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After losing her job, she convinced her husband to move to Mexico and open up a B&B. Here's what happened next

After living in Huatulco for 20 years, Rick and Brooke moved to Merida, Yucatan. (Brooke Gazer via CNN Newsource) After living in Huatulco for 20 years, Rick and Brooke moved to Merida, Yucatan. (Brooke Gazer via CNN Newsource)
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After years of travelling together, Brooke and Rick Gazer, both from Canada, were used to staying in interesting places.

And as they bedded down at a guesthouse in San Miguel, Mexico, owned by a couple from Nebraska, Brooke wondered what it would be like to move away and open up their own bed and breakfast.

鈥淚 was just observing (the owners) and thinking, 鈥楾hese people really have a wonderful life, so one day I鈥檇 like to do this,鈥欌 Brooke tells CNN Travel of that memorable stay in 1986.

Relocation dream

Over a decade later, they relocated to the North American country to do just that.

The couple, who鈥檝e been married for 38 years, had both lived abroad previously, and enjoyed travelling together, 鈥渟o it wasn鈥檛 a completely foreign idea to move out of the country.鈥

However, it wasn鈥檛 until Brooke lost her job as a pharmaceutical rep in 1996 that they made the decision to quit their life in Calgary, Alberta, and open up their own bed and breakfast.

Rick was skeptical about 鈥渢he economics of owning a B&B anywhere,鈥 so they resolved to try it out in their own home as something of a test run.

This proved to be 鈥渁 tremendously successful experiment,鈥 says Brooke.

As they had a frail sheep dog who 鈥渨asn鈥檛 going to relocate easily,鈥 the couple opted to wait a few years before taking the plunge. But where would they go?

鈥淥ur criteria was, if we were going to change our lives, we鈥檇 live someplace warm near a beach,鈥 says Brooke.

The couple say they 鈥済ave Thailand a good look,鈥 but ultimately decided that it wasn鈥檛 the right destination for them.

鈥淎nd then we said, 鈥榃e鈥檝e always had a good time when we went to Mexico. That might be a good place,鈥欌 says Rick. 鈥淪o we started looking at Mexico seriously.鈥

After doing some research, they realized that Mexico, the country where they鈥檇 first considered taking this step, was the right fit for them, as well as the most financially viable option.

鈥淚n Mexico we could afford to hire help, a maid and gardener, plus a handyman when needed,鈥 she says.

While they were pretty confident with their decision, some of their friends and family were less convinced by their choice of destination.

Selling up

鈥淓verybody else was terrified for us,鈥 says Brooke. 鈥淎s a matter of fact, my best friend said something to the effect of, 鈥楤rooke, if you鈥檙e having a midlife crisis, wouldn鈥檛 it be easier to do something simple, like changing your hair colour?鈥

Undeterred by the reaction of their loved ones, Brooke and Rick pressed ahead with their big move.

鈥淢exico was not at all scary to us,鈥 says Rick. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a lot easier to learn Spanish than it is Thai.鈥

Once their dog passed away, the couple finally felt ready to leave Canada behind.

Although they鈥檇 initially hoped to rent out their home for six months, Brooke and Rick ultimately decided to sell up.

鈥淲e put (the relocation to Mexico) off for another several months while we sold the house,鈥 she adds. 鈥淎nd then we picked up and left.鈥

In February 1999, they left Calgary, Alberta, and headed for Mexico.

The couple say they spent at least six months exploring the country, limiting their search to Mexico鈥檚 Pacific Coast, in order to find the perfect place for their bed and breakfast, and ultimately decided on Huatulco, a coastal town in Oaxaca.

鈥淲e both agreed this was the place,鈥 says Brooke, before explaining that it took them a few months to find a suitable section of land where they could build their project from scratch.

鈥淗uatulco is kind of a funny place,鈥 she adds. 鈥淚t was developed by the government, and they would put land up for sale periodically. But in between, we just had to wait.鈥

While they were waiting, Brooke and Rick, who were aged 49 and 54 when they relocated, traveled to Guatemala to study Spanish.

鈥淲hen we came back 10 days later, they had a sale, and we put a bid in on two properties,鈥 says Rick. 鈥淎nd we got one of them and we were very happy.鈥

The couple purchased the land for US$75,000 in August 1999 and began drawing up plans to build a six-guest-room B&B overlooking Tejoncito Cove.

鈥淚t took time to get the proper papers and find an architect,鈥 explains Brooke, adding that things sped up once they 鈥渂roke ground.鈥

鈥淧eople said that was an impossible goal but we needed to get open for the winter season. We had about 50 workers onsite through much of the process.鈥

As things began to take shape, they were able to get to know Huatulco and quickly settled in the town, which is a relatively recent tourist development.

鈥淲hen we got there, it was still literally being uncrated,鈥 says Brooke, recalling how she quickly noticed that the local church 鈥渉ad no doors.鈥

鈥淲e thought that was really odd, and we found out about three days later that the town itself was only nine years old.

鈥淭he government had come in and built the infrastructure and just started the town, so the church wasn鈥檛 finished.鈥

Building dreams

According to Brooke and Rick, the locals were incredibly welcoming and instantly made them feel at ease.

鈥淥ne of the reasons we chose Mexico was because people really are nice here,鈥 says Brooke.

They opened their B&B, Agua Azul la Villa, in January 2002. The total cost of the build came to roughly US$350,000.

鈥淩unning a B&B was a wonderful lifestyle,鈥 says Brooke. 鈥淥ne of the things we enjoyed most about travelling was the people you met along the way.

