Many People think that the idea and process of working from home was born when the internet was created back in the 1980’s, but working from home has been a regular way of incorporating a work life relationship since long before the advent of the internet. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, practically everybody worked from home. Carpenters, blacksmiths, shoe makers, potters, leather workers, bakers, jewelers, funeral homes & a slew of various professions, each of them with a shop, or boutique of sorts, set-up in their very own home office. When industry was born, there was a need for large scale production, mills, & assembly lines, which required workers to be present at a job that was no longer in their place of residence, and simultaneously, designated office spaces commonly began replacing home shops, and people started commuting to their jobs.
However, there were a few professions which could still be done from home, such as; medical billing, translations, web design, and…well, we all know that the logistics and shipping powerhouse Amazon had humble beginnings that started in the garage of billionaire Jeff Bezos.
Now, with the Corona virus outbreak, telework went from being a luxury preserved only for those lucky individuals who could afford it, to rushing to cloud computing to continue serving clients, in professions such as accounting, insurance, and education. Teachers had to reinvent themselves, and rapidly learn to use at least one of the new & necessary technological platforms, like Zoom or Chime, in proficient manner, just to be able to continue doing a job that they may have already done for years. To teach from home to countless students, who for the most part, are frustrated by having to transition from an in-person classroom to a virtual one.
And while at the beginning it was scary to many, some saw it as an opportunity to travel and work from remote places, while also enjoying a different culture, or alternative lifestyle altogether.
Such is the case of my two interviewees; Greg Robinson, A digital nomad who has lived in Mexico for the last year and a half. He has visited several other beaches and states, and finally settled down in Zihuatanejo. And Brenda Lachman, a business teacher and a writer, who upon finding out she’d be confined in her house for the duration of the quarantine, decided to move to Zihuatanejo, first temporarily and now on a permanent basis.
1. Greg; What do you do?
I am a data scientist for a Marketing and Analytics Software Company. I was hired to work remotely, and that was when I decided to travel to Mexico, looking for places to surf. As the Covid-19 pandemic reared its ugly head, my entire company was already online, and will now simply continue to operate remotely for the unforeseeable future.
2. Where is home?
I grew up in Colorado, but before coming to Mexico, I was living in Missoula Montana.
3. How did you get here?
I drove with my truck, my dog Tulip, and my surf board. I applied for a temporary residence visa, because I knew I’d be in Mexico for more than six months. A tourist visa gets you six months, and a temporary visa gives you up to four years.
You have to go to a Mexican consulate in the USA (Laredo, TX is where I went) I gave proof I had income from my American company, bank statements, pay stubs and that initiated the process. Then, a lawyer in Puerto Vallarta helped me finish the process.
4. Where do you live?
I live in Playa Saladita, I chose it for surfing…the break there is pretty famous.
5. Describe your day to me.
I wake up early, and surf for an hour or two. Next, I drive to my office in Ixtapa, work for as long as I want to, go home, eat dinner and finally, go to bed.
6. What about the local food, what is your favorite restaurant or food?
The landlord of my office cooks me lunch every day, and I’d speculate that her ceviche is likely my favorite. I just love all of the wonderful coconut dishes, but other than my landlord’s ceviche, the: seafood, and cocos bien frios en la Carretera. Every day on my way home, I buy a cold coconut from the side of the road, and It’s sooo good.
7. What is the cost of living compared to home?
A lot cheaper, but this is the thing, I was paying about $1000 US dollars a month in Montana for a small house. Now, I pay around $1000 here for my Airbnb, but it’s incredibly luxurious with a magnificent view. Rent is by far the most expensive part, because I rent a condo through Airbnb, and I book with them because I like to be able to pick up and travel as I please, and I am also new to the area, so I also use Airbnb just to be on the safe side.
Food and pretty much everything else one could need or desire is about half the price (or less), and twice as good.
8. What do you wear for work?
Board shorts and a tank top.
9. What is your favorite thing about the place?
The surfing! It is by far the best I’ve encountered so far! It’s a perfect mix of different sizes and types of waves to choose from, and there are not too many people which makes it that much more desirable to me…not many tourists are out right now, so that is great.
10. Would you consider investing in a property here?
Yes, I would. I would buy in Troncones or Saladita, because that is close to the surfing. It’s cheaper than Baja, cheaper than Sayulita in Jalisco, so yes, I definitely would. It has that small-town feeling, but there is an international airport, and it’s close enough to a city in case I need stuff from a city.
Then we have Miss Brenda Lachman, who decided to move here right when the quarantine began.
1. What do you do?
I work for the Hispanic Learning Center, a Language Center in Houston, TX, and I am a substitute teacher for the Mondragon University in Spain. I also write lyrics, business books & articles, and I am a fiction author.
2. Where’s home?
Texas was Home for nearly the last twenty years. Before that, California and Mexico.
3. How did you get here?
By plane to Queretaro, and then some friends drove me here.
4. Where do you live?
I live in Ixtapa.
5. Describe your day to me.
First, I wake up at the crack of dawn, (waking up here is divine, because the day is already filled with warm sunlight.) I have a cup of coffee, watching the ocean. Then, I go indoors to teach class until around lunch time. I prepare something light for lunch and to keep me going throughout the day, although once in a while I indulge myself with some beer battered fried fish…Texas Style, with some Cole slaw on the side. Then I take a one-hour nap in the hammock, wake up to a nice cup of local grown coffee and then write and teach class till nine o’clock at night.
6. What about the food, have you tried things you’ve never tried before?
The food here is delicious. Even a pair of scrambled eggs tastes different, because it is locally farmed, organic, and hens here eat worms, like they have for thousands of years. Moving here is adopting not only a new lifestyle, but a diet filled with natural foods that deliver wellness to your whole system.
I would say that Sea food pizza, and ceviche have become some of my favorite dishes from here.
7. What is the cost of living compared to home?
Peanuts. With the currency exchange rate, I can live in luxury here, while back home would have been just a regular life. I have freedom to indulge in beautiful Furniture, clothing, food, wine, and ultimately anything my heart desires, without any hesitation.
8. What do you wear for work?
I usually wear shorts, a pretty tank-top, and I go barefoot. On the days that I go swimming before class, I wear a bikini underneath a nice sun dress, so I can still look professional while teaching.
9. What is your favorite thing about the place?
My favorite thing is everything! The air, the views, the laidback atmosphere, nobody and nothing is in a hurry which is a nice change from a big city like Houston. I absolutely love the food, & the shopping: I can have name brands if I chose to, or I can shop from the local stores in the market, and their clothes are made with local fabrics that are fresh and comfortable. Everything about this place is magic.
10. Would you consider investing in a property here?
Absolutely! I am already looking into it. Zihuantanejo is an ideal place to invest. I have lived on the Gulf of Mexico coast, and in the Caribbean. I can tell you from experience that the Pacific gets fewer hurricanes than any other oceanfront area. The weather is incredible most of the year. It’s geographic location is strategically perfect , and the added value of the property makes it an amazing investment, not to mention that I can buy my dream house, rent part of it, and have it pay for itself, while I enjoy living in it for free, so it’s a win-win investment all the way around.
