What’s Your Excuse for Not Visiting Lake Chapala Ajijic?

What’s Your Excuse for Not Visiting Lake Chapala Ajijic?
Dear ChapalaClub Members… and lurkers,

I pride myself on never putting any pressure on my clients (zip, zero, none) when I’m advising them, showing properties, answering questions etc.

Why, because I detest this kind of so called “help”.

OK, so that was my disclaimer. You know what’s going to follow, right?

I’m going to put just a tiny, wee bit of well, I don’t want to call it pressure… so let me just call it “encouragement for you”.

Here’s some “encouragement” I feel I need to give to some of you. (If the shoe doesn’t fit.. just please ignore it because I’m not talking to you) but you can still read along to see what I’ going to tell the rest of the group.

It might make for some uncomfortable reading for some, but it’s my hope that unless you’re a brand new member to our Club, you’ll feel like we know each other well enough by now that I can speak freely.

If you’re really truly interested enough in what we say here on www.ChapalaClub.com,

Interested in the idea of retiring or just preparing for retirement here in our beautiful and affordable area of Mexico, Lake Chapala Ajijic,

if you’re up for a new adventure, or a new start on your golden years, and trying to decide if you might find what you want here at Lake Chapala Ajijic … and you’re thinking / hoping that 2010 could be THE year… Then let me just tell you in love…

“Get off your backside and take some action, some actual steps. In short, do something about it.”

It’s been my pleasure to hear many first-hand accounts from ChapalaClub members who did just that and said to themselves “just do it.”…and they did !

I’ve met these folks in person. We’ve talked on the phone. We’ve exchanged e mails.

I even have one elderly honorary Club Member who writes me letters and I write him back.

He’s a vet who wants to come here to live out his days among friendly people. Why did I call him an honorary member? His friendly librarian helped him find www.ChapalaClub.com since he doesn’t do internet, and so he has no e mail address, and can’t join us on line, but he’s a ChapalaClub member in spirit.

He plans to visit us here in 2010. I hope he makes it. I promised to take him by the American Legion post here where I know he’ll feel at home and find a whole new life among other friendly vets and associate members of the Legion.

The lesson this Vet and the others who’ve already joined us here in our little slice of paradise have shared is simple.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do. (Yes, that includes me too.)

There are lots of happy people here whose family and friends told them they were too old to start a new adventure, or that they would not be safe, or that they didn’t have enough money, or that they would be left out because they were single… and all the other well meaning… but totally wrong words of discouragement.

In short they were saying in so many words, “Stop Dreaming”.

Well, dreaming can be good for the soul.

So don’t let others “steal your dream”.

Yes, they all mean well (or at least we hope they do and are not acting out of envy or greed).

I hear words like, “My kids think I’ve gone crazy” or “My friends think I’ve gone off the deep end.”

If you’ve been doing some dreaming lately or even for a long time 2010 is THE year to take the first steps to make your dream come tr

Will it be all peaches and cream… well I can’t promise that it will be … but it’s not going to be nearly as difficult as you may imagine.

Why do I say this with such confidence? Because thousands of others, many just like you, have gone before you, they’ve smoothed the way.

Have they destroyed the charm of our area? NO they have not! A few old grouches may say yes they have.

Well is Lake Chapala Ajijic like a  little American or little Canada?

Well there are more of us here each year, but almost to a person those of us who’ve chosen to make this our home either full or part time have done our best to fit in and to preserve the culture and lifestyle we’ve grown so fond of.

to accept the culture, the laid back lifestyle, and

to even make a stab at learning the language …survival level Spanish is just not that hard to master

I can prove it to you when you come for a visit.

So, the answer is “No this is definitely not little America or Canada”, but you’ll find enough of us here so you won’t be homesick for your own language or customs (we brought these with us)

and you’ll quickly learn the ropes of how to understand and completely enjoy the culture and the people of Mexico …

without wanting or trying to change them into your own image.

So, leave the naysayers at home, get on a jet plane near your home and soon you’ll be here near my home in beautiful and affordable Lake Chapala Ajijijc, Mexico.   You Can Do It!     I can Help!

Sincerely, Siempre tu amigo, Sid Sid@ChapalaClub.com

P.S. For those still undecided… Look at it this way.

Worst case scenario is that you may decide our area is not right for you… and that’s OK too; but at least you’ll know… and you’ll have had a nice inexpensive vacation to boot.