After seven months crisscrossing Mexico from north to south and east to west, we have officially decided to settle down in... Tequisquiapan! I've visited dozens of beautiful towns and pueblos. Each one captivated me in its own way and left a mark on my heart. We were searching for "the perfect place"... and they all were, in their own way, but Tequis won the gold medal. Why here? Because it is simply the Mexican version of paradise: a Pueblo Mágico with cobblestone streets li

Today is Palm Sunday, the day the Lord made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Mexico is a deeply Christian country, where religious holidays punctuate daily life and imbue the culture with genuine fervor. This day brings back a wave of sweet and powerful emotions: childhood memories spent with Grandma Rose. This extraordinary woman illuminated my early years with so much love and tenderness. She lived very close to me and was so much more than a grandmother: she was my ref

Mexicans don't eat corn, they WORSHIP it... for 7000 years credit: Grok The Aztec gods: “What are we going to create Man with? Clay? No, too fragile. Mud? Too dirty. A rib? Seriously… Okay, we'll make him with corn dough, it's more malleable.” And there you have it, Man was born: 60% tortilla, 40% religion. credit: Grok But masa (dough made from ground corn) doesn't just magically appear! To transform corn into edible gold, there's nixtamalization—a big word for an ancient te

The further I progress in my grand Mexican adventure, the more convinced I am that this country was tailor-made for me and that I'll eventually find a cozy little corner to settle down in. Since my arrival, I've often been asked THE question: "Why did you leave Canada to come here?" And "What are you really looking for in Mexico?" Well, the perfect place is subjective, but after traveling all over the world, and especially in Mexico, my criteria have become as refined as a go

I'm continuing my exploration of Mexico, and the more I go, the more I feel like a Mexican (my Spanish is improving rapidly: I went from "hola" to "Buenos días, señorita! Cómo va?" without much stuttering. Plus, I navigate the markets like a pro). Bacalar, my next destination, is the kind of paradise that comes straight out of a postcard. I arrive, I see the water shifting from turquoise to emerald to the deep blue of a billionaire's swimming pool, and I think to myself: "OK,

I'm leaving Coatepec (Veracruz state) very soon, so I've saved the best for last. The best? Coatepec coffee, this world-renowned nectar, to which I've succumbed every day since I arrived. Seriously, I think I've developed a serious addiction. This coffee is exceptional thanks to two magical things: the altitude (between 900 and 1,300 meters, exactly in the comfort zone of even the most temperamental Arabica plants) and the famous "chipi-chipi." No, it's not a cute little anim

For the past three weeks, I've been settled in Coatepec, a charming little town nestled in the mountains of the state of Veracruz. A small town, yes, but one with a truly irresistible trio: mole, coffee, and orchids. I naively thought that orchids were just expensive flowers that die as soon as you look at them a little too much. What a monumental mistake! These plants are, in fact, the greatest manipulators, sexual con artists, and survivors in the history of the plant kingd

Long ago, the Aztecs prepared spicy sauces called "molli." They used chili peppers, tomatoes, and seeds, and served them with turkey or whatever else they had on hand. Simple, yet effective: it was spicy, warming, and impressed the gods. Then, in the 16th century, the Spanish arrived with their exotic spices (cinnamon, cloves, almonds, etc.) and their chocolate (yes, cocoa was already native to Mexico, but the Europeans "improved" it by adding sugar). Forced culinary fusion:

It's easy to be afraid when you travel. Afraid of spicy food, afraid of people who smile too much (suspicious, right?), afraid of a way of life that's nothing like our well-ordered routines. But when you open your mind – and especially your heart – everything changes. Magic. It was thanks to this openness that I met Elísabet. We had crossed paths once or twice on the street. And then, when I saw her again, she asked me to watch her bike while she ran an errand. Me, the passin

Come on, admit it. When you hear "the largest pyramid in the world," you immediately think of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the pharaohs, camels, and Indiana Jones. Well, think again! The real champion is hidden in Cholula, Mexico, disguised as a hill with a church perched on top, as if to say, "Nothing to see here, move along." Imagine the scene. In 1519, Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, lands, massacres just about everyone, burns the local temples, and, to top it all o

