First, a couple who I met in the USA a few years ago became followers. Eventually they visited San Miguel after reading the blog all that time and then moved here last month. I've learned that this is not uncommon.
They expressed how much of an impact reading the blog had on their decision to visit San Miguel and then to move here. In fact, when they drove down to be here all the time, they copied out the instructions posted back in 2013 on Driving to Mexico!
Such a lovely couple. They are a welcome addition to the San Miguel area and Mexico. Having lived overseas previously and also in Canada, hopefully they will enjoy being here as well.
Then a few weeks ago while I was sitting on the bench, a woman turned to me and asked if I was Babs.
It turns out she too has been reading the blog for quite a while. Another lovely person that had never commented on the blog, but someone I would certainly enjoy knowing. She lives here now.
Then on Thanksgiving at a large gathering, a man called to me with the name Babs and so I knew he read the blog. It turns out he started reading the blog while still living in Belize. He has been here now for several years.
This begs the question, How many of you dear readers out there have been influenced by the blog to make the move to San Miguel? Or, How many of you are thinking of moving to Mexico and possibly San Miguel?
And, if so, Have you visited as yet? I'd also love to know How did you find the blog?
There are several bloggers in town right now and many more that will be here in December. It's a tsunami of readers. It never ceases to amaze me, truly. It makes me SO happy to know that from reading the posts that you choose to come visit and so many of you reach out to meet me.
As I said to someone on Thanksgiving, when I started writing Babsblog, it was out of desperation to find a purpose for my life after my daughter died in 2004. No way in the world could I have ever imagined how
all of you would come into my life and enhance and enrich it.
When I do meet ya'll, however, I know nothing about you but you know quite a bit about me. It is rather surreal. I want to know more about you! All of you. Please comment. If you don't want to do so on the blog, then send me an email at babsofsanmiguel@yahoo.com. I seriously care about each of you who take time out of your busy schedule to keep up with the wacky woman in Mexico!
Hope to hear from you!
26 comments:
Barb- I can't say that you were instrumental to my (future) move to San Miguel, but you have certainly been a wealth of information to me, both through the blog and in person. When we decided on SMA, I started looking for blogs and of course yours came up. I always love that your blog is positive, even talking about some of the frustrating things about Mexico, you always find the humor in them. Thank you for helping so many people find out about what a wonderful place Mexico and especially SMA is! Love you!
Hi Babs,
We learned about your blog through Steve Cotton. Since then we have met, stayed at your lovely home and we have been bitten by the beauty of San Miguell. We will be back someday to see more of Mexico and we will always read your stories.
Best to you and all the wonderful people you have introduced us to.
Cheers, Peter and Shelagh.
Babs, I post your Blog on my Facebook Pages of which I have four. I also post it on at least a dozen more. On my four I have received over 500 views. On one occasion I featured a day with Babs so the responses were massive. I will probably post the current one.
George Puckett
Tucson, AZ
Babs,
I found your blog through Steve Cotton. Yes, SMA is one of the cities my wife and I are interested in checking out as a possible retirement destination. We, of course, are also interested in Lake Chapala.
I keep up with you, Steve, Felipe and several other blogs on a weekly basis. I'm living vicariously through y'all for a couple more years until our youngest graduates from college and we can then explore retirement.
Best Regards,
Troy
Thanks for your blog, Babs! I never miss a post and miss you when you take the occasional break from writing. Maria Lee
Hola Babs! I found your blog 5 months ago when I was searching for blogs from expats. I sold everything I owned back in Canada 6 mths ago packed up a few belongings and moved to Queretaro as a retiree. I emailed you back then but didn't get a response. No matter, I was able to visit SMA for a day and fell in love with its magical charm! I love this country and consider it my home now! The people, the weather, the food, celebrations and yes even topes, lol, have all influenced my love for this beautiful country. I look forward to many more visits to SMA and hopefully one day we can cross paths. I love reading about your adventures!
Judy
Cheryl - You are an example of "it's a small world". How wonderful that the blog brought us back together after having met in Clear Lake so many years ago. I treasure your friendship and can hardly wait til ya'll are here full time.
Thanks for taking time to comment.
Buenos dias Peter and Shelagh - It was a true joy to have finally met the two of you last year. It was also wonderful to have you two be such lovely guests in my home while I was sunning at the beach.
As the time draws nigh for our Christmas Gathering, the two of you have been on my mind more then ever. Last year was so much fun.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday season and return to San Miguel sooner rather then later!
Hugs
George Puckett - you are a dear to post the blogs. Would you tell me how to see your pages? Under what names? I think you wrote to me several years ago but I don't remember the information. Thanks so much. I'd love to see the page dedicated to Babs, ha.
Thanks for being a loyal follower.
Buenos dias Troy - Glad you find my blog through Steve! He is a dear man.
Hope when you and your wife head to SMA to check it out that you'll let me
know so we can meet in the jardin for coffee or something.
Hang in there - those kids do all grow up and leave for college and life.
Then your lives can have a radical change.
Stay in touch.
Maria Lee - How wonderful to hear from you and to hear that you enjoy the blog.
It warms my heart. Thanks so much.
Dear Judy - I'm horrified to read that you wrote to me and I did not answer. I can assure you that I never received your email. I always answer my emails within 24 hours unless I'm traveling and have no computer (no I don't have a fancy phone,yet).
