – I like both cities quite a bit.

But the dude really seemed like he was interested quite a bit in how developed his new home had to be.

Not at all poor.

Perhaps similar in development to what he had back home in Europe?

It struck me as odd that he chose to live in Mexico City now and not simply return to Buenos Aires or Santiago.

As one can keep living their life down here in Latin America and enjoy then a much nicer and more developed place like either one of those.

Plus, Buenos Aires had some pretty sick nightlife also.

So I asked him how come he picked Mexico City over Buenos Aires or Santiago.

He replied saying how “well, he wanted to give a new place a try. He always heard good things about Mexico City and just wanted to take a shot at living here.”

Fair enough.

Reigniting the Honeymoon Phase

Perhaps similar to when a couple has been in a relationship for so long in that it gets stale or boring after a while.

So that they decide “let’s change it up by getting married or having children!”

Even though maybe they are sick of each other…

Maybe they can’t stand being in the same room for more than a few hours.

Who knows!

We’ve had plenty of couples brake up or divorce due to the pandemic as it has forced plenty of people to spend longer periods of time together not at work.

And I can’t help but feel that some expats have a similar relationship to Latin America.

Of course, looking back at it, I can’t help but wonder if he reignited the “honeymoon phase” by choosing to live in Mexico City.

It’s a theory that may or may not be true.

Did he choose not to go back to Santiago or Buenos Aires because they are “too stale” perhaps?

You know – too well known for him.

He knows those places.

And it wouldn’t be as exciting.

As he said, he wanted to try some place new.

Which is cool.

Travel the world and see something new.

Absolutely.

But we all know that he prefers a very developed place.

Which does take out quite a bit of Latin America as most of this region, in my opinion, is not as developed or nice as a place like Santiago, Buenos Aires or Mexico City.

Though there are plenty of places that are like that…

Many are not.

So you have to wonder at what point will he run out of metropolitan areas that are very nice and developed to spend years in?

Before ultimately his new honeymoon phase in Mexico City is over…

And perhaps he doesn’t feel like taking a shot at Bogota or Lima?

Doesn’t feel like going to a poorer place like Bolivia, Paraguay or Honduras…

So he heads home maybe!

Had his fun but concludes that having another child (living in a new location) isn’t going to fix it.

I have encountered the occasional gringo down here that has made me think that this could be happening to some.

And, to be fair, there is nothing wrong with that either.

If one chooses to go back home, that is entirely cool.

Then their life down here was just a chapter and hopefully a very nice one.

Full of great memories and friendships.

Of course, it’s not always looking for the next honeymoon phase.

Sometimes that is a little more obvious though when a gringo says something like “he struggles to pick the right place to live in. Every place is nice at first but then I want to leave.”

Sometimes though, if we are being fair, there could be something else at work.

Changing Desires

The other thing that could be at work here also is when someone simply matures or changes as they get older.

Their desires for what they want in life change.

I feel this is more obvious in a younger expat who began living down here in his 20s than someone who began in their 60s.

I could be wrong though.

But I feel that is more likely the case in much younger expats.

Where they might want the fun and excitement of a large metropolitan place.

The nightlife, hooking up and whatever else.

To which then they get older and want more stability and quietness.

Maybe a family too.

In that case, it’s not necessarily that they are pursuing …

A new sensation.

A new high.

A new honeymoon

Of living in a completely new place.

Simply that they are changing and want a place that better fits with those new desires.

It’s something I’ve thought about now when it comes to myself.

What About Me?

For me, I quite like Mexico City.

It fits literally most of what I am looking for when it comes to where I am in life now.

Easy access back home, large city, plenty of nightlife, plenty of women, weather is just fine, very developed and low cost of living.

Plus good food also.

I can’t complain.

Of course, as I wrote elsewhere, I am getting older.

And I have thought a few years into the future now regarding where I want to go in life…

Because I am fairly young, I also want to travel some again.

A year in the DR.

A year or two in Brazil.

A year or two in Colombia.

Then wrap up the traveling basically.

Though I have been to those places.

For me, I don’t feel it’s so much of a honeymoon phase.

Especially when it comes to Colombia.

More of a desire on my end to experience other regions of Latin America more before I get older.

Before comes a day where maybe I want to buy a house or have children or simply just pursue residency.

I don’t know if I will ever want a family though.

But definitely I want to pursue residency at some point.

Though because I am fairly young, I feel it would be wiser to pursue more travel and adventure before I start tying myself down somewhere down here.

Even though I would still likely do minor side trips even if I have residency somewhere.

But that’s not the same to me as living somewhere.

With residency…

And especially if a house or family was involved…

Living for extended periods of time in other countries doesn’t seem very possible.

And when it comes to my own changing desires?

Again, maybe I would want a family down here.

I don’t see it happening as of now.

No desire in my bones to commit to that.

But, if I did, then I also would want to change my location.

Probably Chile or Uruguay.

Anyway, that’s enough about me.

That’s where I am and how I see myself relative to this topic.

If you have any relevant comments, drop them below in the comment section.

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And thanks for reading.

Best regards,

Matt