International living and working

Officially, Mexico’s Independence Day is tomorrow the 16th, but the party starts tonight. That’s because in the evening of September 15th, exactly two centuries ago, the fight for independence from Spain began. Like most good legends, this one is simpler than reality—Mexico didn’t really get its independence until many years later (1821)—but it all began …

A few years ago my mother got an estimate from her dentist on all the work she needed to have done on her teeth. Implants, crowns, a bridge, and more were going to add up to $80,000. “Screw that,” I told her. “Go get it all done in Costa Rica. You’ll get a vacation out …

“I love how the parks are always packed with people,” was my mother’s amazed comment when she visited me in Guanajuato this summer. Indeed the plazas large and small in Mexico—and much of the world outside the U.S.—really latch on to the word “public.” The areas are filled with people chatting face-to-face, hardly anyone talking …

I’m going to Mexico for two months this summer. For a dozen different reasons, that will make some people gasp, especially those who haven’t been there and those who watch TV half the day and night. The second part will confirm to many that I am a genuine nutcase: my family is going with me. …

I got quoted in an article from Time magazine about the impact travel can have on a relationship: The True Couple’s Travel Test. It’s a great piece that runs down a lot of different couples’ experiences on how getting away together affected their relationship. I’ve been married 12 years now and our first round-the-world trip …