I'm happy to hear that you are in Queretaro and would like to hear how you like it.
On your next planned visit to San Miguel, please lets meet for coffee or something.
I will be gone from the first of January til the middle of February - my annual trip to the beach, but other then that - oh and a trip to Chiapas in March, I should be here.
Welcome to Mexico!
I spent '68/'69 in San Miguel and thought seriously of staying, but my French wife objected. After many years living in France I'm again looking at San Miguel, which is from what I can tell, both better and worse than the old days. Your blog helps give us an idea what daily life would be there. Last year we spent five months in Guanajuato working on our Spanish, and we came over to look around. It still exerts a pull, no doubt about it, but it's hard to know what living around so many expats would be like. I generally resist that lifestyle, but I have to admit the Gringo-esque amenities (except for the prices) are attractive. Your blog fills in some blanks for us.
Thank you.
Hi David - I'm so envious that you experience SMA in 68/69! I first came to Mexico in 74 and it certainly has changed radically in the interim.
I think having the gringo amenities, in many ways, makes life more pleasant. When I first came the grocery store was so bad I drove all the way to Queretaro once a month to buy stuff. Now, with two well stocked grocery stores here, life is easier.
Not to mention the specialty cheese shops and other specialty shops.
I think you can choose to participate as much or as little in the expat lifestyle as you wish. I am not very involved in that lifestyle except for a couple of times a week. The great thing here is you can do or be whatever you want to be.
I can assure you that when I go shopping or to the tianguis or other things I do, that I see very very few expats and am definitely in the minority, which is okay with me.
I have connections to France with an ex-son-in-law and his family who live in Versaille. France is such a lovely country and so, so beautiful. There are quite a few French people in San Miguel.........
Do stay in touch and if you do come back, it would be my pleasure to meet the two of you for coffee or whatever.
Babs,
I was wondering whether there were French residents there. I would like to keep my French from fading away as I learn Spanish. Thanks for your assurances about degrees of expat involvement; that's good to know. We're hybrid Americans at this point.
We'd love to meet for coffee. Thanks for the offer.
And thanks again for your informative and entertaining blog.
I had already decided to retire to Mexico when I first encountered your blog. But you did answer some of my questions -- and helped me realize San Miguel de Allende and Steve Cotton would not be a good permanent mix. Visiting is fine. All these years later, we are still here.
Yes, Steve we have been in touch, corresponding, and meeting for a number of years. Plus, of course, you have come to SMA and even stayed in the Guest House.
Ironically, the longer I know you the more I think SMA is the perfect place for you.
The weather, the philosophy discussion group, the poetry and writer's groups, not to mention all the restaurants and the Community Church, just to name a few.
But, each to his own. And, often, I think I should be at the beach, at least for 5 months of the year when I'm so cold here!
Funny how those things happen, isn't it?
My girlfriend from Queretaro introduced me to San Miguel de Allende in 1978 (just in time for the 16 de septiembre celebration). I left in January of 1981.
The town made a lasting impression on me, and I enjoy reading your blog.
Thanks for writing Glenn - I KNOW San Miguel had to have been very different in 1981.
It won't be long and Queretaro will have grown to the edge of where the exit to San Miguel is located. It is amazing how much it has grown and the amount of industry there now.
Are you still living in Mexico?
Hi babs I have been reading your blog for a couple of years now, and every time I go to San Miguel about 3 times a year I look for you all over town and I'm not able to find you, I must look pretty weird looking at all the white womans faces to recognize you, I'll never give up one of these days I will meet you I know it .
Robert - If only I had known! Now you have my email address in the blog, so send me a message next time and I'll be sure to meet you in the jardin and we can have a coffee or something.
Would love to hear your story..........Thanks for taking time to comment!
I'm in the US now. I was in Michoacan from 1989 to 1994. Then I moved to a rural area of Oklahoma, and spent most winters in Michoacan. I was in Nicaragua in 2007, and that same year "visited" the US city that I started from in 1989. Somehow I'm still in that city.
Hi Glenn - Michoacan is one of my most favorite places in Mexico. I'm sure you loved living there. I'd love to hear about Nicaragua as I've always wanted to go there.
How are you handling being back in the USA? Most of my friends who have left and gone back said it was a MAJOR adjustment....
Thanks for taking time to write.
Hi Babs, I have been reading your blog for the past year. I came across your blog by searching San Miguel De Allende and expat. I narrowed my search to San Miguel by doing some research on expat life in Mexico and was blown away by the colors in the city. What a gorgeous town to live in! Me and my husband want to move to San Miguel once his fight with the government over his Military disability is over, we have a Senator working with us now so it should not be much longer. I can't wait to meet you and to learn as much as I can about the Mexican life. I myself am half hispanic, so it will be so great to see where my ancestors came from. Talk to you soon, Crystal from Kansas City, MO.
Hi Crystal! It is always interesting to hear how someone found the blog. I wish you all the best in your intention to move to SMA. I always suggest people come for six months and rent before they give up their homes in the USA to make sure it is a fit.
Good luck.
Hey Babs, from reading your blogs I picked up on that lovely suggestion. Our plan is to start in SM as a home base and to travel once a month to a new destination to see where our hearts land permanently.
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