It's sometimes difficult to express a feeling, to share a sensation, a state of mind. Since arriving in Mexico, I've been experiencing life differently. Before leaving, I read a lot to try to understand the change, but nothing had prepared me for the reality. A reality that pleasantly surprises me every day. I think one of the biggest differences is people's smiles. A genuine, warm, welcoming smile. Time to live Here, people take their time. A traffic jam... it's a great oppo

Since my arrival, Mexico has been in full party mode. Any excuse is good enough to celebrate the joy of life. Carnival, Day of the Dead, Cinco de Mayo... In September, it was the "Beginning of the War of Independence" celebration, which lasted from 1810 to 1821, and at the end of which Mexico became independent from Spain. The Beginning of the Revolution Today is the "Beginning of the Revolution" celebration. A revolution that began on November 20, 1910, and lasted 10 years.

For the past few days, I've been relaxing in Valle de Bravo. This little town, nestled in the mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, had caught my eye before I left Canada, and it was even at the very top of my list. I must confess that it hasn't disappointed me; quite the opposite. The town and its inhabitants have even surpassed all my expectations. credit: Luis Guzman Since my arrival, I love everything, I am amazed by everything. From my daily visits to the "mercad

Mexico is a land of contrasts. Scorching heat on the coasts, eternal snow on the mountain peaks, volcanoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. But Mexico also boasts year-round spring-like temperatures in some regions, refreshing cenotes, and above all, a welcoming, smiling, warm, and sometimes even… fiery population, just like their country. Credit: Grok, cenote Earthquakes Mexico, located at the junction of several tectonic plates, is one of the countries most prone to earthquak

Since arriving in Mexico, I've been slowly changing my diet. The stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, which haven't had to be refrigerated or travel thousands of kilometers before reaching my table, are too tempting. This cornucopia may explain why Mexico has one of the lowest cancer mortality rates in the world. The cancer rate is half that of Canada, and the survival rate is 60% higher. So, it's up to me to take advantage of it. credit: Grok While browsing the market

Today I'm moving. Morelia, in the state of Michoacán, has been very welcoming, but it's time to continue my discovery of Mexico. So I'm heading west toward the Pacific Ocean. State of Jalisco The road to Bucerías, a small town near Puerto Vallarta, is beautiful and mountainous. We go up and down... my ears pop and pop and... I discover new landscapes. Candle cactus. Mexico is considered the "hotspot" for cacti. It is home to the largest number of species. Tequila All around m

Since I've decided to use the next year to find the perfect place for me, I'm taking the time to explore Mexico. To help me in my process, I'm talking... For the past year, I've been talking about my project with the people I meet so that everyone can share with me what the perfect place in Mexico is, from their point of view. I'm pleased to see that people from Morelia often choose... Morelia as the best place to live in Mexico, but several other cities regularly come up: Gu

I've been in Morelia for two weeks and I'm slowly settling into my new life. The hectic beginnings are slowly giving way to discovery. I increasingly turn to people when I need help... like finding an item at the grocery store, figuring out how to take the bus, or requesting an extension to my car's import permit at customs. I could figure it out on my own, with the help of Google, but these small daily interactions are strengthening my self-confidence and... my Spanish skill

It's done, I'm now in Mexico. I had some doubts about the proper way to cross the border, but in the end everything went very smoothly. I had prepared a nice list of all my belongings. The customs officer took a quick look at the list, opened the trunk of the car, and finally, inscribed a beautiful phosphorescent pink sign on my windshield. After a few trips between the different offices, I have my temporary car import permit and my immigration form. So here I am in the Unite

It's true, it's really true. I left for Mexico. The house and motorcycles are sold, and all my remaining possessions fit in the trunk of my car. I had to drastically cut down on my dresses and shoes to make room for "essentials" like my partner's tools and... my kitchen knives. As someone who loves to cook, my knives were what I missed most in the AirBnBs I stayed in around the world during my travels. A few minutes after signing the deed of sale for the house, I set off on a