Kent: Three Days Before the Big Leap

In three days Judi and I will step onto a plane and begin a completely new chapter of our lives.

Even typing that sentence feels a little unreal.

For the past several months our days have been filled with packing, sorting, selling, donating, and saying goodbye. Downsizing turns out to be much more than a practical exercise—it’s an emotional one. Every drawer we opened seemed to contain a memory.

After nearly 45 years of marriage we had accumulated a lifetime of things. But we made a decision that surprised more than a few friends and family members: we are reducing everything we own to a few suitcases and moving to a small Mexican community on the north shore of Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco.

Yes… really.

Judi recently retired after 31 years as a registered nurse. I wrapped up a 27-year career working in IT at a medical school after earlier adventures in graphic design, photography, and teaching a few college night classes along the way.

Together we raised four great kids who are now adults with families of their own. We are also grandparents to nine amazing grandchildren.

For the past 27 years Louisiana has been home. But retirement has a way of opening the door to new questions.

What do we want this next chapter of life to look like?

After a lot of thinking, researching and dreaming, the answer slowly became clear. We wanted something simpler. Something a little adventurous. A place where daily life might feel more connected to community, culture, and the rhythm of the outdoors.

After visiting Judi’s cousin and his husband last year in San Pancho, Mexico we had our answer. That trip planted a seed but we wanted to live where the weather was better than the muggy south of Louisiana.

The art, the music, the food, the warmth of the people, and the natural beauty of the Lake Chapala area captured our imagination. We also loved the idea of living in a walkable town where life could happen at a slower pace.

In fact, for the first time in our entire marriage, we don’t own a car.

Instead, two cargo-style e-bikes are waiting for us at a bike shop in Ajijic. The idea of running errands or exploring town by bicycle may seem a little unusual to some of our friends, but to us it feels like part of the adventure.

Along the way we’ve sold our cars, re-homed beloved pets, and are preparing to sell the comfortable home we’ve lived in for many years. What once filled a house now fits into a handful of suitcases.

It’s been bittersweet.

Leaving people we love is never easy. But at the same time we feel a deep sense that this is the right step for us as we enter what some people call the “go-go years” of retirement.

A few weeks ago we traveled to the Mexican consulate in Las Vegas and were approved to begin the process toward residency visas. Our plan is to complete the final steps during our first month living there.

This blog is our way of sharing the journey with family and friends. We hope to tell the real story of what it’s like to start fresh in a new place, explore a new culture, improve our Spanish, and build a life in a community that has already captured our hearts.

Mostly, though, we hope this blog reassures the people who love us that we are doing more than okay.

We’re excited.

We’re grateful.

And we’re ready for the adventure.

Right now, though, we’re still here.

Three days before the big leap.

— Kent

GO TO JUDI’S MARCH 15 POST