鈥淲ith a B&B, people came to us. We met fascinating people from over the world. Everyone brought something interesting to our breakfast table.鈥

Brooke and Rick stress that things weren鈥檛 always smooth sailing when it came to their business, and there were years when they struggled, but they managed to keep going by living 鈥渇rugally.鈥

The couple found that their money went much further in Mexico, but it took them a little while to navigate some of the cultural differences.

According to Brooke, the somewhat laid-back approach to time and scheduling appointments in the country has been one of the most challenging aspects for them.

鈥淪ometimes people will say that they鈥檙e going to come,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd they intend to come, but something comes up and it just doesn鈥檛 occur to them that they need to tell you they鈥檙e not coming that day.

鈥淭hat does seem to be part of the culture that time is not of the same essence that we allot it to.

鈥淏ut generally speaking, I just find that people are very, very considerate and very pleasant and caring.鈥

In fact, Brooke says she鈥檚 found Mexico to be a 鈥渒inder and gentler society鈥 overall.

This sentiment is echoed by Rick, who has a heart condition, and says that he鈥檚 always struck by how well he鈥檚 cared for whenever he receives medical care.

Cultural differences

鈥淭here鈥檚 a culture of caring that is non-existent in Canada,鈥 he says. 鈥淣othing against Canada, but there鈥檚 a civility (here).鈥

After happily living in Huatulco for two decades, the couple decided to sell up and move to a bigger city due to Rick鈥檚 health issues.

鈥淗e has undergone several stent surgeries,鈥 says Brooke, before explaining that they couldn鈥檛 find a cardiologist in or near Huatulco.

鈥淔ortunately, we bought medical insurance years ago.鈥

According to Brooke, they currently pay 114,000 pesos (around US$5,970) annually 鈥渨ith a hefty deduction鈥 for medical insurance.

Keen to stay in Mexico, the couple opted to move to Merida, a much larger city in Yucat谩n with more medical facilities.

鈥淎t fifty, we felt immortal, but in a blink of an eye, that can change,鈥 says Brooke, who has written a memoir, 鈥淗ouse of Blue Water,鈥 about their experiences in Huatulco.

鈥淲e have no regrets about our time in Huatulco. In fact, it was the best time of our lives. and I miss the natural beauty that surrounded me. But there are times to be practical.鈥

The couple have been living in Merida, known for its Spanish-colonial architecture and traditional Mayan culture, since 2021 and say they feel blessed to be there.

The U.S. State Department currently advises against travelling to six of Mexico鈥檚 32 states, with crime and kidnapping listed as the cause for advisories for the majority.

The Government of Canada advises its citizens to 鈥渆xercise a high degree of caution鈥 while visiting the country and avoid 鈥渘on-essential travel鈥 to specific regions, including central Mexico鈥檚 Guanajuato.

Although their friends and family initially expressed concern about their safety when they decided to move to Mexico, Brooke and Rick say it鈥檚 never been an issue for them, pointing out that they are far removed from the areas of the country with high crime rates.

鈥淭here are people who will read about one incident that happened five years ago, and they tar the whole country, which is ridiculous,鈥 says Rick.

鈥淲e鈥檝e traveled in many parts of Mexico, and there are a few I won鈥檛 go back to. But other than that, to me it鈥檚 a safe country.鈥

They rarely return to Canada now 鈥 Brooke鈥檚 last visit was in 2022 鈥 and can鈥檛 really imagine living there again.

鈥淲e really like it here,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd quite frankly, when I go back to Canada, even in the summer, I find it a little bit chilly.鈥

Brooke goes on to recount being stunned at the price of a 鈥渟imple breakfast鈥 during her last visit.

鈥淚t was like $25 Canadian (dollars),鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd here we can go out for a nice breakfast and it would be $8 or $10.鈥

Although Brooke and Rick originally entered the country on tourist visas and went on to get resident visas, they both became Mexican citizens a few years ago.

鈥淲e did this because we can never afford to live in Canada again,鈥 says Brooke. 鈥淒itto for the U.S.A.鈥

Rick says he rarely feels the urge to go home, and returned last year to visit family for the first time in about 14 years.

鈥淗ome is where you hang your hat,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e hung our hat here 25 years ago, and this is home.鈥

The couple say they鈥檇 advise anyone thinking of relocating to a country like Mexico to rent somewhere in their intended destination first and avoid committing to buying a property until they鈥檙e absolutely sure.

鈥淢exico is a big country, and there鈥檚 a lot of choices,鈥 says Brooke. 鈥淎nd we also have had neighbours that have moved here.

鈥淎nd within a year or two, they decided it wasn鈥檛 for them for one reason or another, and they moved back. And things aren鈥檛 that easy to sell (here).鈥

While they say they鈥檙e able to communicate reasonably well, both still struggle with aspects of the Spanish language.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to communicate fairly well for years,鈥 says Rick. 鈥淏ut 100 per cent fluency? No, I鈥檓 ashamed to say, I鈥檓 not 100 per cent fluent. But then I鈥檓 not in English either.鈥

But the couple, who are now retired, absolutely love the lives they鈥檝e built in Mexico and are looking forward to the future.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been very lucky,鈥 says Brooke. 鈥淚 know people who have come in their late 70s or early 80s and they鈥檝e had trouble getting health care.

鈥淪o the trick is to do it sooner rather than later. And in fact, if people ask if we have any regrets, the only regret that we have is that we couldn鈥檛 afford to do it sooner.鈥

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