“You’re moving where?”
“Mexico?”
“Isn’t it dangerous there?”
I heard some version of that question many times before we moved.
My usual response was:
“We live in Shreveport.”
That typically caused a pause.
We moved to Shreveport, Louisiana from California 28 years ago.
I was born and raised in California and loved many things about it—beaches, mountains, deserts, redwood forests, farmland.
It was a beautiful place to grow up.
And like many places, it also had crime.
Shreveport, too, has beautiful neighborhoods and wonderful people.
We built a life there. Raised our family there. Made lifelong friendships there.
I loved the parks, bike rides, camping trips, kayaking, and dramatic thunderstorms.
But over time, something shifted.
The crime and violence became more difficult to ignore.
Before we moved, it felt like there were almost daily news reports about shootings from the night before. Many people we knew carried guns because they did not feel safe without them.
I found myself becoming more cautious.
Avoiding large events. Avoiding downtown at night. Feeling tense driving in certain areas after dark.
So when people asked if I was afraid to move to Mexico, I couldn’t help but compare it to the environment we were already living in.
Of course, we did our research.
Mexico is a large country, and some areas are certainly more dangerous than others. We approached the decision the same way anyone should when moving somewhere new—we researched communities, crime statistics, and quality of life.
Every city, state, and country has areas that are safer than others.
Awareness and common sense matter everywhere.
What has surprised me most is how safe and peaceful daily life feels here.
Kent and I often take evening walks through Mexican neighborhoods near our home, down to the lakeside boardwalk and into town.
People are outside at all hours.
Families gather in the streets. Children play. Music drifts through neighborhoods. People eat at street stands, visit with neighbors, attend festivals, dance, sing, and go to church.
There is life happening everywhere.
And it feels normal.
Comfortable.
Relaxed.
Do problems exist here?
Of course they do.
No place is perfect.
But since moving to this area, I have not lived with the same constant awareness and fear of violence that I had grown accustomed to before.
Ironically, the thing I fear most on our evening walks is tripping on a cobblestone street and breaking a bone.
We still use common sense.
We stay aware of our surroundings.
But we also feel something we haven’t felt in a long time.
At ease.
And for us, that has been one of the greatest surprises of all.
— Judi
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